Word Study for H1262 (בָּרָה)

bârâh /baw-raw'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root

Meaningto select; also (as denominative from בָּר) to feed; also (as equivalent to בָּרַר) to render clear (Ecclesiastes 3:18); to select; to feed; to render clear

KJV usagechoose, (cause to) eat, manifest, (give) meat.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of bârâh — 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 bârâh, represented by H1262, is a primitive root primarily meaning to select or to feed. It appears 8 times across 7 unique verses in the Bible. The word's usage centers on two distinct actions: the deliberate choosing of a person, and the act of providing food or causing someone to eat, often in a personal or intimate context.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical narratives, H1262 is used to describe moments of critical choice and personal care. Its meaning of "to select" is vividly illustrated when Goliath challenges the armies of Israel, "choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me" 1 Samuel 17:8. The more common usage relates to providing food. It appears several times in the tragic story of Amnon and Tamar, where Amnon feigns illness and asks for Tamar to come and "give me meat" 2 Samuel 13:5 so that he may "eat at her hand" 2 Samuel 13:6. It is also used when David, in mourning, refuses to "eat bread" 2 Samuel 12:17 or when the people attempt "to cause David to eat meat" 2 Samuel 3:35.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the contexts in which H1262 is used:

H1279 biryâh (food; meat): This feminine noun is derived from bârâh and refers to the food being prepared and served. It is used when Amnon requests that Tamar "dress the meat" 2 Samuel 13:5 for him.
H3027 yâd (a hand): The hand is often the instrument by which the action of H1262 is accomplished. Amnon's specific request is to "eat at her hand" (2 Samuel 13:6, 10), indicating a desire for personal, direct feeding.
H3899 lechem (food, especially bread): This word for sustenance is often the object of the verb bârâh. It is the "bread" David refuses to eat while grieving 2 Samuel 12:17, and the "meat" the people wanted to cause him to eat 2 Samuel 3:35.
H398 ʼâkal (to eat): This is the action that follows the provision of food. Jonadab's instructions to Amnon are for Tamar to give H1262 meat so that he may see it and "eat" H398 it 2 Samuel 13:5.
H6213 ʻâsâh (to do or make): This verb describes the preparation of the food that will be offered. Tamar is instructed to "dress" or "make" H6213 the food before bringing it to be eaten 2 Samuel 13:5.

Theological Significance

The conceptual significance of H1262 is seen in the varied contexts of its use, highlighting how a simple action can carry great weight.

Critical Selection: The use of bârâh for choosing a champion in battle underscores an act of deliberate and consequential decision-making. The fate of the armies hangs on the man who is chosen 1 Samuel 17:8.
Provision and Care: In its sense of "to feed," the word often implies an act of care for another, such as feeding the sick or encouraging a mourner to eat (2 Samuel 13:5, 2 Samuel 12:17).
Intimacy and Deception: The word is central to Amnon's plot, where the intimate act of being fed by hand is used as a pretense to create a situation of vulnerability and carry out a violent crime 2 Samuel 13:6.
Ultimate Desperation: In its most harrowing context, bârâh is used in Lamentations to describe how, in the utter despair of a siege, children became "meat" for their mothers, signifying a complete societal and moral collapse Lamentations 4:10.

Summary

In summary, H1262 bârâh is a focused term that encompasses both the act of "selecting" and the act of "feeding." While its appearances are few, they are significant, ranging from a strategic choice in warfare to the most personal interactions of care, deception, and desperation. The word demonstrates how fundamental actions like choosing and eating are imbued with deep social and moral significance within the biblical text.

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 a verb and a noun across 7 occurrences, inflected in 6 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Qal Conjunction+Imperfect 1st Singular common gender 2×
Hiphil Conjunction+Imperfect 3rd Singular Feminine 1×
Hiphil Infinitive Construct 1×
Qal Imperative 2nd Plural Masculine 1×
Qal Perfect 3rd Singular Masculine 1×
Singular Feminine Absolute 1×

Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
Feminine: Feminine grammatical gender.
common gender: Either gender — the form does not distinguish.
1st: First person — the speaker ("I"/"we").
2nd: Second person — the one addressed ("you").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Perfect: A completed act whose results continue.
Imperative: A command or entreaty.
Infinitive: The verb as a noun — "to do".
Qal: The simple, basic stem — plain action in the active voice.
Hiphil: The causative stem — the subject causes the action.
Conjunction+Imperfect: Imperfect joined by a simple "and".
Absolute: The independent form of a noun (not bound to another).
Construct: Bound to a following noun — "the X of…".

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 3 of the 39 books. Most frequent in 2 Samuel (5 verses); never once in the other 36.

1 Samuel

2 Samuel

Lamentations

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, 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.