בְּכִית
𐤁𐤊𐤉𐤕
bᵉkîyth
H1068 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A weeping; public or intense expression of grief, lamentation, or mourning, often marked by audible crying. The term denotes the outward manifestation of sorrow, frequently for the dead or in response to calamity. It can refer to both the act (weeping loudly) and the collective event of mourning in a communal context.
Semantic Range
weeping, loud mourning, lamentation, audible expression of grief, communal mourning event
Root / Etymology
From the root בכה ('to weep, cry'). בְּכִית (bᵉkîyth) is a noun formation, referring specifically to the act or event of weeping as an expression of sorrow, rather than the verb 'to weep.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
In biblical usage, בְּכִית commonly appears in the context of mourning rituals or collective lament after the loss of an individual (e.g., Genesis 50:4, the mourning for Jacob). The intensity implied is often greater than quiet, private grief—emphasizing wailing or communal mourning. The word is used less frequently than related terms such as מִסְפֵּד (mispeid, wailing or eulogy) and תַּאֲבֵל (ta’avel, mourning), but places greater stress on the audible, expressive act of crying. In Israelite society, such expressions were not only personal but also social events, and the term could describe either the sound of weeping or the organized rite of communal lament. English translations often render בְּכִית as 'weeping' or 'mourning,' but nuance is sometimes lost; the term highlights the audible, demonstrative nature of grief rather than introspective sadness. No significant semantic shift is observed from the patriarchal through exilic periods, but in later Hebrew usage, related nouns/verbs became more generalized to cover a broader range of emotional weeping, not solely funerary or communal contexts.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from בָּכָה; a weeping; mourning.
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 cry out of sorrow
| 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
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1068-01 |
בְכִית֔/וֹ | vekhito | HNcfsc/Sp3ms |
of weeping for him | his weeping | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1068-01 |
Genesis 50:4 | בְכִית֔/וֹ | vekhito | HNcfsc/Sp3ms |
of weeping for him | his weeping |