← H1069 H1071 →

בֶּכֶר

𐤁𐤊𐤓

beker

H1070 noun

SILEX Entry

Root בכר to be early, be firstborn, have primacy

Definition

A young male camel, specifically in its juvenile stage, typically before reaching full maturity or adulthood. In biblical usage, it denotes a dromedary (one-humped camel) in its formative years, distinct from both infant and fully mature animals. The term is occasionally extended in poetry or lists to emphasize vitality or desirability, but the primary lexical meaning remains a young, energetic camel.

Semantic Range

a young male camel, a juvenile camel, dromedary (in sense of age, not species), energetic camel in prime years

Root / Etymology

Root בּכר (b-k-r), meaning 'to be early, to be firstborn, or first in order/strength.' From this root, בֶּכֶר (beker) is derived with the sense of youthful vitality and prominence in the animal's life cycle, paralleling the idea of 'firstborn' or prime years in other contexts. The actual lexical meaning in this noun form has specialized to refer to camels, not to youth in general.

Historical & Contextual Notes

בֶּכֶר is a rare noun in Biblical Hebrew, attested only in lists of animals, where it is distinguished from general terms for camels. Its association with youth and vigor reflects broader semantic patterns in Hebrew, where root בּכר relates to primacy or early strength. While the root elsewhere produces terms for firstborn status (e.g., בְּכוֹר bekhōr), בֶּכֶר is limited in scope to animal husbandry lore, especially in eastern desert or caravan contexts. English versions often render this as 'young camel' or 'dromedary,' though the latter term may be misleading, as בֶּכֶר does not refer exclusively to the dromedary species per se, but to its age class. In post-biblical Hebrew, derivatives of the root continue to hold the idea of early maturity or prime animals, but this specific noun remains an archaic or poetic usage. There is no direct parallel in Greek or Latin zoological lexicons, so the exact age range implied may vary.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from בָּכַר (in the sense of youth); a young camel; dromedary.

Bantu Hebrew

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

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

בכר (b-k-r) — to be early, be firstborn, have primacy

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1060 בְּכוֹר firstborn of
H1061 בִּכּוּר first yields of
H1062 בְּכוֹרָה firstborn-right
H1063 בִּכּוּרָה first-ripe fig
H1064 בְּכוֹרַת Bekorath

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1070-01 בִּכְרֵ֤י bikherey HNcmpc young camels of young male camels of 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1070-01 Isaiah 60:6 בִּכְרֵ֤י bikherey HNcmpc young camels of young male camels of
← H1069 Hebrew Lexicon H1071 →