בֹּר
𐤁𐤓
bôr
H1253 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A substance used for cleansing, especially a type of alkali derived from plants (vegetable lye, potash), commonly employed as a soap or detergent; also used as a flux for refining metals. The word denotes both the material itself and metaphorically, the act or condition of cleansing or purifying, especially in ritual or moral contexts.
Semantic Range
alkali, potash, vegetable lye, soap for washing, cleanser for garments, flux for refining metals, metaphor for cleansing or spiritual purification
Root / Etymology
From the root בָּרַר (b-r-r), meaning 'to purify, cleanse, select, make clear.' The noun בֹּר derives from this root, designating a material used specifically for washing or purifying in a physical sense, and, by extension, invoking the concept of purity or cleansing in broader metaphoric usage. Not related to the similar-looking word בּוֹר ('pit, cistern') despite spelling resemblance; compare root meanings and contextual uses.
Historical & Contextual Notes
בֹּר appears infrequently, notably in Malachi 3:2 and Jeremiah 2:22, always in contexts concerning cleansing or purification. In the monarchic and post-exilic periods, it denoted a common substance for washing clothes or purifying metals, in line with the broader ancient Near Eastern use of vegetable-based alkalis (such as potash from burning plants). Early translations occasionally rendered בֹּר as 'soap' or 'lye,' but these terms can be somewhat anachronistic, as ancient cleansers often differed from modern soaps in composition. In Jeremiah 2:22, בֹּר is contrasted with נֶתֶר (nether, natron), another cleansing agent, highlighting different cleaning substances available in the ancient world. The idiomatic use ('never so, purely' in Strong's gloss) does not reflect a separate lexical meaning but stems from the metaphorical association with purity or cleansing. English translations typically use 'lye,' 'soap,' or 'alkali,' but this may obscure the specific source material (ash-derived potash). No connection with later religious terminology; interpretive traditions that use 'soaps' or ritual purity must be understood in their historical context.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
the same as בֹּר; vegetable lye (from its cleansing); used as a soap forwashing, or a flux formetals; [idiom] never so, purely.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
ברר (b-r-r) — to purify, to cleanse, to select, to make clear
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1247 | בַּר | winnowed grain |
| H1248 | בַּר | winnowed grain |
| H1249 | בַּר | winnowed grain |
| H1250 | בָּר | purified grain |
| H1252 | בֹּר | in purity |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1253-01 |
בְּ/בֹ֣ר | bevor | HR/Ncmsa |
with lye | in cleansing-lye | 1 |
H1253-02 |
כַּ/בֹּ֖ר | kabor | HRd/Ncmsa |
as with lye | like cleansing-lye | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1253-02 |
Isaiah 1:25 | כַּ/בֹּ֖ר | kabor | HRd/Ncmsa |
as with lye | like cleansing-lye |
H1253-01 |
Job 9:30 | בְּ/בֹ֣ר | bevor | HR/Ncmsa |
with lye | in cleansing-lye |