בְּשׂוֹרָה
𐤁𐤔𐤅𐤓𐤄
bᵉsôwrâh
H1309 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A message or report of good news, often pertaining to favorable events such as military victory, rescue from danger, or other positive changes in fortune. In some contexts, may denote the actual content of the good news or the act of delivering it.
Semantic Range
good news, report of victory, message of deliverance, announcement of favorable events, content of glad tidings, report of positive change
Root / Etymology
From the root בָּשַׂר (בשׂר), which primarily means 'to bring news, to report,' and by extension, 'to proclaim good news.' The noun בְּשׂוֹרָה is formed with a feminine ending, denoting the report or message itself. The root originally relates to the process of reporting something significant, particularly positive news.
Historical & Contextual Notes
בְּשׂוֹרָה was primarily used in ancient Israelite contexts to mean a positive announcement, most frequently news of military victory or deliverance (e.g. 2 Samuel 4:10, 18:19-27). Its semantic range focuses on the message, rather than the messenger or cause. Occasionally, the term may extend metaphorically to any joyful news. In some passages, reward for bringing good news is implied but is not the primary meaning of the word itself. Distinct from words indicating routine communication, בשׂוֹרָה conveys public, favorable, and significant announcements. Later translation traditions sometimes render the term as 'gospel,' especially in Christian contexts, but this is anachronistic for the Hebrew Bible. The word occurs primarily in narrative texts, less frequently in poetry. Not to be confused with forms derived from בשׂר meaning 'flesh.'
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or (shortened) בְּשֹׂרָה; feminine from בָּשַׂר; glad tidings; by implication, reward forgood news; reward for tidings.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
בשׂר (b-ś-r) — to report, to announce, to bring news
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1309-01 |
בְּשֹׂרָֽה | besorah | HNcfsa |
good news | good-news report | 6 |
Occurrences in Scripture
6 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1309-01 |
2 Samuel 4:10 | בְּשֹׂרָֽה | besorah | HNcfsa |
for a reward | good-news report |
H1309-01 |
2 Samuel 18:20 | בְּשֹׂרָ֤ה | besorah | HNcfsa |
of good news | good-news report |
H1309-01 |
2 Samuel 18:22 | בְּשׂוֹרָ֥ה | besorah | HNcfsa |
good news | good-news report |
H1309-01 |
2 Samuel 18:25 | בְּשׂוֹרָ֣ה | besorah | HNcfsa |
good news | good-news report |
H1309-01 |
2 Samuel 18:27 | בְּשׂוֹרָ֥ה | besorah | HNcfsa |
tidings | good-news report |
H1309-01 |
2 Kings 7:9 | בְּשֹׂרָ֣ה | besorah | HNcfsa |
of good news | good-news report |