King James Bible Dictionary

OPPRESS', verb transitive [Latin appressus, from opprimo; ob and premo, to press.]

1. To load or burden with unreasonable impositions; to treat with unjust severity, rigor or hardship; as, to oppress a nation with taxes or contributions; to oppress one by compelling him to perform unreasonable service.

2. To overpower; to overburden; as, to be oppressed with grief.

3. to sit or lie heavy on; as, excess of good oppresses the stomach.

OPPRESS'ED, participle passive burdened with unreasonable impositions; overpowered; overburdened; depressed.

OPPRESS'ING, participle present tense Overburdening.

God is a refuge from
Psalms 9:9

Prayers against
Psalms 17:9; Psalms 44:24; Psalms 119:121; Psalms 119:134; Isaiah 38:14

God's aid promised against
Psalms 12:5; Psalms 72:4; Psalms 72:14; Jeremiah 50:34

God will judge
Psalms 103:6; Ecclesiastes 5:8; Ecclesiastes 23:10; Jeremiah 22:17; Ezekiel 22:7; Amos 4:1; Micah 2:2; Malachi 3:5; James 5:4

National, God judges
Acts 7:7

National, relieved
Exodus 3:9; Deuteronomy 26:7; Judges 2:14; Jude 1:6-8; Jude 1:10; Jude 12:13; Isaiah 52:4

Instances of:

Of Hagar, by Sarah
Genesis 16:6

Of Israelites, by Egyptians
Exodus 1:10-22; Exodus 2:5

Rehoboam resolves to oppress the Israelites
1 Kings 12:14

Unclassified scriptures relating to
Exodus 22:21-24; Deuteronomy 23:15-16; Deuteronomy 24:14-15; Job 27:13-23; Psalms 9:9; Psalms 10:17-18; Psalms 12:5; Psalms 62:10; Psalms 74:21; Psalms 119:134; Proverbs 3:31; Proverbs 14:31; Proverbs 22:16; Proverbs 22:22; Proverbs 28:3; Proverbs 30:14; Ecclesiastes 4:1; Ecclesiastes 5:8; Ecclesiastes 7:7; Isaiah 1:17; Isaiah 33:15-16; Isaiah 58:6; Jeremiah 21:12; Ezekiel 22:29; Ezekiel 45:9; Amos 5:11-12; Amos 8:4-6; Micah 2:1-3; Isaiah 5:8; Habakkuk 2:5-11; Zech 7:10; Matthew 23:2-4; James 2:6

OPPRES'SION, noun

1. The act of oppressing; the imposition of unreasonable burdens, either in taxes or services; cruelty; severity.

2. The state of being oppressed or overburdened; misery.

the Lord - saw the oppression of Israel. 2 Kings 8:1.

3. Hardship; calamity.

4. Depression; dullness of spirits; lassitude of body.

5. A sense of heaviness or weight in the breast, etc.

OPPRESS'IVE, adjective

1. Unreasonably burdensome; unjustly severe; as oppressive taxes; oppressive exactions of service.

2. Tyrannical; as an oppressive government.

3. Heavy; overpowering; overwhelming; as oppressive grief or woe.

OPPRESS'IVELY, adverb In a manner to oppress; with unreasonable severity.

OPPRESS'IVENESS, noun The quality of being oppressive.

OPPRESS'OR, noun One that oppresses; one that imposes unjust burdens on others; one that harasses others with unjust laws or unreasonable severity.

Power when employed to relieve the oppressed and to punish the oppressor becomes a great blessing.