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בָּקָר

𐤁𐤒𐤓

bâqâr

H1241 noun

SILEX Entry

Root בקר to seek, to examine, (as noun: large domesticated cattle)

Definition

Domesticated large hoofed herd animal, specifically cattle, encompassing both male (bull, ox) and female (cow) members of the species. Used especially for draft labor (plowing) and as a source of meat, milk, and sacrificial animals. The term may refer to an individual animal, a pair, or a collective herd, depending on context.

Semantic Range

cattle, herd, ox, bull, cow, steer, heifer, calf, herd animal, draft animal, sacrificial animal

Root / Etymology

From the root בָּקַר (b-q-r), which carries the core meaning 'to seek, search, examine.' The noun בָּקָר diverges from the verbal sense, representing domesticated cattle; the semantic connection to the root is unclear and may reflect an ancient denominative process or a near-homograph. Root etymology uncertain as it applies to the animal term.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, בָּקָר is one of the primary terms for domesticated cattle (Bos taurus). The word refers to both sexes and all ages, from calves to mature oxen and cows, though more specialized terms (עֵגֶל 'calf,' פָּר 'bull,' פָּרָה 'cow') are also sometimes used. בָּקָר frequently appears as property, tribute, or offerings, and forms a key part of both rural agricultural life and cultic practice. It is distinct from צֹאן, which denotes smaller livestock (sheep and goats). The term's collective use is common, especially in enumerative or legal contexts (cf. Deuteronomy, Numbers, Leviticus). In some later translation traditions (Greek LXX, Vulgate), the nuance of sex or age may be lost or generalized, and English translations often alternate between 'cattle' and 'oxen.' The word does not carry the narrower modern sense of ox as castrated male draft animals; in Biblical contexts it is a generic for larger bovine animals as a category. Usage is consistent across patriarchal, monarchic, and exilic periods; in post-exilic texts, terminology may shift under external (Aramaic, Persian) influence, but בָּקָר is retained in ritual and narrative contexts.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from בָּקַר; beef cattle or an animal of the ox family of either gender (as used for plowing); collectively, a herd; beeve, bull ([phrase] -ock), [phrase] calf, [phrase] cow, great (cattle), [phrase] heifer, herd, kine, ox.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

בקר (b-q-r) — to seek, to examine; (as noun) large domesticated cattle

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1230 בַּקְבַּקַּר Search-Seeker
H1239 בָּקַר I will examine closely
H1240 בְּקַר to thoroughly investigate
H1242 בֹּקֶר in the morning
H1243 בַּקָּרָה as inspection-of
H1244 בִּקֹּרֶת formal inspection
H951 בּוֹקֵר daybreak

Word Forms

26 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1241-03 בָּקָ֜ר baqar HNcbsa cattle bovine animal 66
H1241-10 הַ/בָּקָ֖ר habaqar HTd/Ncbsa the oxen the cattle 39
H1241-17 וּ/בָקָר֙ uvaqar HC/Ncbsa and cattle and cattle 25
H1241-23 בָקָ֔ר vaqar HNcbsa cattle head of cattle 12
H1241-24 וְ/הַ/בָּקָ֖ר vehabaqar HC/Td/Ncbsa and the herds and the cattle 7
H1241-01 בַּ/בָּקָ֖ר babaqar HRd/Ncbsa from the cattle in the cattle 4
H1241-06 בְּקָרֶ֑/ךָ beqarekha HNcbsc/Sp2ms of your herd your cattle 3
H1241-11 כַּ/בָּקָ֥ר kabaqar HRd/Ncbsa like an ox like the cattle 3
H1241-19 וּ/בְקָרְ/ךָ֖ uveqarekha HC/Ncbsc/Sp2ms and your herds and your cattle 3
H1241-18 וּ/בְקָרָ֛/ם uveqaram HC/Ncbsc/Sp3mp and their herds and their cattle 3

Occurrences in Scripture

183 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1241-17 Genesis 12:16 וּ/בָקָר֙ uvaqar HC/Ncbsa and cattle and cattle
H1241-17 Genesis 13:5 וּ/בָקָ֖ר uvaqar HC/Ncbsa and herds and cattle
H1241-10 Genesis 18:7 הַ/בָּקָ֖ר habaqar HTd/Ncbsa the herd the cattle
H1241-03 Genesis 18:7 בָּקָ֜ר baqar HNcbsa calf bovine animal
H1241-10 Genesis 18:8 הַ/בָּקָר֙ habaqar HTd/Ncbsa the herd the cattle
H1241-17 Genesis 20:14 וּ/בָקָ֗ר uvaqar HC/Ncbsa and cattle and cattle
H1241-17 Genesis 21:27 וּ/בָקָ֔ר uvaqar HC/Ncbsa and oxen and cattle
H1241-17 Genesis 24:35 וּ/בָקָר֙ uvaqar HC/Ncbsa and herds and cattle
H1241-23 Genesis 26:14 בָקָ֔ר vaqar HNcbsa of cattle head of cattle
H1241-10 Genesis 32:8 הַ/בָּקָ֛ר habaqar HTd/Ncbsa the herds the cattle
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