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בֶּרַע

𐤁𐤓𐤏

Bera

H1298 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain uncertain (no established root meaning)

Definition

Proper name, masculine: Beraʻ — the personal name of a king of Sodom mentioned in the period of the patriarchs. The form reflects a proper noun rather than a descriptive title. The meaning of the name itself is uncertain, as it lacks clear parallels in Hebrew roots or extra-biblical evidence. In the biblical text, the name refers specifically to one individual known as the monarch of Sodom in the narrative of Genesis 14.

Semantic Range

proper name (male), specifically the king of Sodom, no extended semantic range beyond this function

Root / Etymology

The etymology is uncertain. The name does not correspond directly to any attested Hebrew root (e.g., ברע or ברע), and may be of non-Hebrew (perhaps Amorite or regional West Semitic) origin, as are several other personal names from Sodom and its environs in Genesis 14.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Beraʻ appears only in Genesis 14 as the name of the king of Sodom during the period when Abraham (Avram) was active in Canaan. The names of the Sodomite and neighboring rulers in Genesis 14 are distinctive and often differ from standard Israelite naming patterns; several have unclear meanings or are likely loanwords from contemporary Near Eastern languages. No etymology based on Hebrew roots is securely attested. Later Jewish and Christian tradition simply preserves the name as a toponymic identifier. English translations generally transliterate the name without translating it, reflecting the uncertainty of its meaning. There is no evidence that the term carried a meaning for the original audience beyond its function as a personal name.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of uncertain derivation; Bera, a Sodomitish king; Bera.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

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Root Family

uncertain (uncertain) — uncertain (no established root meaning)

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1085 בִּלְדַּד Bildad
H1095 בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר Belteshatsar
H1114 בִּלְשָׁן Bilshan
H1150 בִּנְעָא Bin'a
H116 אֱדַיִן and then

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1298-01 בֶּ֨רַע֙ bera HNp Bera Beraʿ 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1298-01 Genesis 14:2 בֶּ֨רַע֙ bera HNp Bera Beraʿ
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