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בָּחוּר

𐤁𐤇𐤅𐤓

bâchûwr

H970 noun

SILEX Entry

Root בחר to choose, select

Definition

A young man, especially one in the prime of physical vigor and youth; often used collectively for a group of young men or warriors. The term may connote those who are physically strong, age-appropriate for military service, or in the stage of life marked by unmarried status. While the underlying sense is of being chosen or selected, in the majority of contexts it simply refers to the age-group of young men rather than implying elite or specifically chosen status.

Semantic Range

young man; youth; young warrior; group of young men; (originally) one who is chosen or selected; (collective) the age group of vigorous males; (rare, unrelated) hole (prob. textual variant)

Root / Etymology

From the root בחר (b-ḥ-r), whose core meaning is 'to choose, select.' The form בָּחוּר is a passive participle, meaning 'chosen' or 'selected,' but semantically it has shifted to refer to those who, by age or vigorous status, are suited for particular social or military roles, thus 'young man.' There is an implicit connection between 'being chosen' and young men being selected for vigour, service, or military conscription.

Historical & Contextual Notes

בָּחוּר is widely used in biblical texts to denote young men as a social group, particularly in military or poetic contexts, often in parallel with other age- or status-markers such as עֶלֶם (elem, adolescent/youth) or נַעַר (naʿar, boy/servant/young man). While originally a passive participle meaning 'chosen,' in later biblical usage it does not routinely imply special status but functions as a standard term for young adult males. In poetic and prophetic texts, contrasts with either elders or maidens/virgins (e.g., בְּתוּלָה). In post-exilic writings, retains sense of young adult, though sometimes appears in collective or metaphorical senses. The term is less used in prose narrative than in poetry or prophecy. English versions sometimes use 'young man/men' or 'chosen men,' but rarely convey the root's connotation of being selected; the meaning as 'hole' is lexically unrelated, possibly a textual confusion or separate root and is not attested in mainstream biblical usage. Later Hebrew retains the sense of 'youth' or 'young man.'

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or בָּחֻר; participle passive of בָּחַר; properly, selected, i.e. a youth (often collective); (choice) young (man), chosen, [idiom] hole.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

בחר (b-ḥ-r) — to choose, select

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2984 יִבְחַר He Will Choose
H4004 מִבְחוֹר chosen place
H4005 מִבְחָר in the choicest of
H4006 מִבְחָר choicest of
H972 בָּחִיר chosen one of

Word Forms

18 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H970-08 בַּחוּרִ֖ים bachurim HNcmpa young men chosen young men 8
H970-01 בָּחוּר֙ bachur HNcmsa young man chosen young man 8
H970-04 בַּח֥וּרֵי bachurey HNcmpc young men of chosen young men 4
H970-03 בַּחוּרָ֜י/ו bachurayv HNcmpc/Sp3ms his young men his chosen young men 3
H970-09 הַ/בַּחוּרִֽים habachurim HTd/Ncmpa the young men the chosen young men 3
H970-07 בַּחוּרֵי/כֶ֧ם bachureykhem HNcmpc/Sp2mp your young men your chosen young men 3
H970-11 וּ/בַחוּרַ֖/י uvachuray HC/Ncmpc/Sp1cs and-my-young-men and my young men 2
H970-16 בָח֖וּר vachur HVqsmsa a chosen youth chosen young man 2
H970-15 וּ/בַחוּרִ֖ים uvachurim HC/Ncmpa and young men and young men 2
H970-06 בַּח֣וּרֵי/הֶ֔ם bachureyhem HNcmpc/Sp3mp their young men their young men 2

Occurrences in Scripture

46 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H970-01 Deuteronomy 32:25 בָּחוּר֙ bachur HNcmsa young man chosen young man
H970-09 Judges 14:10 הַ/בַּחוּרִֽים habachurim HTd/Ncmpa the young men the chosen young men
H970-07 1 Samuel 8:16 בַּחוּרֵי/כֶ֧ם bachureykhem HNcmpc/Sp2mp young-men-your your chosen young men
H970-01 1 Samuel 9:2 בָּח֣וּר bachur HNcmsa choice young man chosen young man
H970-14 2 Kings 8:12 וּ/בַחֻֽרֵי/הֶם֙ uvachureyhem HC/Ncmpc/Sp3mp and their young men and their young men
H970-03 Isaiah 9:16 בַּחוּרָ֜י/ו bachurayv HNcmpc/Sp3ms his young men his chosen young men
H970-08 Isaiah 23:4 בַּחוּרִ֖ים bachurim HNcmpa young men chosen young men
H970-12 Isaiah 31:8 וּ/בַחוּרָ֖י/ו uvachurayv HC/Ncmpc/Sp3ms and his young men and his young men
H970-15 Isaiah 40:30 וּ/בַחוּרִ֖ים uvachurim HC/Ncmpa and young men and young men
H970-01 Isaiah 62:5 בָּחוּר֙ bachur HNcmsa young-man chosen young man
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