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בְּרִיחַ

𐤁𐤓𐤉𐤇

bᵉrîyach

H1280 noun

SILEX Entry

Root בָּרַח to run, to flee, to move swiftly

Definition

A rigid bar or bolt used to secure doors, gates, or chests; in architectural contexts, a crossbar that fastens or reinforces structures (especially the frames or boards of the Tabernacle). In rare contexts, refers to something that escapes or flees, as a figurative or secondary sense.

Semantic Range

bar, bolt, crossbar (architectural); rarely, something that escapes or a fugitive

Root / Etymology

From the Hebrew root ברח (bet-resh-chet), primarily meaning 'to run,' 'to flee,' but in the nominal formation בְּרִיחַ, the basic sense shifts to denote a 'bar' or 'bolt,' perhaps with the notion of something that moves or slides to secure an entryway.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the majority of its biblical usages, בְּרִיחַ denotes the horizontal bars used to secure or reinforce doors or gates (e.g., Judges 16:3 on the city gate of Gaza; 1 Kings 4:13; Neh 3:3). Most notably, it describes the bars that held together the structural frames of the Tabernacle (Exodus 26:26–29, where five bars hold together the planks). Outside of these architectural contexts, the noun very occasionally appears in the sense of something moving swiftly, or a fugitive/runner (Psalm 147:13 may contain a figurative usage, though the concrete 'bar' is generally preferred). English translations render בְּרִיחַ most often as 'bar' or 'bolt.' The alternate translation 'fugitive' (suggested in some glosses) is very rare and always context-dependent. Related terms for architectural fastenings include מַנְעוּל (man'ul, 'lock') and מִסְגֵּר (misger, 'fitting, frame'). The meaning is stable across monarchic and post-exilic periods, with no significant shift. Later Jewish tradition sometimes spiritualizes the imagery, but this is not reflected in biblical texts.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from בָּרַח; a bolt; bar, fugitive.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

ברח (b-r-ḥ) — to run, to flee, to move swiftly

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1272 בָּרַח he fled
H1281 בָּרִיחַ locking bar
H1282 בָּרִיחַ and Bariach
H4015 מִבְרָח his fugitives

Word Forms

20 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1280-13 וּ/בְרִיחָ֖י/ו uverichayv HC/Ncmpc/Sp3ms and its bars and his bars 7
H1280-12 וּ/בְרִ֑יחַ uvericha HC/Ncmsa and bars and bar 5
H1280-19 בְרִיחִ֖ם verichim HNcmpa bars crossbars 5
H1280-08 הַ/בְּרִ֣יחַ habericha HTd/Ncmsa the bar the crossbar 2
H1280-09 הַ/בְּרִיחִ֖ם haberichim HTd/Ncmpa bars the sliding bars 2
H1280-01 בְּרִ֣יחַ bericha HNcmsc a bar securing bolt of 2
H1280-04 בְּרִיחָ֖י/ו berichayv HNcmpc/Sp3ms its bars his crossbars 2
H1280-06 בְּרִיחֵ֖י berichey HNcmpc crossbars of bars of 2
H1280-11 לַ/בְּרִיחִ֑ם laberichim HRd/Ncmpa for the bars to the crossbars 2
H1280-14 וּ/בְרִיחֵ֥י uverichey HC/Ncmpc and bars and crossbars of 2

Occurrences in Scripture

42 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1280-19 Exodus 26:26 בְרִיחִ֖ם verichim HNcmpa bars crossbars
H1280-19 Exodus 26:27 בְרִיחִ֔ם verichim HNcmpa bars crossbars
H1280-19 Exodus 26:27 בְרִיחִ֗ם verichim-2 HNcmpa bars crossbars
H1280-16 Exodus 26:28 וְ/הַ/בְּרִ֥יחַ vehabericha HC/Td/Ncmsa and the bar and the sliding-bar
H1280-11 Exodus 26:29 לַ/בְּרִיחִ֑ם laberichim HRd/Ncmpa for the bars to the crossbars
H1280-09 Exodus 26:29 הַ/בְּרִיחִ֖ם haberichim HTd/Ncmpa bars the sliding bars
H1280-02 Exodus 35:11 בְּרִיחָ֕/ו berichav HNcmpc/Sp3ms its bars his crossbars
H1280-06 Exodus 36:31 בְּרִיחֵ֖י berichey HNcmpc crossbars of bars of
H1280-19 Exodus 36:32 בְרִיחִ֔ם verichim HNcmpa bars crossbars
H1280-19 Exodus 36:32 בְרִיחִם֙ verichim-2 HNcmpa bars crossbars
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