The Hebrew noun gezelah denotes the act of violent robbery or the goods taken by force. It describes the systematic stripping of another person's property through oppression or theft.
Gezelah stands in direct opposition to the justice God demands in Israel. The prophets repeatedly condemn oppressors who accumulate wealth through gezelah — the violent dispossession of the poor and vulnerable. Ezekiel lists the return of what was seized (gezelah) as a mark of true repentance (Ezekiel 33:15). This word challenges every generation to examine how wealth is gained and to practice restitution as an expression of covenant faithfulness.