בַּעַר
𐤁𐤏𐤓
baʻar
H1198 adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
Person who is lacking in knowledge, understanding, or moral discernment, often in comparison to animals or cattle. The term depicts a state of being unrefined, senseless, or devoid of rational insight, and is frequently used metaphorically to describe coarse or unenlightened behavior in contrast to wisdom or moral awareness.
Semantic Range
senseless, lacking in discernment, crude or boorish, brutish, unrefined, person compared to livestock in lack of understanding
Root / Etymology
From the root בָּעַר (b-'-r), which primarily means 'to consume, burn, graze.' The nominal form בַּעַר derives from the underlying sense of 'grazing animal' (such as cattle), and by extension is used metaphorically for a person lacking reason or discernment, similar to livestock in terms of mental or moral capacity.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, בַּעַר appears almost exclusively in poetic and wisdom literature, particularly in Psalms and Proverbs, to characterize someone devoid of knowledge or decorum—often contrasted with the wise or discerning (e.g., Ps 49:11[10]; 92:7[6]; Prov 12:1). Its usage reflects an ancient rhetorical device of likening the undiscerning person to cattle, emphasizing lack of intellectual or ethical development. The term never simply means 'animal'; it always carries the connotation of brutishness in a moral or intellectual sense. Standard English renderings like 'brutish' or 'stupid' capture only part of the nuance; the Hebrew term also evokes the image of one who behaves as an unthinking herd animal. In later Hebrew, the term continues to denote crude or boorish behavior rather than mere ignorance. It contrasts with words for folly (אֱוִיל) or lack of understanding (חֲסֵר־לֵב), which may not imply the animalistic characterization.
Translation Consistency
Most natural and common English rendering for H1198’s semantic range (senseless, lacking discernment, animal-like). Appears as the majority renderings and best captures the coarse, beast-like comparison and moral/mental dullness conveyed by the Hebrew, making it the clearest, consistent choice for all forms.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from בָּעַר; properly, foot (as consumed); i.e. (by exten.) of cattle brutishness; (concretely) stupid; brutish (person), foolish.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
בער (Beor) — to burn, consume, be kindled
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1160 | בְּעוֹר | Beor |
| H1165 | בְּעִיר | their grazing-animal |
| H1197 | בָּעַר | she burned |
| H1199 | בָּעֲרָא | Baʿarah |
| H1200 | בְּעֵרָה | the blazing |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1198-01 |
בָּֽעַר | baar | HAamsa |
brutish | beast-like senseless | brutish | 2 |
H1198-02 |
בַ֣עַר | vaar | HAamsa |
brutish | brutish, cattle-like | brutish | 2 |
H1198-03 |
וָ/בַ֣עַר | vavaar | HC/Aamsa |
and-brute | and brutish one | and brutish one | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
5 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1198-03 |
Psalms 49:11 | וָ/בַ֣עַר | vavaar | HC/Aamsa |
and-brute | and brutish one | and brutish one |
H1198-02 |
Psalms 73:22 | בַ֭עַר | vaar | HAamsa |
was brutish | brutish, cattle-like | brutish |
H1198-01 |
Psalms 92:7 | בַּ֭עַר | baar | HAamsa |
brutish | beast-like senseless | brutish |
H1198-01 |
Proverbs 12:1 | בָּֽעַר | baar | HAamsa |
is brutish | beast-like senseless | brutish |
H1198-02 |
Proverbs 30:2 | בַ֣עַר | vaar | HAamsa |
brutish | brutish, cattle-like | brutish |