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בִּכּוּר

𐤁𐤊𐤅𐤓

bikkûwr

H1061 noun

SILEX Entry

Root בכר to be early, to come first, to be firstborn

Definition

First and earliest produce or yield of crops or fruit, typically referring to the initial portion of an agricultural harvest. The term can signify the physical first fruits brought as offerings, but also, in broader contexts, represents the most choice or earliest examples of any yield or product. Rarely, it can also be used figuratively for something that comes first in time or rank.

Semantic Range

first ripened fruit, early produce, first yield of the harvest, firstfruit offering, foremost or earliest example (figurative)

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root בָּכַר (bkr), meaning 'to be early' or 'to be first-born.' בִּכּוּר is the noun formation denoting 'that which ripens earliest' or 'first yield.' While the root is also related to the concept of 'firstborn' (בְּכוֹר), בִּכּוּר is specifically used for the initial produce of the field.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In ancient Israelite society, בִּכּוּר referred primarily to the agricultural context: the very first ripened fruits and grains (e.g., barley, wheat, figs, grapes, olives, pomegranates) that were brought to the sanctuary as an offering (cf. Exod 23:16, 19; Lev 2:14; Deut 26:2, 10). This offering, known as 'first fruits,' had strong ritual and communal significance, marking the dependence of the Israelite community on the land and on divine provision. The concept further developed in the exilic and post-exilic periods as temple-centered rituals became more prominent, and parallels with practices in neighboring cultures are attested. Unlike בְּכוֹר, which generally denotes the firstborn of humans or animals, בִּכּוּר is not used for people or livestock. In post-biblical Hebrew, derivatives of the root retain association with bringing the first portion. Some English translations narrow the meaning to royal or select produce ('choice fruits'), but the primary sense remains the first yield. Occasionally, the term may be extended metaphorically to denote the earliest or most important part of a whole. Later Jewish and Christian interpretations sometimes apply figurative readings (e.g., 'firstfruits' as a metaphor for a pioneering group), but these are not core biblical uses.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from בָּכַר; the first-fruits of the crop; first fruit (-ripe (figuratively)), hasty fruit.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

בכר (b-k-r) — to be early, to come first, to be firstborn

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1060 בְּכוֹר firstborn of
H1062 בְּכוֹרָה firstborn-right
H1063 בִּכּוּרָה first-ripe fig
H1064 בְּכוֹרַת Bekorath
H1067 בְּכִירָה the firstborn daughter

Word Forms

7 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1061-01 בִּכּוּרֵ֣י bikurey HNcbpc of the firstfruits first yields of 8
H1061-03 בִּכּוּרִ֖ים bikurim HNcbpa of firstfruits first-ripened yields 4
H1061-04 הַ/בִּכּוּרִ֤ים habikurim HTd/Ncbpa of the firstfruits the first-ripe yields 2
H1061-06 וּ/בִכּוּרֵ֛י uvikurey HC/Ncbpc and-firstborn-of and first-yields of 1
H1061-07 וְ/לַ/בִּכּוּרִ֑ים velabikurim HC/Rd/Ncbpa and-for-the-firstfruits and to the first-yields 1
H1061-05 כְּ/בִכּוּרָהּ֙ kevikurah HR/Ncbsa like the first-ripe fig like an early firstfruit 1
H1061-02 בִּכּוּרֶֽי/ךָ bikureykha HNcbpc/Sp2ms of your firstfruits your first yields 1

Occurrences in Scripture

18 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1061-01 Exodus 23:16 בִּכּוּרֵ֣י bikurey HNcbpc firstfruits first yields of
H1061-01 Exodus 23:19 בִּכּוּרֵי֙ bikurey HNcbpc of the firstfruits first yields of
H1061-01 Exodus 34:22 בִּכּוּרֵ֖י bikurey HNcbpc firstfruits-of first yields of
H1061-01 Exodus 34:26 בִּכּוּרֵי֙ bikurey HNcbpc of the firstfruits first yields of
H1061-03 Leviticus 2:14 בִּכּוּרִ֖ים bikurim HNcbpa of firstfruits first-ripened yields
H1061-02 Leviticus 2:14 בִּכּוּרֶֽי/ךָ bikureykha HNcbpc/Sp2ms of your firstfruits your first yields
H1061-03 Leviticus 23:17 בִּכּוּרִ֖ים bikurim HNcbpa firstfruits first-ripened yields
H1061-04 Leviticus 23:20 הַ/בִּכּוּרִ֤ים habikurim HTd/Ncbpa of the firstfruits the first-ripe yields
H1061-01 Numbers 13:20 בִּכּוּרֵ֥י bikurey HNcbpc first-ripe first yields of
H1061-01 Numbers 18:13 בִּכּוּרֵ֞י bikurey HNcbpc first ripe fruits first yields of
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