Word Study for H1310 (בָּשַׁל)

bâshal /baw-shal'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root

Meaningproperly, to boil up; hence, to be done in cooking; figuratively to ripen

KJV usagebake, boil, bring forth, roast, seethe, sod (be sodden).

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of bâshal — 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 bâshal, represented by H1310, is a primitive root that properly means to boil up. It appears 28 times across 24 unique verses in the Bible. Its meaning extends from being done in cooking to figuratively signifying ripening, and is variously translated as bake, boil, bring forth, roast, seethe, and sodden.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H1310 is used in diverse contexts, from daily life to sacred ritual and dire warnings. It describes the preparation of food for the Sabbath, where the Israelites were instructed to "seethe that ye will seethe" Exodus 16:23. It is central to ceremonial law, as in the command to "Boil the flesh" of the consecration ram in a holy place Leviticus 8:31. The word is also used figuratively, as in the prophecy of Joel where the harvest is "ripe" Joel 3:13, signaling a time of judgment. In a grim depiction of a city under siege, it describes the horrific act where "pitiful women have sodden their own children" Lamentations 4:10.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help define the scope of food preparation and ritual action in Scripture:

H644 'âphâh (to cook, especially to bake): This word is often used alongside H1310 to encompass all forms of cooking, as seen in the command for Sabbath preparation: "bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe" Exodus 16:23.
H6740 tsâlâh (to roast): This term is contrasted with boiling. In the context of a sacrifice, a priest's servant demands flesh to "roast," refusing "sodden" H1310 flesh 1 Samuel 2:15.
H2076 zâbach (to slaughter an animal (usually in sacrifice)): This action is a prerequisite for cooking meat. After Elisha returned from his calling, he "slew" a yoke of oxen and "boiled" H1310 their flesh for the people 1 Kings 19:21.
H5518 çîyr (a pot): This is the vessel used for boiling. Elisha instructs his servant to "Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage" for the sons of the prophets 2 Kings 4:38.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H1310 is demonstrated through its application in law and prophecy.

Ritual and Holiness: The word is integral to defining what is holy. The proper cooking of sacrifices, such as the Passover offering 2 Chronicles 35:13 and sin offerings Ezekiel 46:20, is a matter of religious law. The repeated prohibition, "Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk" Exodus 23:19, establishes a clear boundary for God's people.
Figurative Readiness: The concept of being "boiled" or "cooked" is used as a metaphor for being ready or complete. This is seen when grapes are described as "brought forth ripe" Genesis 40:10 and when the harvest is "ripe" Joel 3:13, indicating the time for action or judgment has arrived.
Consequences of Disobedience: In its most disturbing usage, H1310 illustrates the dire consequences of turning away from God. The act of boiling one's own child during a famine is a stark portrayal of judgment and desperation 2 Kings 6:29.

Summary

In summary, H1310 is a versatile word whose meaning extends far beyond the simple act of cooking. It defines methods of preparing food for both daily sustenance and sacred ceremony, playing a key role in the legal and ritual life of Israel. Figuratively, it serves as a powerful metaphor for ripeness, completion, and the terrible finality of divine judgment, demonstrating how a common domestic term can convey profound theological truths.

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 across 28 occurrences, inflected in 20 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.

תְבַשֵּׁל
בִשַּׁלְתָּ
בִשְּׁלוּ
בַּשֵּׁלוּ
יְבַשְּׁלוּ
בִּשְּׁלוּ
מְבֻשָּׁל
הִבְשִׁילוּ
נְּבַשֵּׁל
יְבַשְּׁלוּ
תְּבַשֵּׁל
בַשֵּׁל
תְּבַשְּׁלוּ
בַשֵּׁל
מְבַשְּׁלִים
בִּשְּׁלָ
תְּבֻשַּׁל
בֻּשָּׁלָה
בָּשְׁלוּ
בָשַׁל

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 24 verses across 14 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Exodus (5 verses); never once in the other 25.

Genesis

Exodus

Leviticus

Numbers

Deuteronomy

1 Samuel

2 Samuel

1 Kings

2 Kings

2 Chronicles

Lamentations

Ezekiel

Joel

Zechariah

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.