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בּוֹקֵר

𐤁𐤅𐤒𐤓

bôwqêr

H951 noun

SILEX Entry

Root בקר to pay careful attention, to examine, to tend (herd)

Definition

A person whose occupation is the care and management of cattle (herdsman, cattle-tender). Used specifically of those responsible for bovine livestock, typically domesticated herds of oxen or cows. In some contexts, refers more broadly to someone overseeing a group of cattle, but not flocks of sheep or goats.

Semantic Range

one who tends cattle, cattle-tender, cattle-herder, cattle-overseer, herdsman (of cattle only, not small livestock)

Root / Etymology

Denominative noun derived from the root בָּקַר (b-q-r), meaning 'cattle, ox, herd animal.' The form בּוֹקֵר is built morphologically as an agent noun (participle) from this root, thus referring to one who tends or oversees cattle.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the ancient Israelite context, agricultural and pastoral terminology is precise: a בּוֹקֵר is distinguished from a רֹעֶה (shepherd, often used for those tending flocks of sheep and goats) by the animals under their care—cattle versus sheep/goats. Occurs only once in the Hebrew Bible (Amos 7:14), specifically describing Amos' occupation prior to his prophetic calling. Unlike later English translation traditions (which sometimes use 'herdsman' generically), the term in Hebrew delineates vocational specialization in bovine livestock. In the monarchic and earlier periods, cattle ownership indicated significant socio-economic status; the position of a בּוֹקֵר would have included both practical husbandry and, at times, managerial responsibilities over land and animal resources. In the later Persian and Hellenistic periods, such occupational terms largely retained their original specificity but may have been overshadowed by broader rural changes. While 'herdsman' is a possible English rendering, it is less precise than the Hebrew, which does not include small livestock. The word is distinct from בָּקָר (bāqār, 'cattle') and not to be confused with similar sounding terms for 'morning' (בֹּקֶר boqer).

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

lemma בּוֹקִר second vowel, corrected to בּוֹקֵר; xlit bôwkêr corrected to bôwqêr; properly, active participle from בָּקַר as denominative from בָּקָר; a cattle-tender; herdman.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

בקר (b-q-r) — seek, examine, become active

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1230 בַּקְבַּקַּר Search-Seeker
H1239 בָּקַר I will examine closely
H1240 בְּקַר to thoroughly investigate
H1241 בָּקָר in the cattle
H1242 בֹּקֶר in the morning

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H951-01 בוֹקֵ֥ר voqer HNcmsa herdsman daybreak 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H951-01 Amos 7:14 בוֹקֵ֥ר voqer HNcmsa herdsman daybreak
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