← H1154 H1156 →

בֹּסֶר

𐤁𐤎𐤓

bôçer

H1155 noun

SILEX Entry

Root בסר to be unripe, lack maturity, not yet developed

Definition

Unripe grape, referring specifically to a grape that is not yet matured and is thus firm, sour, and lacking in sweetness. The term designates the fruit at a stage before ripeness, often emphasizing its unsuitable state for eating or winemaking.

Semantic Range

unripe grape, unripe fruit (especially grape), sour grape (by context), fruit not yet suitable for eating or processing

Root / Etymology

Root: בסר. The root carries the idea of incompleteness or lack of development. בֹּסֶר (bôser) is derived from this root, denoting that which is unripe or premature, especially in the context of grapes. The related noun בֶּסֶר (beser) also conveys the sense of unripe fruit; the two terms are sometimes used interchangeably in Hebrew.

Historical & Contextual Notes

בֹּסֶר appears rarely in the Hebrew Bible, attested for example in Isaiah 18:5, where it refers to grapes that are not yet ripe at the time of pruning. The associated connotation is of incompleteness and undesirability for consumption or sacrifice. In Second Temple and rabbinic literature, the term continues to denote grapes that are not yet suitable for eating or winemaking. Ancient translations (e.g., LXX) often render it with words meaning 'unripe' or 'sour,' but in post-biblical Hebrew, בוסר came to be used in general Hebrew for any unripe fruit, not exclusively grapes. Modern English translations often use 'unripe grape' or 'sour grape,' but 'sour' is a secondary characteristic caused by immaturity, not the primary lexical meaning. The word is distinct from other terms for ripe grapes (e.g., עֵנָב‎, enav) or for dried grapes/raisins (צִמּוּק, tsimmuq).

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from the same as בֶּסֶר; {an immature grape}; sour grape.

Bantu Hebrew

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

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

בסר (b-s-r) — to be unripe, lack maturity, be undeveloped

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1154 בֶּסֶר his unripe grape

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H1155-03 בֹ֑סֶר voser HNcmsa sour grapes unripe grape sour grapes 2
H1155-02 וּ/בֹ֥סֶר uvoser HC/Ncmsa and unripe grape and unripe grape and unripe grape 1
H1155-01 הַ/בֹּ֖סֶר haboser HTd/Ncmsa the sour grapes the unripe grape the unripe grape 1

Occurrences in Scripture

4 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H1155-02 Isaiah 18:5 וּ/בֹ֥סֶר uvoser HC/Ncmsa and unripe grape and unripe grape and unripe grape
H1155-03 Jeremiah 31:29 בֹ֑סֶר voser HNcmsa sour grapes unripe grape sour grapes
H1155-01 Jeremiah 31:30 הַ/בֹּ֖סֶר haboser HTd/Ncmsa the sour grapes the unripe grape the unripe grape
H1155-03 Ezekiel 18:2 בֹ֔סֶר voser HNcmsa sour grapes unripe grape sour grapes
← H1154 Hebrew Lexicon H1156 →