בְּרָכָה
𐤁𐤓𐤊𐤄
Berakhah
H1294 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper noun used as both a personal name ('Berakah') and a place name ('Valley of Berakah'), signifying 'blessing' or 'place of blessing.' As a personal name, it reflects a positive invocation or wish for blessing. As a toponym, it marks a location associated with divine favor or acts of thanksgiving. The term carries the sense of blessing, prosperity, or the act of giving thanks.
Semantic Range
blessing, act of blessing, invocation of prosperity, personal name signifying 'blessed' or 'blessing,' place name marking 'blessing' or acts of thanksgiving
Root / Etymology
From the Hebrew root ברך, meaning 'to bless.' The form בְּרָכָה is the nominal derivative, generally meaning 'blessing.' In this case, the word is employed as a personal or geographic name, reflecting the root meaning but used as a proper noun. Thus, 'Berakah' as a name or place encapsulates the notion of blessing.
Historical & Contextual Notes
בְּרָכָה ('Berakah') is found in the Hebrew Bible in two primary contexts: 1) as the name of an individual (1 Chronicles 12:3), belonging to an Israelite from the tribe of Benjamin; and 2) as the name of a geographical location ('Valley of Berakah'), specifically the site where Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah assembled to bless YHWH after victory over enemy forces (2 Chronicles 20:26). In the historical setting, naming a place or person 'Berakah' signified gratitude and a marker of divine favor, especially in contexts of thanksgiving. English Bible translations often render the place name as 'Valley of Berachah/Berakah,' sometimes using the translation 'Valley of Blessing,' though the Hebrew text keeps the nuance of 'berakah' as 'blessing.' There are no indications that the term held distinct meanings as a personal versus place name; in both, the underlying sense is tied to blessing, gratitude, or the outcome of divine beneficence. The usage does not reflect later religious meanings attached to 'blessing' in rabbinic Judaism, but instead remains anchored in the earlier Israelite literary and social context.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
the same as בְּרָכָה; Berakah, the name of an Israelite, and also of a valley in Palestine; Berachah.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
ברך (b-r-k) — to bless, to kneel, to bestow favor
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1263 | בָּרוּךְ | blessed one |
| H1288 | בָרַךְ | let me bless |
| H1289 | בְּרַךְ | to pronounce blessing |
| H1290 | בֶּרֶךְ | knee |
| H1291 | בֶּרֶךְ | his knees |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1294-01 |
בְּרָכָ֔ה | berakhah | HNp |
of Beracah | bestowal of favor | 2 |
H1294-02 |
וּ/בְרָכָ֕ה | uverakhah | HC/Np |
and Beracah | and Blessing | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1294-02 |
1 Chronicles 12:3 | וּ/בְרָכָ֕ה | uverakhah | HC/Np |
and Beracah | and Blessing |
H1294-01 |
2 Chronicles 20:26 | בְּרָכָ֔ה | berakhah | HNp |
of Beracah | bestowal of favor |
H1294-01 |
2 Chronicles 20:26 | בְּרָכָ֖ה | berakhah-2 | HNp |
of Beracah | bestowal of favor |