בֹּכִים
𐤁𐤊𐤉𐤌
Bokhim
H1066 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper noun designating a place named 'Bokim,' literally meaning 'weepers.' The underlying term, a plural active participle of the verb meaning 'to weep,' can also designate individuals characterized by weeping. In biblical context, it is used only as a place name, referring to the site where Israelites mourned after hearing a divine rebuke (Judges 2:1,5).
Semantic Range
weepers, those who weep, plural active participle of 'to weep'; place name memorializing weeping, Bochim/Bokim as a toponym
Root / Etymology
From the root בכה (to weep, lament). The word בֹּכִים is a masculine plural active participle (literally 'those who are weeping'). As a toponym, it likely memorializes a significant event of collective weeping or mourning.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In Judges 2:1,5, בֹּכִים functions as a toponym denoting the place where the Israelites responded with mourning to a message of judgment. The name encapsulates the emotional response of the people rather than describing a settled population of 'weepers.' English translations often transliterate the term as 'Bochim' or 'Bokim,' sometimes implying a proper name rather than its literal meaning. No evidence suggests this place had continued geographic or cultic significance beyond the immediate narrative context. The use as a participial noun is rare in toponymy and underscores the narrative emphasis on the community's emotional state. Later tradition sometimes associates Bochim with Bethel, but this is not explicit in the biblical text. The term is distinct from other weeping-related place-names such as Abel-mizraim (Genesis 50:11), which likewise memorialize communal mourning.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
plural active participle of בָּכָה; (with the article) the weepers; Bo-kim, a place in Palestine; Bochim.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
בכה (b-k-h) — to weep, to lament, to mourn
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1056 | בָּכָא | the Weeping-Valley |
| H1057 | בָּכָא | weeping-resin trees |
| H1058 | בָּכָה | he wept |
| H1059 | בֶּכֶה | weeping |
| H1065 | בְּכִי | in the weeping |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1066-02 |
הַ/בֹּכִ֑ים | habokhim | HTd/Np |
Bochim | the Weepers | 1 |
H1066-01 |
בֹּכִ֑ים | bokhim | HNp |
Bochim | Weepers | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1066-02 |
Judges 2:1 | הַ/בֹּכִ֑ים | habokhim | HTd/Np |
Bochim | the Weepers |
H1066-01 |
Judges 2:5 | בֹּכִ֑ים | bokhim | HNp |
Bochim | Weepers |