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בֹּר

𐤁𐤓

bôr

H1252 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A state or quality of being clean, pure, or free from physical or moral contamination. As a noun, בֹּר (bôr) predominantly denotes purity or cleanness, both in concrete terms (as with clear or clean substances, like 'pure gold') and in abstract terms ('moral cleanness'). It is used to describe a condition or result of purification, whether physical or metaphorical.

Semantic Range

cleanness, pureness, purity (of substance, conduct, or character), freedom from contamination or defilement, clear or shining quality (by extension, e.g. pure gold); result or state of being purified

Root / Etymology

From the root בָּרַר (bārar), which means 'to select, choose, purify, cleanse.' The noun form בֹּר (bôr) denotes the result of that process — namely the state or condition of being pure or clean. Root meaning ('to purify, to clarify, to sift') provides the semantic foundation for the noun's sense of purity or cleanness.

Historical & Contextual Notes

בֹּר (bôr) occurs infrequently in the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Ps 18:21, 2 Sam 22:21), typically in poetic or parallel structures where it connotes an ideal of cleanness or purity — whether literal (as with precious metals or water) or metaphorical (as with conduct or heart). In early Israelite literature, the term can denote ritual, ethical, or ceremonial purity, but later usage tends to emphasize moral or spiritual qualities. The term is related to בָּר (bar, 'pure,' 'clean'), but בור is distinguished by its focus on the state or result (the noun) rather than the adjectival description. Standard English translations render it as 'cleanness' or 'purity,' but they may miss the term's range, which includes not just bodily or ritual purity but also broader ideals of untaintedness. Unlike other Hebrew terms for ritual purity (e.g., טָהוֹר, ṭāhôr), בֹּר is relatively rare and poetic in usage.

Translation Consistency

primary "purity" 4 occurrences

בֹּר denotes the state or result of being clean or free from contamination, whether physical (pure gold, clear substance) or moral. 'Purity' is the natural, widely used English noun that covers both concrete and abstract senses and matches the typical usage in the Hebrew. It is concise and consistent for every occurrence.

Alternatives (1 occurrence):
"according to my cleanness" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from בָּרַר; purify; cleanness, pureness.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

ברר (b-r-r) — to purify, to cleanse, to select

Root ברר to purify, to cleanse, to select
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1247 בַּר winnowed grain
H1248 בַּר winnowed grain
H1249 בַּר winnowed grain
H1250 בָּר purified grain
H1253 בֹּר in cleansing-lye

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H1252-02 כְּ/בֹ֥ר kevor HR/Ncmsc according to cleanness as purity of as purity of 3
H1252-01 בְּ/בֹ֣ר bevor HR/Ncmsc through the in purity through the purity 1
H1252-03 כְּ/בֹרִ֖/י kevori HR/Ncmsc/Sp1cs according-to-my-cleanness according to my purity according to my cleanness 1

Occurrences in Scripture

5 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H1252-02 2 Samuel 22:21 כְּ/בֹ֥ר kevor HR/Ncmsc according to cleanness as purity of as purity of
H1252-03 2 Samuel 22:25 כְּ/בֹרִ֖/י kevori HR/Ncmsc/Sp1cs according-to-my-cleanness according to my purity according to my cleanness
H1252-02 Psalms 18:21 כְּ/בֹ֥ר kevor HR/Ncmsc according to my purity as purity of as purity of
H1252-02 Psalms 18:25 כְּ/בֹ֥ר kevor HR/Ncmsc according-to-purity as purity of as purity of
H1252-01 Job 22:30 בְּ/בֹ֣ר bevor HR/Ncmsc through the in purity through the purity
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