בָּקָר
𐤁𐤒𐤓
bâqâr
H1241 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Domesticated large hoofed herd animal, specifically cattle, encompassing both male (bull, ox) and female (cow) members of the species. Used especially for draft labor (plowing) and as a source of meat, milk, and sacrificial animals. The term may refer to an individual animal, a pair, or a collective herd, depending on context.
Semantic Range
cattle, herd, ox, bull, cow, steer, heifer, calf, herd animal, draft animal, sacrificial animal
Root / Etymology
From the root בָּקַר (b-q-r), which carries the core meaning 'to seek, search, examine.' The noun בָּקָר diverges from the verbal sense, representing domesticated cattle; the semantic connection to the root is unclear and may reflect an ancient denominative process or a near-homograph. Root etymology uncertain as it applies to the animal term.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, בָּקָר is one of the primary terms for domesticated cattle (Bos taurus). The word refers to both sexes and all ages, from calves to mature oxen and cows, though more specialized terms (עֵגֶל 'calf,' פָּר 'bull,' פָּרָה 'cow') are also sometimes used. בָּקָר frequently appears as property, tribute, or offerings, and forms a key part of both rural agricultural life and cultic practice. It is distinct from צֹאן, which denotes smaller livestock (sheep and goats). The term's collective use is common, especially in enumerative or legal contexts (cf. Deuteronomy, Numbers, Leviticus). In some later translation traditions (Greek LXX, Vulgate), the nuance of sex or age may be lost or generalized, and English translations often alternate between 'cattle' and 'oxen.' The word does not carry the narrower modern sense of ox as castrated male draft animals; in Biblical contexts it is a generic for larger bovine animals as a category. Usage is consistent across patriarchal, monarchic, and exilic periods; in post-exilic texts, terminology may shift under external (Aramaic, Persian) influence, but בָּקָר is retained in ritual and narrative contexts.
Translation Consistency
בָּקָר typically refers to domesticated bovine animals collectively or individually (bull, ox, cow, herd). “Cattle” is the most natural, neutral English term that covers males/females, individual or herd use, and matches the majority of existing renderings. It preserves the typical semantic range without forcing sex- or function-specific terms (ox, cow).
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from בָּקַר; beef cattle or an animal of the ox family of either gender (as used for plowing); collectively, a herd; beeve, bull ([phrase] -ock), [phrase] calf, [phrase] cow, great (cattle), [phrase] heifer, herd, kine, ox.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
בקר (Baqebaqar) — to seek, to examine, to inquire, to inspect, to search
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1230 | בַּקְבַּקַּר | Search-Seeker |
| H1239 | בָּקַר | I will examine closely |
| H1240 | בְּקַר | to thoroughly investigate |
| H1242 | בֹּקֶר | in the morning |
| H1243 | בַּקָּרָה | as inspection-of |
Word Forms
26 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1241-03 |
בָּקָ֛ר | baqar | HNcbsa |
cattle | bovine animal | bovine animal | 66 |
H1241-10 |
הַ/בָּקָֽר | habaqar | HTd/Ncbsa |
the oxen | the cattle | the cattle | 39 |
H1241-17 |
וּ/בָקָ֥ר | uvaqar | HC/Ncbsa |
and cattle | and cattle | and cattle | 25 |
H1241-23 |
בָקָ֜ר | vaqar | HNcbsa |
cattle | head of cattle | and a head of cattle | 12 |
H1241-24 |
וְ/הַ/בָּקָ֨ר | vehabaqar | HC/Td/Ncbsa |
and the herds | and the cattle | and the cattle | 7 |
H1241-01 |
בַּ/בָּקָ֣ר | babaqar | HRd/Ncbsa |
from the cattle | in the cattle | in the cattle | 4 |
H1241-06 |
בְּקָרְ/ךָ֖ | beqarekha | HNcbsc/Sp2ms |
of your herd | your cattle | in your cattle | 3 |
H1241-11 |
כַּ/בָּקָ֥ר | kabaqar | HRd/Ncbsa |
like an ox | like the cattle | like the cattle | 3 |
H1241-18 |
וּ/בְקָרָ֛/ם | uveqaram | HC/Ncbsc/Sp3mp |
and their herds | and their cattle | and their cattle | 3 |
H1241-19 |
וּ/בְקָֽרְ/ךָ֤ | uveqarekha | HC/Ncbsc/Sp2ms |
and your herds | and your cattle | and your cattle | 3 |
Occurrences in Scripture
183 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1241-17 |
Genesis 12:16 | וּ/בָקָר֙ | uvaqar | HC/Ncbsa |
and cattle | and cattle | and cattle |
H1241-17 |
Genesis 13:5 | וּ/בָקָ֖ר | uvaqar | HC/Ncbsa |
and herds | and cattle | and cattle |
H1241-10 |
Genesis 18:7 | הַ/בָּקָ֖ר | habaqar | HTd/Ncbsa |
the herd | the cattle | the cattle |
H1241-03 |
Genesis 18:7 | בָּקָ֜ר | baqar | HNcbsa |
calf | bovine animal | bovine animal |
H1241-10 |
Genesis 18:8 | הַ/בָּקָר֙ | habaqar | HTd/Ncbsa |
the herd | the cattle | of the cattle |
H1241-17 |
Genesis 20:14 | וּ/בָקָ֗ר | uvaqar | HC/Ncbsa |
and cattle | and cattle | and cattle |
H1241-17 |
Genesis 21:27 | וּ/בָקָ֔ר | uvaqar | HC/Ncbsa |
and oxen | and cattle | and cattle |
H1241-17 |
Genesis 24:35 | וּ/בָקָר֙ | uvaqar | HC/Ncbsa |
and herds | and cattle | and cattle |
H1241-23 |
Genesis 26:14 | בָקָ֔ר | vaqar | HNcbsa |
of cattle | head of cattle | head of cattle |
H1241-10 |
Genesis 32:8 | הַ/בָּקָ֛ר | habaqar | HTd/Ncbsa |
the herds | the cattle | the cattle |
H1241-24 |
Genesis 33:13 | וְ/הַ/בָּקָ֖ר | vehabaqar | HC/Td/Ncbsa |
and the herds | and the cattle | and the cattle |
H1241-05 |
Genesis 34:28 | בְּקָרָ֖/ם | beqaram | HNcbsc/Sp3mp |
their herds | their cattle | their cattle |
H1241-19 |
Genesis 45:10 | וּ/בְקָרְ/ךָ֖ | uveqarekha | HC/Ncbsc/Sp2ms |
and your herds | and your cattle | and your cattle |
H1241-18 |
Genesis 46:32 | וּ/בְקָרָ֛/ם | uveqaram | HC/Ncbsc/Sp3mp |
and their herds | and their cattle | and their cattle |
H1241-18 |
Genesis 47:1 | וּ/בְקָרָ/ם֙ | uveqaram | HC/Ncbsc/Sp3mp |
and their herds | and their cattle | and their cattle |
H1241-10 |
Genesis 47:17 | הַ/בָּקָ֖ר | habaqar | HTd/Ncbsa |
the herds | the cattle | the cattle |
H1241-18 |
Genesis 50:8 | וּ/בְקָרָ֔/ם | uveqaram | HC/Ncbsc/Sp3mp |
and their herds | and their cattle | and their cattle |
H1241-01 |
Exodus 9:3 | בַּ/בָּקָ֖ר | babaqar | HRd/Ncbsa |
on the cattle | in the cattle | in the cattle |
H1241-22 |
Exodus 10:9 | וּ/בִ/בְקָרֵ֨/נוּ֙ | uviveqarenu | HC/R/Ncbsc/Sp1cp |
and with our herds | and with our cattle | and with our cattle |
H1241-20 |
Exodus 10:24 | וּ/בְקַרְ/כֶ֖ם | uveqarekhem | HC/Ncbsc/Sp2mp |
and your herds | and your cattle | and your cattle |
H1241-07 |
Exodus 12:32 | בְּקַרְ/כֶ֥ם | beqarekhem | HNcbsc/Sp2mp |
your herds | your cattle | your cattle |
H1241-17 |
Exodus 12:38 | וּ/בָקָ֔ר | uvaqar | HC/Ncbsa |
herds | and cattle | and cattle |
H1241-06 |
Exodus 20:24 | בְּקָרֶ֑/ךָ | beqarekha | HNcbsc/Sp2ms |
your oxen | your cattle | in your cattle |
H1241-23 |
Exodus 21:37 | בָקָ֗ר | vaqar | HNcbsa |
oxen | head of cattle | head of cattle |
H1241-03 |
Exodus 29:1 | בָּקָ֛ר | baqar | HNcbsa |
herd | bovine animal | bovine animal |
H1241-24 |
Exodus 34:3 | וְ/הַ/בָּקָר֙ | vehabaqar | HC/Td/Ncbsa |
and the herds | and the cattle | and the cattle |
H1241-10 |
Leviticus 1:2 | הַ/בָּקָר֙ | habaqar | HTd/Ncbsa |
the herd | the cattle | the cattle |
H1241-10 |
Leviticus 1:3 | הַ/בָּקָ֔ר | habaqar | HTd/Ncbsa |
the herd | the cattle | the cattle |
H1241-10 |
Leviticus 1:5 | הַ/בָּקָ֖ר | habaqar | HTd/Ncbsa |
the herd | the cattle | the cattle |
H1241-10 |
Leviticus 3:1 | הַ/בָּקָר֙ | habaqar | HTd/Ncbsa |
the herd | the cattle | the cattle |
H1241-03 |
Leviticus 4:3 | בָּקָ֥ר | baqar | HNcbsa |
of cattle | bovine animal | bovine animal |
H1241-03 |
Leviticus 4:14 | בָּקָר֙ | baqar | HNcbsa |
of cattle | bovine animal | a cattle |
H1241-03 |
Leviticus 9:2 | בָּקָ֧ר | baqar | HNcbsa |
of cattle | bovine animal | a cattle |
H1241-03 |
Leviticus 16:3 | בָּקָ֛ר | baqar | HNcbsa |
the herd | bovine animal | a cattle |
H1241-01 |
Leviticus 22:19 | בַּ/בָּקָ֕ר | babaqar | HRd/Ncbsa |
from the cattle | in the cattle | in the cattle |
H1241-01 |
Leviticus 22:21 | בַּ/בָּקָ֖ר | babaqar | HRd/Ncbsa |
from the herd | in the cattle | in the cattle |
H1241-03 |
Leviticus 23:18 | בָּקָ֛ר | baqar | HNcbsa |
cattle | bovine animal | a cattle |
H1241-03 |
Leviticus 27:32 | בָּקָר֙ | baqar | HNcbsa |
of herd | bovine animal | a cattle |
H1241-03 |
Numbers 7:3 | בָּקָ֔ר | baqar | HNcbsa |
oxen | bovine animal | bovine animal |
H1241-10 |
Numbers 7:6 | הַ/בָּקָ֑ר | habaqar | HTd/Ncbsa |
oxen | the cattle | the cattle |
H1241-10 |
Numbers 7:7 | הַ/בָּקָ֔ר | habaqar | HTd/Ncbsa |
the oxen | the cattle | the cattle |
H1241-10 |
Numbers 7:8 | הַ/בָּקָ֔ר | habaqar | HTd/Ncbsa |
oxen | the cattle | the cattle |
H1241-03 |
Numbers 7:15 | בָּקָ֗ר | baqar | HNcbsa |
the herd | bovine animal | bovine animal |
H1241-03 |
Numbers 7:17 | בָּקָ֣ר | baqar | HNcbsa |
oxen | bovine animal | a cattle |
H1241-03 |
Numbers 7:21 | בָּקָ֗ר | baqar | HNcbsa |
cattle | bovine animal | bovine animal |
H1241-03 |
Numbers 7:23 | בָּקָ֣ר | baqar | HNcbsa |
oxen | bovine animal | bovine animal |
H1241-03 |
Numbers 7:27 | בָּקָ֗ר | baqar | HNcbsa |
cattle | bovine animal | bovine animal |
H1241-03 |
Numbers 7:29 | בָּקָ֣ר | baqar | HNcbsa |
oxen | bovine animal | bovine animal |
H1241-03 |
Numbers 7:33 | בָּקָ֗ר | baqar | HNcbsa |
cattle | bovine animal | cattle |
H1241-03 |
Numbers 7:35 | בָּקָ֣ר | baqar | HNcbsa |
oxen | bovine animal | a cattle |