בֶּרֶד
𐤁𐤓𐤃
Bered
H1260 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper noun. A geographical location—Bered—named in the account of Hagar and Ishmael's journey in the southern region near the Negev desert; also (rarely) a personal name. As a common noun (not attested in this Biblical form), the root is associated with 'hail.' Bered as a place name likely designates a site or district characterized by specific environmental or climatic features, though in Biblical usage it identifies a location rather than literal weather phenomena.
Semantic Range
proper name (place), potentially proper name (person), derivative of 'hail'; as a toponym signifying a site in southern Canaan/Negev, possibly metaphorically related to climatic conditions; rarely as a personal name
Root / Etymology
Root: ברד. The root ב-ר-ד primarily means 'to hail,' referring to the precipitation of ice (as in Exodus 9). The place name בֶּרֶד (Bered) likely derives from this root, either referencing climatic associations (e.g. hail, coldness) or possibly signifying something metaphorically related to the root, though the specific reason for the name is not given in the biblical text.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, Bered only appears as a toponym in Genesis 16:14 (associated with the well Beer-lahai-roi, on the route between Kadesh and Bered). There is scant evidence of it being used as a personal name, and the reference as an Israelite likely results from later genealogical traditions or textual transmission ambiguities. The exact location is uncertain but is generally considered to be south of Canaan in the region of the Negev. The name's association with 'hail' does not imply actual meteorological significance in the narrative context. In English translations, the term is always transliterated as 'Bered' when referring to the place. Later tradition does not preserve a significant population bearing this name, and the narrative context suggests a function as a geographic marker rather than a populated settlement.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from בָּרַד; hail; Bered, the name of a place south of Palestine, also of an Israelite; Bered.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
ברד (b-r-d) — to hail, to rain down ice, hailstorm
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1260-01 |
בָּֽרֶד | bared | HNp |
Bered | Hail-place | 1 |
H1260-02 |
וּ/בֶ֤רֶד | uvered | HC/Np |
and Bered | and Bered | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1260-01 |
Genesis 16:14 | בָּֽרֶד | bared | HNp |
Bered | Hail-place |
H1260-02 |
1 Chronicles 7:20 | וּ/בֶ֤רֶד | uvered | HC/Np |
and Bered | and Bered |