אַלּוֹן בָּכוּת
𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤍 𐤁𐤊𐤅𐤕
Alon Bakhut
H439 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper noun referring to a specific tree, 'the Oak of Weeping.' Denotes a significant landmark associated with mourning, specifically the site where Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, was buried. In context, it functions as a toponym marking a place of grief or remembrance.
Semantic Range
a specific oak tree associated with mourning, a memorial landmark, a toponym marking the site of Deborah's burial, the 'oak of weeping' in narrative context
Root / Etymology
From the noun אַלּוֹן (allon, 'oak') and בָּכוּת (bakuth, 'weeping', a variant of בכה 'to weep'). The root meanings are 'oak' (אל״ן) and 'to weep' (בכה), underlying the lexical sense of a tree associated with mourning. The full phrase is formed as a construct chain: 'oak of weeping.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
אַַלּוֹן בָּכוּת refers exclusively to an identifiable location near Bethel mentioned in Genesis 35:8 as the burial site of Deborah, Rebekah's nurse. The tree serves as both a geographic and emotional marker, commemorating a moment of loss for Jacob's household. The name combines a well-known ancient Near Eastern practice of naming trees or standing stones as memorials, often linked to significant events or persons. While some English translations historically used phrases like 'Allon-bachuth' as a toponym or 'oak of weeping' as a description, the Hebrew text functions as a specific place-name. Unlike ordinary uses of 'oak' or 'weeping,' this phrase has no generic sense but is anchored in its narrative context. Later tradition sometimes identified it simply as a mourning site, but in the biblical context, the association is with a particular event and a key matriarchal figure in the Israelite narratives.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from אַלּוֹן and a variation of בְּכִית; oak of weeping; Allon-Bakuth, a monumental tree; Allon-bachuth.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
אלן, בכה (ʾ-l-n; b-k-h) — strength, shade-giving tree; weeping, lamentation
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H439-02 |
בָּכֽוּת | bakhut | HNp |
Bacuth | Oak of Weeping | 1 |
H439-01 |
אַלּ֥וֹן | alon | HNp |
Allon | Oak of Weeping | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H439-01 |
Genesis 35:8 | אַלּ֥וֹן | alon | HNp |
Allon | Oak of Weeping |
H439-02 |
Genesis 35:8 | בָּכֽוּת | bakhut | HNp |
Bacuth | Oak of Weeping |