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בַּד

𐤁𐤃

bad

H905 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A separation, piece, or part; most commonly a staff, pole, or rod (often as an implement for carrying or supporting, such as the poles of the Ark or other sacred furniture); also used for a shoot or branch (as something separated from the main), and adverbially and figuratively to indicate being alone, apart, by oneself, or exclusively. The term encapsulates the sense of something distinct and set apart from others, whether physically (as a staff or part), or conceptually (as in 'alone,' 'only').

Semantic Range

staff, bar, pole (for carrying), branch, shoot, part, piece, separation, alone, by oneself, separately, exclusively, besides, except, only, chief (rare, figurative)

Root / Etymology

From the root בדד (badad), meaning 'to be isolated, separated.' The noun בַּד derives from this, and carries the idea of something separate or separated. Though the core idea is separation, the noun's chief applications arise from physical implements (especially rods or staffs), presumably originally understood as a separated piece of wood. Other related senses (like exclusivity or solitude) stem from this underlying notion of being distinct or apart.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In biblical usage, בַּד most frequently denotes the staves used to carry sacred objects within the Tabernacle and later Temple, such as the Ark of the Covenant and the altar (e.g., Exodus 25:13–15; Numbers 4:6–14). The use as 'branch' is rarer but occurs with a similar sense of a separated offshoot (Ezekiel 19:11–14). As an adverb, the term frequently appears with prepositions (most often לְבַד, 'alone, only, by oneself'), expressing isolation or exclusivity (Genesis 2:18; Exodus 12:37). While English translations sometimes render בַּד as 'bar' or 'staff,' its adverbial and abstract uses (such as 'only,' 'apart,' or 'besides') are more accurately rendered via context, and not all nuances are captured in translation. The association with chiefdom or leadership (e.g., 'chief of a city') is a rare figurative extension. Over time, the explicit association with Temple implements became prominent due to ritual texts, but the core meaning of physical and conceptual separation remains consistent across Israelite literature.

Translation Consistency

primary "apart" 14 occurrences

Most occurrences are adverbial/figurative (apart/alone/separately) and 'apart' best captures the primary sense of separation, exclusivity, or being set apart. Though H905 can also name a pole/branch (a separated piece), those senses are covered by the core idea of being 'apart,' and choosing 'apart' yields the most consistent, natural rendering across contexts.

Alternatives (36 occurrences):
"poles" (15x) "apartness" (10x) "themselves" (2x) "apart-from" (2x) "alone" (2x) "himself" (1x) "besides" (1x) "poles of" (1x) "separate piece" (1x) "separation" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from בָּדַד; properly, separation; by implication, a part of the body, branch of atree, bar forcarrying; figuratively, chief of a city; especially (with prepositional prefix) as an adverb, apart, only, besides; alone, apart, bar, besides, branch, by self, of each alike, except, only, part, staff, strength.

Bantu Hebrew

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

Root Family

בָּדַד (bad) — to be separated, be isolated, be apart

Root בָּדַד to be separated, be isolated, be apart

Word Forms

26 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H905-17 לְ/בַדּֽ/וֹ levado HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms alone to his apartness to his apartness 37
H905-08 לְ֠/בַד levad HR/Ncmsa besides apart apart 33
H905-18 מִ/לְּ/בַ֥ד milevad HR/R/Ncmsc besides apart-from apart-from 29
H905-13 לְ/בַדְּ/ךָ֔ levadekha HR/Ncmsc/Sp2ms alone by yourself alone to yourself apart 17
H905-15 לְ/בַדִּ֑/י levadi HR/Ncmsc/Sp1cs alone by myself for my apartness 16
H905-06 הַ/בַּדִּים֒ habadim HTd/Ncmpa the poles the poles the poles 15
H905-02 בַּדָּ֖י/ו badayv HNcmpc/Sp3ms its poles its poles its apart poles 13
H905-10 לְ/בַדָּ֖/ם levadam HR/Ncmsc/Sp3mp alone to their apartness to their apartness 10
H905-09 לְ/בַדָּ֔/הּ levadah HR/Ncmsc/Sp3fs alone for her alone for her apart 5
H905-03 בַּדֵּ֖י badey HNcmpc poles separated poles of apart poles of 4

Occurrences in Scripture

202 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H905-17 Genesis 2:18 לְ/בַדּ֑/וֹ levado HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms alone to his apartness to his apartness
H905-12 Genesis 21:28 לְ/בַדְּ/הֶֽן levadehen HR/Ncmsc/Sp3fp by themselves to their apartness by themselves
H905-11 Genesis 21:29 לְ/בַדָּֽ/נָה levadanah HR/Ncmsc/Sp3fp by themselves to their separation by themselves
H905-18 Genesis 26:1 מִ/לְּ/בַד֙ milevad HR/R/Ncmsc besides apart-from apart-from
H905-17 Genesis 30:40 לְ/בַדּ֔/וֹ levado HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms apart by themselves to his apartness to his apartness
H905-17 Genesis 32:17 לְ/בַדּ֑/וֹ levado HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms separately to his apartness to his apartness
H905-17 Genesis 32:25 לְ/בַדּ֑/וֹ levado HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms not to his apartness to his apartness
H905-17 Genesis 42:38 לְ/בַדּ֣/וֹ levado HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms alone to his apartness is alone
H905-17 Genesis 43:32 לְ/בַדּ֖/וֹ levado HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms by himself to his apartness by himself
H905-10 Genesis 43:32 לְ/בַדָּ֑/ם levadam HR/Ncmsc/Sp3mp by themselves to their apartness to their apartness
H905-10 Genesis 43:32 לְ/בַדָּ֔/ם levadam-2 HR/Ncmsc/Sp3mp by themselves to their apartness to their apartness
H905-17 Genesis 44:20 לְ/בַדּ֛/וֹ levado HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms alone to his apartness to his apartness
H905-18 Genesis 46:26 מִ/לְּ/בַ֖ד milevad HR/R/Ncmsc besides apart-from apart-from
H905-10 Genesis 47:26 לְ/בַדָּ֔/ם levadam HR/Ncmsc/Sp3mp alone to their apartness to their apartness
H905-17 Exodus 12:16 לְ/בַדּ֖/וֹ levado HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms alone to his apartness to his apartness
H905-08 Exodus 12:37 לְ/בַ֥ד levad HR/Ncmsa besides apart besides
H905-13 Exodus 18:14 לְ/בַדֶּ֔/ךָ levadekha HR/Ncmsc/Sp2ms alone by yourself alone to yourself apart
H905-13 Exodus 18:18 לְ/בַדֶּֽ/ךָ levadekha HR/Ncmsc/Sp2ms alone by yourself alone to yourself apart
H905-17 Exodus 22:19 לְ/בַדּֽ/וֹ levado HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms alone to his apartness to his apartness
H905-09 Exodus 22:26 לְ/בַדָּ֔/הּ levadah HR/Ncmsc/Sp3fs only for her alone for her apart
H905-17 Exodus 24:2 לְ/בַדּ/וֹ֙ levado HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms alone to his apartness to being alone
H905-24 Exodus 25:13 בַדֵּ֖י vadey HNcmpc poles of separated poles of poles of
H905-06 Exodus 25:14 הַ/בַּדִּים֙ habadim HTd/Ncmpa the poles the poles the poles
H905-06 Exodus 25:15 הַ/בַּדִּ֑ים habadim HTd/Ncmpa the poles the poles the poles
H905-16 Exodus 25:27 לְ/בַדִּ֔ים levadim HR/Ncmpa for the poles for poles for poles
H905-06 Exodus 25:28 הַ/בַּדִּים֙ habadim HTd/Ncmpa poles the poles the poles
H905-08 Exodus 26:9 לְ/בָ֔ד levad HR/Ncmsa by themselves apart apart
H905-08 Exodus 26:9 לְ/בָ֑ד levad-2 HR/Ncmsa by themselves apart apart
H905-26 Exodus 27:6 בַדִּים֙ vadim HNcmpa poles separated poles poles
H905-03 Exodus 27:6 בַּדֵּ֖י badey HNcmpc poles separated poles of apart poles of
H905-02 Exodus 27:7 בַּדָּ֖י/ו badayv HNcmpc/Sp3ms its poles its poles its apart poles
H905-06 Exodus 27:7 הַ/בַּדִּ֗ים habadim HTd/Ncmpa the poles the poles the poles
H905-16 Exodus 30:4 לְ/בַדִּ֔ים levadim HR/Ncmpa for-poles for poles for poles
H905-06 Exodus 30:5 הַ/בַּדִּ֖ים habadim HTd/Ncmpa poles the poles the poles
H905-01 Exodus 30:34 בַּ֥ד bad HNcmsa separately separate piece separate piece
H905-05 Exodus 30:34 בְּ/בַ֖ד bevad HR/Ncmsa by itself in separation in separation
H905-02 Exodus 35:12 בַּדָּ֖י/ו badayv HNcmpc/Sp3ms its poles its poles its apart poles
H905-02 Exodus 35:13 בַּדָּ֖י/ו badayv HNcmpc/Sp3ms its poles its poles its apart poles
H905-02 Exodus 35:15 בַּדָּ֔י/ו badayv HNcmpc/Sp3ms poles its poles its apart poles
H905-02 Exodus 35:16 בַּדָּ֖י/ו badayv HNcmpc/Sp3ms poles its poles its apart poles
H905-08 Exodus 36:16 לְ/בָ֑ד levad HR/Ncmsa by-themselves apart apart
H905-08 Exodus 36:16 לְ/בָֽד levad-2 HR/Ncmsa by-themselves apart apart
H905-03 Exodus 37:4 בַּדֵּ֖י badey HNcmpc poles of separated poles of apart poles of
H905-06 Exodus 37:5 הַ/בַּדִּים֙ habadim HTd/Ncmpa poles the poles the poles
H905-07 Exodus 37:14 לַ/בַּדִּ֔ים labadim HRd/Ncmpa for the poles separated poles for the poles
H905-06 Exodus 37:15 הַ/בַּדִּים֙ habadim HTd/Ncmpa the poles the poles the poles
H905-16 Exodus 37:27 לְ/בַדִּ֔ים levadim HR/Ncmpa for poles for poles for poles
H905-06 Exodus 37:28 הַ/בַּדִּ֖ים habadim HTd/Ncmpa poles the poles the poles
H905-07 Exodus 38:5 לַ/בַּדִּֽים labadim HRd/Ncmpa for the poles separated poles for the poles
H905-06 Exodus 38:6 הַ/בַּדִּ֖ים habadim HTd/Ncmpa poles the poles the poles
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