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כְּבָרָה

𐤊𐤁𐤓𐤄

kᵉbârâh

H3531 noun

SILEX Entry

Root כבר to plait, weave, braid

Definition

A sieve, a woven or mesh-like implement used for straining, sifting, or separating coarse materials such as chaff from grain. The term specifically refers to a physical object made of interlaced material allowing fine particles to pass through while retaining larger ones. In its biblical attestation, the word is used of a simple agricultural implement; in post-biblical usage, the term can extend to other types of mesh or netting.

Semantic Range

sieve (for flour or grain), woven mesh implement, braided strainer; by extension, any netted or braided object (in later or derivative usage)

Root / Etymology

From the Hebrew root כָּבַר (k-b-r), which means 'to plait, weave, braid.' כְּבָרָה (kᵉbârâh) is a feminine noun formation from this root, referring to a thing manufactured by intertwining strands, hence a woven or braided object, particularly a sieve.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The term כְּבָרָה occurs rarely and is best attested in Judges 6:19, where it describes a vessel (sieve) used by Gideon to prepare flour for unleavened cakes. The root כָּבַר does not refer primarily to sifting, but to weaving or braiding; the connection to sifting is via the woven character of the sieve, highlighting its structure rather than its function. In later Hebrew (e.g., Rabbinic literature), כְּבָרָה continues to denote a sieve, often with greater technical detail, sometimes used for both dry and wet materials. The term is distinct from מְנַפָּה (menappâh), another word for sieve or winnowing implement, which focuses more on the action of winnowing. Standard English translations typically render the word simply as 'sieve,' which accurately conveys the functional object but loses the nuance of its woven character and connection to the root idea of braiding or plaiting.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from כָּבַר in its original sense; a sieve (as netted); sieve.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

כבר (k-b-r) — to plait, weave, braid

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1247 בַּר Kebar Canal
H3523 כְּבִיר plaited bedding
H3524 כַּבִּיר mighty
H3527 כָּבַר he causes to multiply
H3528 כְּבָר in that already

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3531-01 בַּ/כְּבָרָ֔ה bakevarah HRd/Ncfsa in a sieve woven sieve 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3531-01 Amos 9:9 בַּ/כְּבָרָ֔ה bakevarah HRd/Ncfsa in a sieve woven sieve
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