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בְּכִירָה

𐤁𐤊𐤉𐤓𐤄

bᵉkîyrâh

H1067 noun

SILEX Entry

Root בכר to be early, to be firstborn, to come first in birth order

Definition

Eldest or firstborn daughter; specifically refers to the female child born first to a parent within a family setting, designating her precedence in birth order. Usage is distinct from the masculine form for firstborn sons and applies only to daughters.

Semantic Range

eldest daughter, firstborn daughter, oldest daughter in a family

Root / Etymology

From the Hebrew root בָּכַר (b-k-r), meaning 'to be early, firstborn.' The form בְּכִירָה is a feminine noun derived from this root, constructed to indicate a female in the role of 'firstborn.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

The term בְּכִירָה appears in genealogical or narrative contexts to denote the status of the eldest daughter, especially regarding familial roles or inheritance customs in patriarchal Israelite society. Unlike בְּכוֹר (bekhôr, 'firstborn [son]'), which has considerable legal, cultic, and social significance (e.g., rights of inheritance, religious duties), בְּכִירָה carries a primarily descriptive role, with less legal or ritual implication. Its usage is comparatively rare and almost always contrasted with younger sisters (e.g., when distinguishing between daughters in a family). The distinction between firstborn sons and daughters was significant for inheritance and familial authority in the biblical world, and while the son's status had specific legal formulations, the daughter's designation as בְּכִירָה was descriptive of her position in the family rather than conveying comparable rights or ritual responsibilities. Later English translations sometimes fail to convey the nuance that this term applies exclusively to daughters. The concept did not develop into a legal or religious category as it did for sons, but it remained meaningful in social settings.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

xlit bekîyrâh corrected to bᵉkîyrâh; feminine from בָּכַר; the eldest daughter; firstborn.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

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

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1060 בְּכוֹר firstborn of
H1061 בִּכּוּר first yields of
H1062 בְּכוֹרָה firstborn-right
H1063 בִּכּוּרָה first-ripe fig
H1064 בְּכוֹרַת Bekorath

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1067-01 הַ/בְּכִירָ֛ה habekhirah HTd/Ncfsa the firstborn the firstborn daughter 6

Occurrences in Scripture

6 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1067-01 Genesis 19:31 הַ/בְּכִירָ֛ה habekhirah HTd/Ncfsa the older daughter the firstborn daughter
H1067-01 Genesis 19:33 הַ/בְּכִירָה֙ habekhirah HTd/Ncfsa the firstborn the firstborn daughter
H1067-01 Genesis 19:34 הַ/בְּכִירָה֙ habekhirah HTd/Ncfsa the firstborn the firstborn daughter
H1067-01 Genesis 19:37 הַ/בְּכִירָה֙ habekhirah HTd/Ncfsa the firstborn the firstborn daughter
H1067-01 Genesis 29:26 הַ/בְּכִירָֽה habekhirah HTd/Ncfsa the firstborn the firstborn daughter
H1067-01 1 Samuel 14:49 הַ/בְּכִירָה֙ habekhirah HTd/Ncfsa the firstborn the firstborn daughter
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