Word Study for H1321 (בְּשַׁר)

bᵉshar /bes-ar'/ Ask about this word

Root(Aramaic) corresponding to בָּשָׂר

Meaning(flesh (from its freshness); by extension, body, person; also (by euphemistically) the pudenda of aman)

KJV usageflesh.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of bᵉshar — 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 Aramaic word bᵉshar, represented by H1321, means flesh. It is a specific term appearing only 3 times in 3 unique verses in the book of Daniel. Its base definition refers to flesh, and by extension, the body or a person.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical appearances, H1321 is used to describe the physical nature of beings. It draws a clear line between the divine and the mortal, stating that the gods' dwelling is not with flesh Daniel 2:11. The term is also used in a literal sense, as when a beast resembling a bear is commanded to "devour much flesh" Daniel 7:5. Furthermore, it can encompass all living creatures, as seen in the vision of a great tree that provided food for "all flesh" Daniel 4:12.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related Aramaic words provide context for the concept of physical life and sustenance:

H2423 chêyvâʼ (beast): This word, defined as an animal, is directly associated with bᵉshar. In Daniel's visions, beasts are the entities that interact with flesh, such as the bear commanded to devour it Daniel 7:5 and the beasts of the field that are fed alongside "all flesh" Daniel 4:12.
H4203 mâzôwn (meat): This term for food appears in the same context as bᵉshar, describing the provision from the great tree in the vision, where "in it was meat for all" Daniel 4:12.
H4 ʼêb (fruit): Also found in the vision of the great tree, this word describes the fruit that serves as the source of nourishment for all flesh Daniel 4:12.

Theological Significance

The use of H1321 carries specific thematic weight within the book of Daniel:

Mortal vs. Divine: The word establishes a fundamental distinction between the physical, earthly realm of flesh and the non-physical realm of the divine. The gods are defined by their dwelling not being with flesh Daniel 2:11.
Universal Sustenance: bᵉshar is used to represent the entirety of living, breathing creatures that depend on creation for food. The vision of the great tree providing for "all flesh" illustrates a theme of universal provision Daniel 4:12.
Object of Consumption: In the context of prophetic visions, flesh can represent that which is conquered or consumed by worldly powers, symbolized by the command for the beast to "devour much flesh" Daniel 7:5.

Summary

In summary, H1321 bᵉshar is a concise but significant Aramaic term for flesh. Though appearing only three times, it effectively delineates the mortal world from the divine, represents the collective body of living creatures in need of sustenance, and serves as a symbol of consumption within the prophetic imagery of Daniel. Its meaning is tied directly to the physical, tangible nature of life on earth.

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 noun across 3 occurrences, inflected in 2 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.

בִּשְׂרָ
בְּשַׂר

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

3 verses, all in Daniel — and none of the other 38 Old Testament books.

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.