עָשַׁק

עָשַׁק(b. h.) (to press, twist, to wrong, esp. to withhold what is due to a fellowman; to deny a debt. B. Mets. 111a (ref. to Lev. 5:21) או עשק כתיב שעֲשָׁקוֹ כבר we read, ‘or if he have withheld, which means that he had wronged him ere this (when he denied his indebtedness). Koh. R. to IV, 6 טוב … גוזל וחומס ועוֹשֵׁק ועושהוכ׳ better is he who does a little good with what is his own, than he who robs and does violence and oppresses, and does much good with what belongs to others. Succ.29b עוֹשְׁקֵי שכר שכיר those who withhold the hired mans wages, different from כובשיוכ׳ (v. כָּבַש) who defer paying ; a. e.