בְּכִי (H1065) — Hebrew Lexicon

בְּכִי

𐤁𐤊𐤉

Bᵉkîy

H1065 noun

SILEX Entry

Root בכה to weep, cry, lament

Definition

Crying or weeping, specifically the outward act or sound of mourning, lamentation, or deep emotional distress; also in some contexts, the action of dripping or flowing, usually associated with tears. The primary lexical meaning is audible, visible expression of grief or sorrow, either individual or communal. In poetic contexts, may refer metaphorically to the continual flow of tears or sorrowful outpouring.

Semantic Range

weeping, crying, lamentation, sound or act of mournful expression, flowing of tears, continual or abundant weeping, metaphorical use for overflow or dripping (especially of tears)

Root / Etymology

From the root בכה, which has the core meaning 'to weep, lament, cry out in grief.' The noun בְּכִי is a direct nominal form denoting the act, state, or sound of weeping. The root gives rise to related forms such as the verb בכה (to cry, weep) and other derivatives referring to mourning or lamentation.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, בְּכִי most often refers to the public or private expression of grief, whether at personal loss, calamity, national disaster, or repentance. The term is used for the weeping of individuals (e.g. Genesis 45:14—the weeping of Joseph and his brothers), families, as well as the collective weeping of the Israelite people in the face of national distress (e.g. Numbers 14:1; Jeremiah 31:9). In Psalms and Lamentations, בְּכִי often carries poetic or metaphorical resonance, depicting sorrow as a continual, overflowing current. Later translations, especially in English, often render it as 'weeping,' which generally captures its sense, though the emotional and communal undertones in biblical contexts are sometimes richer than the English term implies. בְּכִי is distinct from terms such as סְפֵד (lament, used for formal mourning) or נהי (dirge, wailing), which are more associated with ritualized mourning or structured lamentation. Its use remains largely stable across the biblical period, with a few later poetic or metaphoric uses emphasizing abundance or constancy ('dripping, flowing'). No anachronistic associations with specific religious practices or identities in early Israelite or Judahite history are implied by the word itself.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from בָּכָה; a weeping; by analogy, a dripping; overflowing, [idiom] sore, (continual) weeping, wept.

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Root Family

בכה (b-k-h) — to weep, cry, lament

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H1056	בָּכָא	the Weeping-Valley
H1057	בָּכָא	weeping-resin trees
H1058	בָּכָה	he wept
H1059	בֶּכֶה	weeping
H1066	בֹּכִים	Weepers
H1068	בְּכִית	his weeping

Word Forms

10 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`H1065-02`	בְּכִ֥י	bekhi	`HNcmsa`	weeping	weeping	9
`H1065-04`	בִּ/בְכִ֑י	bivekhi	`HR/Ncmsa`	with weeping	weeping	6
`H1065-10`	בְכִ֖י	vekhi	`HNcmsc`	weeping	and because	3
`H1065-07`	מִ/בֶּ֔כִי	mibekhi	`HR/Ncmsa`	from the trickling	from weeping	3
`H1065-01`	בַּ/בֶּֽכִי	babekhi	`HRd/Ncmsa`	in weeping	in the weeping	2
`H1065-03`	בִּכְיִֽ/י	bikheyi	`HNcmsc/Sp1cs`	of my weeping	my weeping	1
`H1065-06`	לִ/בְכִי֙	livekhi	`HR/Ncmsa`	to weeping	to weeping	1
`H1065-05`	לְ/בֶ֑כִי	levekhi	`HR/Ncmsa`	to weep	weeping	1
`H1065-08`	וּ/בְכִ֖י	uvekhi	`HC/Ncmsa`	and weeping	and weeping	1
`H1065-09`	וּ/בְ/בְכִ֖י	uvevekhi	`HC/R/Ncmsa`	and with weeping	and in weeping	1

Occurrences in Scripture

28 total occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`H1065-04`	Genesis 45:2	בִּ/בְכִ֑י	bivekhi	`HR/Ncmsa`	in weeping	weeping
`H1065-10`	Deuteronomy 34:8	בְכִ֖י	vekhi	`HNcmsc`	weeping	and because
`H1065-02`	Judges 21:2	בְּכִ֥י	bekhi	`HNcmsa`	weeping	weeping
`H1065-02`	2 Samuel 13:36	בְּכִ֖י	bekhi	`HNcmsa`	weeping	weeping
`H1065-05`	Isaiah 15:2	לְ/בֶ֑כִי	levekhi	`HR/Ncmsa`	to weep	weeping
`H1065-01`	Isaiah 15:3	בַּ/בֶּֽכִי	babekhi	`HRd/Ncmsa`	in weeping	in the weeping
`H1065-04`	Isaiah 15:5	בִּ/בְכִי֙	bivekhi	`HR/Ncmsa`	with weeping	weeping
`H1065-04`	Isaiah 16:9	בִּ/בְכִ֤י	bivekhi	`HR/Ncmsc`	with-weeping	weeping
`H1065-01`	Isaiah 22:4	בַּ/בֶּ֑כִי	babekhi	`HRd/Ncmsa`	in weeping	in the weeping
`H1065-06`	Isaiah 22:12	לִ/בְכִי֙	livekhi	`HR/Ncmsa`	to weeping	to weeping
`H1065-02`	Isaiah 65:19	בְּכִ֖י	bekhi	`HNcmsa`	of weeping	weeping
`H1065-02`	Jeremiah 3:21	בְּכִ֥י	bekhi	`HNcmsa`	weeping	weeping
`H1065-10`	Jeremiah 9:9	בְכִ֣י	vekhi	`HNcmsa`	weeping	and because
`H1065-04`	Jeremiah 31:9	בִּ/בְכִ֣י	bivekhi	`HR/Ncmsa`	with weeping	weeping
`H1065-02`	Jeremiah 31:15	בְּכִ֣י	bekhi	`HNcmsc`	weeping	weeping
`H1065-07`	Jeremiah 31:16	מִ/בֶּ֔כִי	mibekhi	`HR/Ncmsa`	from weeping	from weeping
`H1065-04`	Jeremiah 48:5	בִּ/בְכִ֖י	bivekhi	`HR/Ncmsa`	with weeping	weeping
`H1065-02`	Jeremiah 48:5	בֶּ֑כִי	bekhi	`HNcmsa`	weeping	weeping
`H1065-07`	Jeremiah 48:32	מִ/בְּכִ֨י	mibekhi	`HR/Ncmsc`	with the weeping of	from weeping
`H1065-09`	Joel 2:12	וּ/בְ/בְכִ֖י	uvevekhi	`HC/R/Ncmsa`	and with weeping	and in weeping
`H1065-02`	Malachi 2:13	בְּכִ֖י	bekhi	`HNcmsa`	weeping	weeping
`H1065-03`	Psalms 6:9	בִּכְיִֽ/י	bikheyi	`HNcmsc/Sp1cs`	of my weeping	my weeping
`H1065-02`	Psalms 30:6	בֶּ֗כִי	bekhi	`HNcmsa`	weeping	weeping
`H1065-04`	Psalms 102:10	בִּ/בְכִ֥י	bivekhi	`HR/Ncmsa`	with weeping	weeping
`H1065-10`	Job 16:16	בֶ֑כִי	vekhi	`HNcmsa`	weeping	and because
`H1065-07`	Job 28:11	מִ֭/בְּכִי	mibekhi	`HR/Ncmsa`	from the trickling	from weeping
`H1065-08`	Esther 4:3	וּ/בְכִ֖י	uvekhi	`HC/Ncmsa`	and weeping	and weeping
`H1065-02`	Ezra 3:13	בְּכִ֣י	bekhi	`HNcmsc`	weeping-of	weeping

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