בַּחֲרוּמִי
a Bacharumite or inhabitant of Bachurim
Definition
בַּחֲרוּמִי (Bachărûwmîy) is a gentilic noun meaning 'a Bacharumite,' referring to an inhabitant of the place called Bachurim (בַּחֻרִים). The term identifies an individual by their town of origin, a common practice in ancient Israel for distinguishing people. It appears only once in the Bible, specifically describing Azmaveth the Baharumite, one of King David's mighty warriors listed in 1 Chronicles 11:33. As a proper noun, its meaning is fixed and does not vary across passages.
Biblical Usage
This word is used a single time in the Old Testament, in 1 Chronicles 11:33, within a list of David's 'mighty men' (גִּבֹּרִים). The context is purely genealogical and geographical, serving to identify Azmaveth by his hometown. There are no patterns of usage across different books or literary contexts, as it is a unique, place-based identifier.
Etymology
The word derives as a patrial (gentilic) noun from the place name בַּחֻרִים (Bachurim, H980), meaning 'Bachurim,' through a slight phonetic transposition. The root of the place name itself may be related to בָּחוּר (bachur, H970), meaning 'young man' or 'chosen one,' though the exact connection is uncertain. As a gentilic, it follows a standard Hebrew pattern for forming demonyms (e.g., adding the '-i' suffix).
Semantic Range
In ancient Israelite culture, identifying individuals by their hometown (e.g., 'the Bethlehemite,' 'the Gileadite') was a primary method of establishing identity, lineage, and social connection, especially in official lists like military rolls. The mention of Azmaveth as a 'Baharumite' places him within the network of towns loyal to David, highlighting the collective support from various regions for his kingdom. The location of Bachurim is uncertain but is traditionally associated with a site near Jerusalem.
No direct synonyms exist, but it follows the same grammatical pattern as other Hebrew gentilics: יְהוּדִי (Yehudi, H3064) — a Judahite or Jew; יִשְׂרְאֵלִי (Yisre'eli, H3478) — an Israelite.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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