### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **bᵉqîyaʻ**, represented by `{{H1233}}`, denotes **a fissure; breach, cleft**. Derived from the root בָּקַע, it appears only **2 times** across **2 unique verses** in the Bible. It is used to describe physical cracks or openings in structures, signifying a state of damage or ruin.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In its biblical occurrences, `{{H1233}}` is used to illustrate structural failure, both as a result of divine judgment and as a sign of human vulnerability. In Amos, the LORD `{{H3068}}` commands `{{H6680}}` that the little `{{H6996}}` house `{{H1004}}` will be smitten `{{H5221}}` with **clefts** [[Amos 6:11]]. In Isaiah, the people see `{{H7200}}` that the **breaches** `{{H1233}}` in the defenses of the city `{{H5892}}` of David `{{H1732}}` are many `{{H7231}}`, prompting them to gather `{{H6908}}` water `{{H4325}}` from the lower `{{H8481}}` pool `{{H1295}}` as a defensive measure [[Isaiah 22:9]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words provide context for the cause and effect of these fissures:
* `{{H7447}}` **râçîyç** (breach): This word is used in direct parallel with `{{H1233}}` in [[Amos 6:11]], where God smites the great house with **breaches** and the little house with clefts, emphasizing a state of ruin.
* `{{H5221}}` **nâkâh** (to smite): This primitive root describes the divine action that creates the clefts. The LORD commands that he will **smite** the house, resulting in its structural failure [[Amos 6:11]].
* `{{H5892}}` **ʻîyr** (city): This term defines the location of the fissures in Isaiah's prophecy. The people saw the breaches of the **city** of David, highlighting a weakness in the community's primary fortification [[Isaiah 22:9]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H1233}}` is focused on the consequences of sin and judgment.
* **A Sign of Divine Judgment:** The appearance of `{{H1233}}` is directly tied to an act of God. In Amos, the LORD `{{H3068}}` himself commands `{{H6680}}` that the houses will be smitten `{{H5221}}` with clefts, demonstrating that such destruction is a consequence of divine sentence [[Amos 6:11]].
* **An Indicator of Defensive Failure:** In Isaiah, the many `{{H7231}}` breaches `{{H1233}}` in the city `{{H5892}}` of David `{{H1732}}` symbolize the nation's compromised state and inability to protect itself. It is a visible sign of weakness and decay [[Isaiah 22:9]].
* **Physical Consequence of Spiritual Neglect:** The breaches in the city wall are seen by the people, who respond by gathering `{{H6908}}` waters `{{H4325}}` for defense. However, the surrounding context reveals their failure to look to the one who made it all, linking the physical fissures to a deeper spiritual failure [[Isaiah 22:9]].
### Summary
In summary, **bᵉqîyaʻ** `{{H1233}}` provides a potent and specific image of structural collapse. Though it appears only twice, it is used to illustrate the consequences of both divine judgment and human vulnerability. Whether describing the **clefts** in a house smitten by God or the **breaches** in a city's failing defenses, the word connects the physical integrity of a structure to the spiritual standing of its inhabitants.
TRV