Βοσόρ

Bosór

G1007 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Bosor, a personal name rendering the Hebrew name Beor, signifies the proper name of a Moabite figure. In the New Testament (2 Peter 2:15), it refers to the father of the prophet Balaam. The primary lexical meaning is that of a personal name, not carrying intrinsic meaning beyond its function as an identifier, though it is derived from a Hebrew root possibly relating to animal or livestock (see etymology).

Semantic Range

personal name (father of Balaam), Beor (Hebrew personal name), Moabite individual

Root / Etymology

Derived from Hebrew בְּעוֹר (Be‘or), possibly connected to the root בעָר meaning 'to burn' or 'to consume.' The Greek rendering Βοσόρ closely follows the consonants of the Hebrew name, though the -σ- may reflect dialectical or translational choices. In some traditions, Beor was rendered as Bosor, possibly due to textual variants or LXX translation conventions.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Septuagint and other Hellenistic Greek sources, personal names from Hebrew often underwent transliteration that sometimes introduced variation (here, Beor becomes Bosor). In 2 Peter 2:15, Bosor identifies Balaam's father. This usage highlights the LXX's and New Testament's practice of rendering Hebrew names both phonetically and sometimes with adaptation to Greek phonology. Some early Christian writers (and Latin Vulgate tradition) adopted 'Bosor' under the influence of the Greek text. The name itself does not bear a separate meaning in Greek apart from referencing the individual; it is not a common noun and carries no inherent geographic, ethnic, or religious connotation outside its original contextual references. Standard English translations often simply transliterate this as 'Bosor,' following the Greek text rather than reverting to the more familiar 'Beor.'

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of Hebrew origin (בְּעוֹר); Bosor (i.e. Beor), a Moabite:--Bosor.

Root Family

Βοσόρ (Bosor) — personal name, proper noun

Root Βοσορ- personal name, proper noun

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G1007-01 Βοσὸρ bosor N GEN M SG of Bosor of Bosor Bosor 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G1007-01 2 Peter 2:15 Βοσὸρ bosor N GEN M SG of Bosor of Bosor Bosor