בְּכוֹרַת
𐤁𐤊𐤅𐤓𐤕
Bekhorat
H1064 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
The state or right of being the firstborn daughter; female primogeniture. Refers to the legal or social status of the eldest daughter, with implications of inheritance, privilege, or preeminence in familial succession. In one instance, the word serves as a personal or clan name, 'Bekorath.'
Semantic Range
female primogeniture, state of being the firstborn daughter, birthright (feminine), proper name ('Bekorath')
Root / Etymology
בכר is the root, meaning 'to be (or become) firstborn' or 'to bear or bring forth as first.' The laqam noun בְּכוֹרָה (bekorah) is the standard term for 'birthright, primogeniture,' and בְּכוֹרַת (bekorath) is its marked feminine form, signifying specifically the state, status, or rights of a firstborn female.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term appears for the legal or social designation of a firstborn daughter, as opposed to the more common masculine forms associated with male primogeniture. This points to contexts where lineage or inheritance customs may recognize eldest daughters, though male inheritance predominated in ancient Israelite society. The use of בְּכוֹרַת as a proper name ('Bekorath') in genealogical records (such as 1 Samuel 14:50) marks the transition of such legal-status terms into personal names, which is not uncommon in biblical Hebrew. English translations rarely distinguish this feminine nuance, often rendering it generically as 'firstborn' or as a simple name. Compared to בְּכוֹרָה (bekorah, 'birthright') and בְּכוֹר (bekor, 'firstborn [male]'), בְּכוֹרַת signals the female equivalent, which is rare in biblical usage and highlights occasional recognition of firstborn daughters in Israelite genealogies.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
feminine of בְּכוֹרָה; primogeniture; Bekorath, an Israelite; Bechorath.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
בכר (b-k-r) — to be firstborn, to bring forth first, to have primogeniture
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1060 | בְּכוֹר | firstborn of |
| H1061 | בִּכּוּר | first yields of |
| H1062 | בְּכוֹרָה | firstborn-right |
| H1063 | בִּכּוּרָה | first-ripe fig |
| H1067 | בְּכִירָה | the firstborn daughter |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1064-01 |
בְּכוֹרַ֛ת | bekhorat | HNp |
Becorath | Bekorath | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1064-01 |
1 Samuel 9:1 | בְּכוֹרַ֛ת | bekhorat | HNp |
Becorath | Bekorath |