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בְּרִיחַ

𐤁𐤓𐤉𐤇

bᵉrîyach

H1280 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A rigid bar or bolt used to secure doors, gates, or chests; in architectural contexts, a crossbar that fastens or reinforces structures (especially the frames or boards of the Tabernacle). In rare contexts, refers to something that escapes or flees, as a figurative or secondary sense.

Semantic Range

bar, bolt, crossbar (architectural); rarely, something that escapes or a fugitive

Root / Etymology

From the Hebrew root ברח (bet-resh-chet), primarily meaning 'to run,' 'to flee,' but in the nominal formation בְּרִיחַ, the basic sense shifts to denote a 'bar' or 'bolt,' perhaps with the notion of something that moves or slides to secure an entryway.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the majority of its biblical usages, בְּרִיחַ denotes the horizontal bars used to secure or reinforce doors or gates (e.g., Judges 16:3 on the city gate of Gaza; 1 Kings 4:13; Neh 3:3). Most notably, it describes the bars that held together the structural frames of the Tabernacle (Exodus 26:26–29, where five bars hold together the planks). Outside of these architectural contexts, the noun very occasionally appears in the sense of something moving swiftly, or a fugitive/runner (Psalm 147:13 may contain a figurative usage, though the concrete 'bar' is generally preferred). English translations render בְּרִיחַ most often as 'bar' or 'bolt.' The alternate translation 'fugitive' (suggested in some glosses) is very rare and always context-dependent. Related terms for architectural fastenings include מַנְעוּל (man'ul, 'lock') and מִסְגֵּר (misger, 'fitting, frame'). The meaning is stable across monarchic and post-exilic periods, with no significant shift. Later Jewish tradition sometimes spiritualizes the imagery, but this is not reflected in biblical texts.

Translation Consistency

primary "bar" 25 occurrences

The primary and most natural English equivalent for בְּרִיחַ is a simple noun 'bar' — it covers bolts, crossbars, and sliding bars used to secure doors, gates, or chests in architectural contexts. 'Bar' is common, concise, and fits the typical usage better than more specialized terms like 'bolt' or 'crossbar'; the rare figurative sense ('fugitive') is secondary and can be handled separately.

Alternatives (17 occurrences):
"crossbars" (13x) "crossbar" (2x) "sliding-bar" (1x) "fugitives" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from בָּרַח; a bolt; bar, fugitive.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

בָּרַח (bᵉrîyach) — to run, to flee, to move swiftly

Root בָּרַח to run, to flee, to move swiftly

Word Forms

20 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H1280-13 וּ/בְרִיחָֽי/ו uverichayv HC/Ncmpc/Sp3ms and its bars and his bars and its bars 7
H1280-12 וּ/בְרִ֥יחַ uvericha HC/Ncmsc and bars and bar and bar 5
H1280-19 בְרִיחִ֖ם verichim HNcmpa bars crossbars crossbars 5
H1280-01 בְּרִ֣יחַ bericha HNcmsc a bar securing bolt of bar of 2
H1280-04 בְּרִיחָ֖י/ו berichayv HNcmpc/Sp3ms its bars his crossbars his crossbars 2
H1280-06 בְּרִיחֵ֖י berichey HNcmpc crossbars of bars of bars of 2
H1280-07 בְּרִחֶ֥י/הָ bericheyha HNcmpc/Sp3fs her bars her crossbars her bars 2
H1280-08 הַ/בְּרִ֣יחַ habericha HTd/Ncmsa the bar the crossbar the crossbar 2
H1280-09 הַ/בְּרִיחִ֖ם haberichim HTd/Ncmpa bars the sliding bars the sliding bars 2
H1280-11 לַ/בְּרִיחִ֑ם laberichim HRd/Ncmpa for the bars to the crossbars to the crossbars 2

Occurrences in Scripture

42 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H1280-19 Exodus 26:26 בְרִיחִ֖ם verichim HNcmpa bars crossbars crossbars
H1280-19 Exodus 26:27 בְרִיחִ֔ם verichim HNcmpa bars crossbars crossbars
H1280-19 Exodus 26:27 בְרִיחִ֗ם verichim-2 HNcmpa bars crossbars crossbars
H1280-16 Exodus 26:28 וְ/הַ/בְּרִ֥יחַ vehabericha HC/Td/Ncmsa and the bar and the sliding-bar and the sliding-bar
H1280-11 Exodus 26:29 לַ/בְּרִיחִ֑ם laberichim HRd/Ncmpa for the bars to the crossbars to the crossbars
H1280-09 Exodus 26:29 הַ/בְּרִיחִ֖ם haberichim HTd/Ncmpa bars the sliding bars the sliding bars
H1280-02 Exodus 35:11 בְּרִיחָ֕/ו berichav HNcmpc/Sp3ms its bars his crossbars its crossbars
H1280-06 Exodus 36:31 בְּרִיחֵ֖י berichey HNcmpc crossbars of bars of bars of
H1280-19 Exodus 36:32 בְרִיחִ֔ם verichim HNcmpa bars crossbars crossbars
H1280-19 Exodus 36:32 בְרִיחִם֙ verichim-2 HNcmpa bars crossbars crossbars
H1280-08 Exodus 36:33 הַ/בְּרִ֣יחַ habericha HTd/Ncmsa the bar the crossbar the crossbar
H1280-11 Exodus 36:34 לַ/בְּרִיחִ֑ם laberichim HRd/Ncmpa for the bars to the crossbars to the crossbars
H1280-09 Exodus 36:34 הַ/בְּרִיחִ֖ם haberichim HTd/Ncmpa the bars the sliding bars the sliding bars
H1280-20 Exodus 39:33 בריח/ו vrychv HNcmpc/Sp3ms its bars his crossbars his crossbars
H1280-04 Exodus 39:33 בְּרִיחָ֖י/ו berichayv HNcmpc/Sp3ms its bars his crossbars his crossbars
H1280-04 Exodus 40:18 בְּרִיחָ֑י/ו berichayv HNcmpc/Sp3ms its bars his crossbars his crossbars
H1280-13 Numbers 3:36 וּ/בְרִיחָ֖י/ו uverichayv HC/Ncmpc/Sp3ms and its bars and his bars and its bars
H1280-13 Numbers 4:31 וּ/בְרִיחָ֖י/ו uverichayv HC/Ncmpc/Sp3ms and its bars and his bars and its bars
H1280-12 Deuteronomy 3:5 וּ/בְרִ֑יחַ uvericha HC/Ncmsa and-bars and bar and bar
H1280-08 Judges 16:3 הַ/בְּרִ֔יחַ habericha HTd/Ncmsa the bar the crossbar the crossbar
H1280-12 1 Samuel 23:7 וּ/בְרִֽיחַ uvericha HC/Ncmsa and bars and bar and bar
H1280-12 1 Kings 4:13 וּ/בְרִ֥יחַ uvericha HC/Ncmsc and bars and bar and bar
H1280-05 Isaiah 15:5 בְּרִיחֶ֕/הָ bericheha HNcmpc/Sp3fs her fugitives her crossbars her fugitives
H1280-14 Isaiah 45:2 וּ/בְרִיחֵ֥י uverichey HC/Ncmpc and bars and crossbars of and bars of
H1280-17 Jeremiah 49:31 בְרִ֛יחַ vericha HNcmsa bars securing bar securing bar
H1280-18 Jeremiah 51:30 בְרִיחֶֽי/הָ vericheyha HNcmpc/Sp3fs her bars her crossbars her crossbars
H1280-12 Ezekiel 38:11 וּ/בְרִ֥יחַ uvericha HC/Ncmsa and bars and bar and bar
H1280-01 Amos 1:5 בְּרִ֣יחַ bericha HNcmsc the bar securing bolt of bar of
H1280-07 Jonah 2:7 בְּרִחֶ֥י/הָ bericheyha HNcmpc/Sp3fs with her bars her crossbars her bars
H1280-03 Nahum 3:13 בְּרִיחָֽיִ/ך berichayikh HNcmpc/Sp2fs your bars your bars your bars
H1280-14 Psalms 107:16 וּ/בְרִיחֵ֖י uverichey HC/Ncmpc and bars and crossbars of and bars of
H1280-06 Psalms 147:13 בְּרִיחֵ֣י berichey HNcmpc the bars of bars of bars of
H1280-10 Proverbs 18:19 כִּ/בְרִ֥יחַ kivericha HR/Ncmsc like-the-bars bar of like bars of
H1280-01 Job 38:10 בְּרִ֣יחַ bericha HNcmsa a bar securing bolt of bar of
H1280-07 Lamentations 2:9 בְּרִיחֶ֑י/הָ bericheyha HNcmpc/Sp3fs her bars her crossbars her bars
H1280-13 Nehemiah 3:3 וּ/בְרִיחָֽי/ו uverichayv HC/Ncmpc/Sp3ms and its bars and his bars and its bars
H1280-13 Nehemiah 3:6 וּ/בְרִיחָֽי/ו uverichayv HC/Ncmpc/Sp3ms and its bars and his bars and its bars
H1280-13 Nehemiah 3:13 וּ/בְרִיחָ֑י/ו uverichayv HC/Ncmpc/Sp3ms and its bars and his bars and its bars
H1280-13 Nehemiah 3:14 וּ/בְרִיחָֽי/ו uverichayv HC/Ncmpc/Sp3ms and its bars and his bars and its bars
H1280-13 Nehemiah 3:15 וּ/בְרִיחָ֑י/ו uverichayv HC/Ncmpc/Sp3ms and its bars and his bars and its bars
H1280-12 2 Chronicles 8:5 וּ/בְרִֽיחַ uvericha HC/Ncmsa and bars and bar and bar
H1280-15 2 Chronicles 14:6 וּ/בְרִיחִים֒ uverichim HC/Ncmpa and bars and crossbars and crossbars
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