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בּוֹר

𐤁𐤅𐤓

Bor

H953 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A pit or excavation in the ground, often dug for water storage (cistern), but also used as a holding place for prisoners (dungeon) or as a metaphor for dangers and the underworld. The word frequently denotes a man-made cavity, typically unlined, for holding water or other contents, and can also signify a trap or a place of confinement. It ranges from literal physical pits to metaphorical uses, especially for death or Sheol.

Semantic Range

pit, cistern, dungeon, prison, trap, grave, underworld, abyss, figurative place of death or destruction

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root בור, likely connected with digging or hollowing out. The root is related to forming a cavity or depression; however, some etymologies connect it to בָּאַר (to dig a well) or בּוּר (to be empty), though this remains debated.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In early Israelite contexts, בּוֹר denotes a pit dug for practical purposes—water collection (cisterns), storage, or refuse. In narrative and legal texts, it is used for literal dungeons or places of detention (e.g., Joseph's imprisonment, Jeremiah's confinement). In poetic and prophetic literature, it becomes a metaphor for death, Sheol, or extreme danger. בּוֹר often stands in contrast to בְּאֵר (be'er), a term for a natural or lined well. While English translations might render both 'pit' and 'well', בּוֹר is typically an unlined cistern or a prison shaft, and may function as an ambush or trap. Over time and in later texts, its metaphorical sense as an image of death or cosmic depths increases, especially in Psalms, prophetic poetry, and later Jewish tradition. The word is sometimes translated 'dungeon' or 'prison' in contexts of captivity or danger, but this narrows its reference compared to the broader Hebrew usage.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from בּוּר (in the sense of בֹּאר); a pit hole (especially one used as a cistern or a prison); cistern, dungeon, fountain, pit, well.

Bantu Hebrew

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

Root Family

בור (Bor) — to cleanse, to purify, to make bright

Root בור to dig, to excavate, to hollow out
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1287 בֹּרִית alkaline cleanser
H952 בּוּר and to bore through

Word Forms

19 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H953-17 ב֜וֹר vor HNcmsa to the pit dug-out pit pit 18
H953-06 הַ/בּ֖וֹר habor HTd/Ncmsa the cistern the pit the pit 17
H953-04 בּ֤וֹר bor HNcmsc a pit dug-out pit dug-out pit 8
H953-09 מִ/בּ֥וֹר mibor HR/Ncmsc from the pit from a pit from a pit 6
H953-01 בַּ/בּ֑וֹר babor HRd/Ncmsa in the pit in the dug pit in the pit 2
H953-05 בֹּר֣וֹת borot HNcmpa cisterns dug-out pits dug-out pits 2
H953-16 וְ/הַ/בּ֣וֹר vehabor HC/Td/Ncmsa and-the-cistern and the dug pit and the cistern 2
H953-18 בוֹרֽ/וֹ voro HNcmsc/Sp3ms his cistern his dug-pit his cistern 2
H953-02 בַּ֨יִר֙ bayir HNcmsa gushes dug pit dug pit 1
H953-03 בְּ/ב֣וֹר bevor HR/Ncmsc in the pit in a pit in a pit 1

Occurrences in Scripture

68 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H953-08 Genesis 37:20 הַ/בֹּר֔וֹת haborot HTd/Ncmpa of the pits the pits of the pits
H953-06 Genesis 37:22 הַ/בּ֤וֹר habor HTd/Ncmsa the pit the pit the pit
H953-07 Genesis 37:24 הַ/בֹּ֑רָ/ה haborah HTd/Ncmsa/Sd into the pit into the pit into the pit
H953-16 Genesis 37:24 וְ/הַ/בּ֣וֹר vehabor HC/Td/Ncmsa and the pit and the dug pit and the pit
H953-06 Genesis 37:28 הַ/בּ֔וֹר habor HTd/Ncmsa the pit the pit the pit
H953-06 Genesis 37:29 הַ/בּ֔וֹר habor HTd/Ncmsa the pit the pit the pit
H953-01 Genesis 37:29 בַּ/בּ֑וֹר babor HRd/Ncmsa in the pit in the dug pit in the pit
H953-01 Genesis 40:15 בַּ/בּֽוֹר babor HRd/Ncmsa into the pit in the dug pit in the pit
H953-06 Genesis 41:14 הַ/בּ֑וֹר habor HTd/Ncmsa the dungeon the pit the pit
H953-06 Exodus 12:29 הַ/בּ֑וֹר habor HTd/Ncmsa of the dungeon the pit the pit
H953-04 Exodus 21:33 בּ֗וֹר bor HNcmsa a pit dug-out pit dug-out pit
H953-04 Exodus 21:33 בֹּ֖ר bor-2 HNcmsa a pit dug-out pit dug-out pit
H953-06 Exodus 21:34 הַ/בּוֹר֙ habor HTd/Ncmsa of the pit the pit of the pit
H953-13 Leviticus 11:36 וּ/ב֛וֹר uvor HC/Ncmsa or cistern dug pit or dug pit
H953-14 Deuteronomy 6:11 וּ/בֹרֹ֤ת uvorot HC/Ncmpa and cisterns and dug-out pits and cisterns
H953-12 1 Samuel 13:6 וּ/בַ/בֹּרֽוֹת uvaborot HC/Rd/Ncmpa and in pits and in dug pits and in dug pits
H953-04 1 Samuel 19:22 בּ֤וֹר bor HNcmsc cistern dug-out pit cistern
H953-09 2 Samuel 3:26 מִ/בּ֣וֹר mibor HR/Np from the well from a pit from Bor
H953-06 2 Samuel 23:20 הַ/בֹּ֖אר habor HTd/Ncmsa of the pit the pit the pit
H953-04 2 Kings 10:14 בּ֣וֹר bor HNcmsc pit dug-out pit dug-out pit
H953-18 2 Kings 18:31 בוֹרֽ/וֹ voro HNcmsc/Sp3ms of his cistern his dug-pit his cistern
H953-17 Isaiah 14:15 בֽוֹר vor HNcmsa the-pit dug-out pit pit
H953-17 Isaiah 14:19 ב֖וֹר vor HNcmsa of the pit dug-out pit dug-out pit
H953-04 Isaiah 24:22 בּ֔וֹר bor HNcmsa pit dug-out pit pit
H953-18 Isaiah 36:16 בוֹרֽ/וֹ voro HNcmsc/Sp3ms his cistern his dug-pit his cistern
H953-17 Isaiah 38:18 ב֖וֹר vor HNcmsa to the pit dug-out pit the pit
H953-04 Isaiah 51:1 בּ֖וֹר bor HNcmsa of the pit dug-out pit pit
H953-19 Jeremiah 6:7 בור vvr HNcmsa cistern pit of pit of
H953-02 Jeremiah 6:7 בַּ֨יִר֙ bayir HNcmsa gushes dug pit dug pit
H953-06 Jeremiah 37:16 הַ/בּ֖וֹר habor HTd/Ncmsa of the pit the pit the pit
H953-06 Jeremiah 38:6 הַ/בּ֣וֹר habor HTd/Ncmsa the cistern the pit the pit
H953-11 Jeremiah 38:6 וּ/בַ/בּ֤וֹר uvabor HC/Rd/Ncmsa and in the cistern and in the dug pit and in the pit
H953-06 Jeremiah 38:7 הַ/בּ֑וֹר habor HTd/Ncmsa the cistern the pit the pit
H953-06 Jeremiah 38:9 הַ/בּ֑וֹר habor HTd/Ncmsa the cistern the pit the pit
H953-06 Jeremiah 38:10 הַ/בּ֖וֹר habor HTd/Ncmsa the cistern the pit the pit
H953-06 Jeremiah 38:11 הַ/בּ֖וֹר habor HTd/Ncmsa the cistern the pit the pit
H953-06 Jeremiah 38:13 הַ/בּ֑וֹר habor HTd/Ncmsa the cistern the pit the pit
H953-06 Jeremiah 41:7 הַ/בּ֔וֹר habor HTd/Ncmsa of the pit the pit the pit
H953-16 Jeremiah 41:9 וְ/הַ/בּ֗וֹר vehabor HC/Td/Ncmsa and-the-cistern and the dug pit and the cistern
H953-17 Ezekiel 26:20 ב֜וֹר vor HNcmsa pit dug-out pit dug-out pit
H953-17 Ezekiel 26:20 ב֔וֹר vor-2 HNcmsa pit dug-out pit dug-out pit
H953-17 Ezekiel 31:14 בֽוֹר vor HNcmsa to the pit dug-out pit the pit
H953-17 Ezekiel 31:16 ב֑וֹר vor HNcmsa to the pit dug-out pit dug-out pit
H953-17 Ezekiel 32:18 בֽוֹר vor HNcmsa to the pit dug-out pit the pit
H953-17 Ezekiel 32:23 ב֔וֹר vor HNcmsa the pit dug-out pit pit
H953-17 Ezekiel 32:24 בֽוֹר vor HNcmsa pit dug-out pit dug-out pit
H953-17 Ezekiel 32:25 ב֔וֹר vor HNcmsa to the pit dug-out pit the pit
H953-17 Ezekiel 32:29 בֽוֹר vor HNcmsa to the pit dug-out pit the pit
H953-17 Ezekiel 32:30 בֽוֹר vor HNcmsa to the pit dug-out pit pit
H953-09 Zechariah 9:11 מִ/בּ֔וֹר mibor HR/Ncmsa from the pit from a pit from the pit
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