בָּשָׂר

𐤁𐤔𐤓

bâsâr

H1320 noun

SILEX Entry

Root בשר to be fresh, to be fleshy

Definition

Flesh; the physical material of animal and human bodies, referring both to living tissue and, in some cases, meat for consumption. The term also extends to signify the entire physical body, individual person, or, more generally, humankind. In familial or social contexts, 'בָּשָׂר' can denote blood relations or kin. In rare instances, it euphemistically refers to the genitals. The word's range thus encompasses anatomical, anthropological, and social connotations.

Semantic Range

flesh (human or animal tissue), physical body, entire person, kin/relative (by extension), humankind (collective), meat for food, genitalia (euphemism), vulnerable/mortal human condition

Root / Etymology

From the root בשר (ב-ש-ר), whose basic meaning is 'to be fresh, to be fleshy.' The term 'בָּשָׂר' arises directly from this root and carries the sense of that which is soft, fresh, or fleshy in an animal or human body. The direct lexical meaning focuses on physicality and corporeality, not limited to living tissue but also extending to meat.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In ancient Israelite society, 'בָּשָׂר' was used to contrast the physical, mortal nature of humans and animals with other elements, such as רוח (ruaḥ, 'spirit/breath') and נפשׁ (nefesh, 'life-force'). It frequently denotes food in the form of animal meat, especially in contexts of sacrifices or hospitality, but also serves idiomatically for family ties—'flesh and bone' indicating close kinship. The euphemistic use for genitalia is rare but attested in certain texts (e.g., Genesis 17:11, circumcision of the flesh). In later biblical texts (e.g., prophetic or wisdom literature), 'בָּשָׂר' can emphasize human frailty in contrast to the divine. English translations often narrow the term to 'flesh' or 'body,' but this may obscure its semantic breadth, particularly the nuances of kinship and the corporeal distinction between human and deity or animal. 'בָּשָׂר' is to be distinguished from עור ('skin') and גֵּו ('body, back'), terms with overlapping but distinct semantic domains. Over time, the term's concrete sense became more prominent, especially regarding ritual, kinship, and anthropology.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from בָּשַׂר; flesh (from its freshness); by extension, body, person; also (by euphemistically) the pudenda of aman; body, (fat, lean) flesh(-ed), kin, (man-) kind, [phrase] nakedness, self, skin.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

בשר (b-š-r) — freshness, fleshliness, soft bodily substance

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1308 בְּשׂוֹר the Wadi Besor
H1319 בָּשַׂר Proclaim glad news!
H1321 בְּשַׁר flesh-of

Word Forms

43 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1320-02 בָּשָׂ֖ר basar HNcmsa flesh flesh 72
H1320-10 בְּשָׂר֔/וֹ besaro HNcmsc/Sp3ms his flesh his flesh 37
H1320-03 בְּשַׂ֣ר besar HNcmsc flesh flesh of 29
H1320-15 הַ/בָּשָׂ֔ר habasar HTd/Ncmsa the flesh the flesh 25
H1320-38 בָשָׂ֑ר vasar HNcmsa flesh flesh 16
H1320-29 וּ/בָשָׂ֖ר uvasar HC/Ncmsa and flesh and flesh 8
H1320-05 בְּשָׂרָ֖/ם besaram HNcmsc/Sp3mp of their flesh their flesh 7
H1320-09 בְּ֝שָׂרִ֗/י besari HNcmsc/Sp1cs my flesh my flesh 7
H1320-06 בְּשָׂרְ/ךָ֖ besarekha HNcmsc/Sp2ms your flesh your flesh 6
H1320-20 מִ/בְּשַׂ֧ר mibesar HR/Ncmsc from the flesh from flesh-of 5

Occurrences in Scripture

270 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1320-02 Genesis 2:21 בָּשָׂ֖ר basar HNcmsa flesh flesh
H1320-29 Genesis 2:23 וּ/בָשָׂ֖ר uvasar HC/Ncmsa and flesh and flesh
H1320-24 Genesis 2:23 מִ/בְּשָׂרִ֑/י mibesari HR/Ncmsc/Sp1cs from my flesh from my flesh
H1320-18 Genesis 2:24 לְ/בָשָׂ֥ר levasar HR/Ncmsa one flesh flesh
H1320-38 Genesis 6:3 בָשָׂ֑ר vasar HNcmsa flesh flesh
H1320-02 Genesis 6:12 בָּשָׂ֛ר basar HNcmsa flesh flesh
H1320-02 Genesis 6:13 בָּשָׂר֙ basar HNcmsa flesh flesh
H1320-02 Genesis 6:17 בָּשָׂ֗ר basar HNcmsa flesh flesh
H1320-02 Genesis 6:19 בָּשָׂ֞ר basar HNcmsa flesh flesh
H1320-15 Genesis 7:15 הַ/בָּשָׂ֔ר habasar HTd/Ncmsa flesh the flesh