בָּהִיר
𐤁𐤄𐤉𐤓
bâhîyr
H925 adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
Adjective indicating that something is bright, shining, or radiant, often used to describe clarity, clearness, or a conspicuous shining quality. Describes visual luminosity or reflectiveness. In contexts in the Hebrew Bible, typically refers to something visually prominent due to its brightness.
Semantic Range
bright, shining, sparkling, clear (visually conspicuous), luminous, radiant
Root / Etymology
From the root בהר, which in later Hebrew and related Semitic languages denotes brightness, whiteness, or clearness. The precise verbal root form is not attested in biblical Hebrew (hence 'from an unused root'), but the form בָּהִיר derives from this root meaning 'to be bright' or 'to shine.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term בָּהִיר is used rarely in the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Ezekiel 23:6, 23) and usually as an adjective modifying garments or horses, with the sense of 'shining,' 'flashing,' or 'dazzling' in appearance. It may convey a sense of something standing out due to conspicuous luminosity or clarity. Later Hebrew uses the same adjective for more general brightness or clarity, such as clear weather or a luminous appearance. Standard English translations typically render it as 'bright' or 'shining,' but may miss the nuance of something being conspicuously radiant. The related noun בהירות in post-biblical Hebrew extends to mean 'clarity' or 'brightness' in a range of figurative senses, but such uses do not occur in the biblical text. בָּהִיר is distinct from terms like זֹהַר (zohar, 'brightness' or 'splendor') or לָבָן (lavan, 'white'), focusing more on radiant visual quality rather than purely color or abstract brightness.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root (meaning to be bright); shining; bright.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
בהר (b-h-r) — to shine, to be bright, to be clear
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H934 | בֹּהֶרֶת | shining white patch |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H925-01 |
בָּהִ֣יר | bahir | HAamsa |
bright | radiant | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H925-01 |
Job 37:21 | בָּהִ֣יר | bahir | HAamsa |
bright | radiant |