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בָּקַע

𐤁𐤒𐤏

bâqaʻ

H1234 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To split or break open by force, especially by cleaving, rending, or bursting. The root denotes a forceful separation of a whole, especially in natural or violent contexts. Used of splitting the earth, rocks, water, or human-made objects; sometimes metaphorically of causing a breach or starting an action marked by sudden force.

Semantic Range

to split in two; to breach a wall; to break open earth, rock, or object; to burst forth or through; to break or rip (garment, heavens, waters); to cause something to be violently torn; to force an opening; to create a breach in warfare or natural phenomena

Root / Etymology

From the root ב-ק-ע, which signifies the basic sense of splitting, breaking forth, or ripping open by force. The verb form בָּקַע (bâqaʻ) is the qal stem, with related forms in other stems conveying more intensive or causative nuance (e.g., to cause to split or burst). The root's primary meaning is physical separation by force.

Historical & Contextual Notes

בָּקַע occurs frequently in contexts of miraculous or notable ruptures (e.g., the splitting of the Red Sea, cleaving of rocks for water), as well as in warfare (breaching walls or enemy lines), and the opening or rending of objects (garments, earth, or heavens). In post-exilic usage, the term can imply sudden revelation or divine intervention (e.g., heavens breaking open). The word does not primarily refer to gentle division as חָצָה (chatsah, to divide or halve) might, but rather to a dramatic, often violent act. English translations like "break" or "rend" sometimes obscure the forceful, often miraculous nuance of בָּקַע in its narrative contexts. While poetic texts sometimes metaphorically apply בָּקַע to the actions of God or nature, its literal usage remains rooted in tangible acts of splitting or bursting. Its usage is distinct from verbs denoting 'cutting' (e.g., כרת) or 'dividing' (e.g., חלק), focusing more on the sudden, forceful aspect.

Translation Consistency

primary "split" 34 occurrences

'Split' best captures the primary, forceful sense of בָּקַע — cleaving, bursting, or forcing something apart (earth, rock, waters, garments, walls). It is the most common English rendering in the attested occurrences and is natural-sounding across literal and metaphorical uses, allowing consistent inflection (e.g., split, splits, splitting, split open) for all forms under this Strong's number.

Alternatives (16 occurrences):
"broke through" (2x) "breached" (2x) "break open" (2x) "ripped open" (2x) "split-open ones" (1x) "tore" (1x) "break through" (1x) "hatched" (1x) "break" (1x) "forcefully split-open" (1x) "who breaks open" (1x) "burst" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to cleave; generally, to rend, break, rip or open; make a breach, break forth (into, out, in pieces, through, up), be ready to burst, cleave (asunder), cut out, divide, hatch, rend (asunder), rip up, tear, win.

Bantu Hebrew

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

Root Family

בקע (Biqeah) — to split, cleave, break open

Root בקע to split, to cleave, to break open, to burst forth
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1233 בְּקִיעַ fissures of
H1235 בֶּקַע half-shekel portion
H1236 בִּקְעָא in split-valley of
H1237 בִּקְעָה in the split valley

Word Forms

41 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H1234-28 וַ/תִּבָּקַ֥ע vatibaqa HC/VNw3fs and the city was broken through and it was split open and it was split open 4
H1234-03 בִּקֵּֽעַ biqea HVpp3ms he cuts he split wide open he split wide open 2
H1234-06 בּוֹקֵ֥עַ boqea HVqrmsa dividing one who splits open one who splits open 2
H1234-14 נִבְקָֽעוּ niveqau HVNp3cp were broken up were split open were split open 2
H1234-15 נִבְקְעוּ֙ niveqeu HVNp3cp were burst open they were split open they were split open 2
H1234-17 תְּבַקֵּֽעַ tevaqea HVpi2ms shall rend you will split open will break open 2
H1234-32 וַ/יִּ֨בְקַע vayiveqa HC/Vqw3ms and-he-split and he split open and he split open 2
H1234-34 וַ/יִּבְקְע֨וּ vayiveqeu HC/Vqw3mp and broke through and they split open and they broke through 2
H1234-01 בָּ֣קַע baqa HVqp3ms he divided he split open he split open 1
H1234-02 בָּקַ֣עְתָּ baqaeta HVqp2ms you-cleft you split open you split open 1

Occurrences in Scripture

51 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H1234-15 Genesis 7:11 נִבְקְעוּ֙ niveqeu HVNp3cp were burst open they were split open they were split open
H1234-29 Genesis 22:3 וַ/יְבַקַּע֙ vayevaqa HC/Vpw3ms split he split open forcefully and he split open forcefully
H1234-23 Exodus 14:16 וּ/בְקָעֵ֑/הוּ uveqaehu HC/Vqv2ms/Sp3ms and divide it and split it open and split it open
H1234-31 Exodus 14:21 וַ/יִּבָּקְע֖וּ vayibaqeu HC/VNw3mp and were divided and they were split open and they were split open
H1234-28 Numbers 16:31 וַ/תִּבָּקַ֥ע vatibaqa HC/VNw3fs split open and it was split open and it was split open
H1234-20 Joshua 9:4 וּ/מְבֻקָּעִ֖ים umevuqaim HC/VPsmpa and torn forcibly split-open ones and split-open ones
H1234-08 Joshua 9:13 הִתְבַּקָּ֑עוּ hitebaqau HVtp3cp they have burst they split themselves open they split themselves open
H1234-32 Judges 15:19 וַ/יִּבְקַ֨ע vayiveqa HC/Vqw3ms and split and he split open and he split open
H1234-30 1 Samuel 6:14 וַֽ/יְבַקְּעוּ֙ vayevaqeu HC/Vpw3mp and-they-split and they forcefully split open and they split open
H1234-34 2 Samuel 23:16 וַ/יִּבְקְעוּ֩ vayiveqeu HC/Vqw3mp and broke through and they split open and they broke through
H1234-28 1 Kings 1:40 וַ/תִּבָּקַ֥ע vatibaqa HC/VNw3fs and-was-split and it was split open and it was split open
H1234-27 2 Kings 2:24 וַ/תְּבַקַּ֣עְנָה vatevaqaenah HC/Vpw3fp and tore and they split open and they tore
H1234-09 2 Kings 3:26 לְ/הַבְקִ֛יעַ lehaveqia HR/Vhc to break through to cause to split open to break through
H1234-17 2 Kings 8:12 תְּבַקֵּֽעַ tevaqea HVpi2ms you will rip open you will split open you will split open
H1234-03 2 Kings 15:16 בִּקֵּֽעַ biqea HVpp3ms ripped open he split wide open he split wide open
H1234-28 2 Kings 25:4 וַ/תִּבָּקַ֣ע vatibaqa HC/VNw3fs and the city was broken through and it was split open and it was split open
H1234-35 Isaiah 7:6 וְ/נַבְקִעֶ֖/נָּה venaveqienah HC/Vhi1cp/Sp3fs and divide it and we will split her open and we will split her open
H1234-22 Isaiah 34:15 וּ/בָקְעָ֖ה uvaqeah HC/Vqq3fs and hatches and she split open and she hatched
H1234-15 Isaiah 35:6 נִבְקְע֤וּ niveqeu HVNp3cp will burst forth they were split open they were split open
H1234-32 Isaiah 48:21 וַ/יִּ֨בְקַע vayiveqa HC/Vqw3ms and-he-split and he split open and he split open
H1234-39 Isaiah 58:8 יִבָּקַ֤ע yibaqa HVNi3ms will break forth he will be split open will break forth
H1234-05 Isaiah 59:5 בִּקֵּ֔עוּ biqeu HVpp3cp they hatch they violently split open they split open
H1234-19 Isaiah 59:5 תִּבָּקַ֥ע tibaqa HVqi3fs breaks out she will split open it will split open
H1234-06 Isaiah 63:12 בּ֤וֹקֵֽעַ boqea HVqrmsa dividing one who splits open one who splits open
H1234-07 Jeremiah 39:2 הָבְקְעָ֖ה haveqeah HVHp3fs was breached was caused to be split open was breached
H1234-28 Jeremiah 52:7 וַ/תִּבָּקַ֣ע vatibaqa HC/VNw3fs was broken through and it was split open and it was split open
H1234-17 Ezekiel 13:11 תְּבַקֵּֽעַ tevaqea HVpi3fs shall rend you will split open will break open
H1234-24 Ezekiel 13:13 וּ/בִקַּעְתִּ֥י uviqaeti HC/Vpq1cs and-I-will-break-open and I forcefully split open and I will break open
H1234-12 Ezekiel 26:10 מְבֻקָּעָֽה mevuqaah HVPsfsa breached forcefully split-open forcefully split-open
H1234-21 Ezekiel 29:7 וּ/בָקַעְתָּ֥ uvaqaeta HC/Vqq2ms and you rent and you split open and you split open
H1234-10 Ezekiel 30:16 לְ/הִבָּקֵ֑עַ lehibaqea HR/VNc for breaching to be split open to be split open
H1234-18 Hosea 13:8 תְּבַקְּעֵֽ/ם tevaqeem HVpi3fs/Sp3mp will tear them she will violently split them open she will violently split them open
H1234-38 Hosea 14:1 יְבֻקָּֽעוּ yevuqau HVPi3mp shall be ripped open they will be violently split open they will be ripped open
H1234-04 Amos 1:13 בִּקְעָ/ם֙ biqeam HVqc/Sp3mp they have ripped open them to split them open they have ripped open
H1234-41 Micah 1:4 יִתְבַּקָּ֑עוּ yitebaqau HVti3mp will be split they will burst open they will split open
H1234-16 Habakkuk 3:9 תְּבַקַּע tevaqa HVpi2ms you split you violently split open you split
H1234-36 Zechariah 14:4 וְ/נִבְקַע֩ veniveqa HC/VNq3ms and shall be split and was split open and was split open
H1234-26 Psalms 74:15 בָ֭קַעְתָּ vaqaeta HVqp2ms split you split open split open
H1234-01 Psalms 78:13 בָּ֣קַע baqa HVqp3ms he divided he split open he split open
H1234-37 Psalms 78:15 יְבַקַּ֣ע yevaqa HVpi3ms he split he will shatter open he split open
H1234-25 Psalms 141:7 וּ/בֹקֵ֣עַ uvoqea HC/Vqrmsa and breaks open and the one who splits open and one who breaks open
H1234-14 Proverbs 3:20 נִבְקָ֑עוּ niveqau HVNp3cp were broken up were split open were split open
H1234-13 Job 26:8 נִבְקַ֖ע niveqa HVNp3ms is burst was split open was split open
H1234-03 Job 28:10 בִּקֵּ֑עַ biqea HVpp3ms he cuts he split wide open he split wide open
H1234-40 Job 32:19 יִבָּקֵֽעַ yibaqea HVNi3ms it will burst he will be split open it will burst
H1234-06 Ecclesiastes 10:9 בּוֹקֵ֥עַ boqea HVqrmsa Whoever splits logs one who splits open one who splits open
H1234-02 Nehemiah 9:11 בָּקַ֣עְתָּ baqaeta HVqp2ms you-cleft you split open you split open
H1234-34 1 Chronicles 11:18 וַ/יִּבְקְע֨וּ vayiveqeu HC/Vqw3mp and they broke through and they split open and they broke through
H1234-33 2 Chronicles 21:17 וַ/יִּבְקָע֔וּ/הָ vayiveqauha HC/Vqw3mp/Sp3fs and they invaded it and they split her open and they breached it
H1234-14 2 Chronicles 25:12 נִבְקָֽעוּ niveqau HVNp3cp were dashed to pieces were split open were split open
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