Word Study for H1249 (בַּר) | Strong's Concordance

bar /bar/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom בָּרַר (in its various senses)

Meaningbeloved; also pure, empty

KJV usagechoice, clean, clear, pure.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of bar — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word bar, represented by H1249, carries a range of meanings including pure, clean, choice, and clear. Derived from בָּרַר (barar), it appears 7 times in 7 unique verses throughout the scriptures, often signifying a state of moral purity or exceptional quality.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical applications, H1249 is used to describe both internal character and external states. It defines the moral condition necessary for approaching God, as seen in the description of one who has "a pure heart" Psalms 24:4. This theme is echoed in the statement that God is good to those with a "clean heart" Psalms 73:1. The word also characterizes the nature of divine law, where "the commandment of the LORD is pure" Psalms 19:8. In a different context, it describes radiant beauty, being "clear as the sun" Song of Solomon 6:10, or can refer to something being exceptional, like the "choice one of her that bare her" Song of Solomon 6:9. It can even denote emptiness, as when a crib is "clean" because there are no oxen Proverbs 14:4.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help illuminate the concept of purity and integrity associated with H1249:

H5355 nâqîy (innocent; blameless, clean, clear): This word is used in direct parallel with H1249 to describe the person qualified to enter God's presence, one who has "clean hands, and a pure heart" Psalms 24:4.
H8535 tâm (complete; usually (morally) pious; specifically, gentle, dear; undefiled): This term for completeness or being undefiled appears alongside H1249 in Song of Solomon, where the beloved is described as both "undefiled" and the "choice one" Song of Solomon 6:9.
H3824 lêbâb (the heart (as the most interior organ)): The heart is frequently the subject described by H1249. The concept of a "pure heart" Psalms 24:4 or a "clean heart" Psalms 73:1 establishes that this purity is an internal, spiritual state.

Theological Significance

The theological significance of H1249 is centered on the divine requirement for holiness.

Internal Purity: The repeated phrase "a pure heart" or "a clean heart" emphasizes that God's standard goes beyond external actions to the inner disposition of a person (Psalms 24:4, Psalms 73:1).
Divine Standard: By describing God's commandment as "pure" Psalms 19:8, the word establishes purity as an essential attribute of God's nature and his revelation to humanity.
Condition for Fellowship: The connection between a pure heart and standing in God's holy place Psalms 24:4 or being clean in His eyes Job 11:4 shows that purity is a prerequisite for a relationship with Him.

Summary

In summary, H1249 is a multifaceted term that encompasses concepts from physical emptiness to radiant beauty. Its primary biblical weight, however, lies in its definition of moral and spiritual purity. Whether describing the character of a person, the nature of God's law, or the quality of being choice and set apart, bar points to a standard of cleanness and integrity, most notably captured in the image of the "pure heart" required to draw near to God.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as an adjective and a noun across 7 occurrences, inflected in 5 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

בָּרָה
בָרֵי
בָּר
בַר
בַר

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 7 verses across 4 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Psalms (3 verses); never once in the other 35.

Job

Psalms

Proverbs

Song of Solomon

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.