[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/biblical-hebrew/%D7%91%D7%9B%D7%90/)

[dictionaries](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [Biblical Hebrew](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/biblical-hebrew/) / [ב](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/biblical-hebrew/bet/)‎ / בָּכָא‎

# בָּכָא

Biblical Hebrew · Strong's H1057

**balsam-tree** — used 4 times in the Hebrew Bible. Below: its meanings with their sources, MACULA's glosses, and 2 verses word for word and in JPS 1917.

## Meaning

### OpenScriptures lexical index

balsam-tree [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1489/1057/#m1)

### Brown–Driver–Briggs 1906

בָּכָא: balsam-tree [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1489/1057/#m2)

**The whole BDB entry:** n.\[m.\] balsam-tree (v. Arabic بَكْأٌ DozyZMG 1869, 188 but LöwNo. 47; according to TA like جرجير, an eruca, cf. Lane s.v.; perhaps cf. بَكَأَ give little milk, of camel, i.e. drop, drip); pl. בְּכָאִים 2 S 5:23, 24 = 1 Ch 14:14, 15; sg. in עֵמֶק הַבָּכָא ψ 84:7 balsam-vale, cf. De Che.

Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 4 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (1 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 2 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (2 candidates)

## Glosses

MACULA's English glosses of the word in the text, with how often each is used: the balsam trees (2); \[the\] balsam trees (1); trees (1).

## In the verses

[2 Samuel 5:23](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/2SA.5.23/) · [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/2SA.5.23/#tree)

וַיִּשְׁאַ֤ל דָּוִד֙ בַּֽיהוָ֔ה וַיֹּ֖אמֶר לֹ֣א תַעֲלֶ֑ה הָסֵב֙ אֶל־אַ֣חֲרֵיהֶ֔ם וּבָ֥אתָ לָהֶ֖ם מִמּ֥וּל בְּכָאִֽים׃

*Word for word:* and he.enquired David by Yahweh and he.said not you.must.go.up go.around to behind them and you.will.come to them from in.front.of \[the\].balsam.trees

*JPS 1917:* And when David inquired of the LORD, He said: 'Thou shalt not go up; make a circuit behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry-trees.

[2 Samuel 5:24](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/2SA.5.24/) · [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/2SA.5.24/#tree)

וִ֠יהִי כְּֽשָׁמְעֲךָ֞ אֶת־ק֧וֹל צְעָדָ֛ה בְּרָאשֵׁ֥י הַבְּכָאִ֖ים אָ֣ז תֶּחֱרָ֑ץ כִּ֣י אָ֗ז יָצָ֤א יְהוָה֙ לְפָנֶ֔יךָ לְהַכּ֖וֹת בְּמַחֲנֵ֥ה פְלִשְׁתִּֽים׃

*Word for word:* and let.it.be just as you.hear (et) \[the\].sound of.marching in the.tops of the.balsam.trees then you.will.act.decisively (dm) then he.has.gone.out Yahweh before you to attack (in).the camp of.\[the\].Philistines

*JPS 1917:* And it shall be, when thou hearest the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry-trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself; for then is the LORD gone out before thee to smite the host of the Philistines.'

## On Mova

- [This word in the Tanakh dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/1057.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of its meanings](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1489/1057/): every English meaning parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.

Sources. The words, their counts, glosses and the word-for-word renderings: MACULA Hebrew (the Westminster Leningrad Codex; Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0). Meanings: the OpenScriptures lexical index (CC BY 4.0), Brown–Driver–Briggs 1906 and Jastrow 1903 (public domain, via Sefaria); Targum Onkelos from Sefaria (public domain). Translation: JPS 1917 (public domain, from eBible.org).