בֶּדֶק
a gap or leak (in a building or a ship)
Definition
The Hebrew noun בֶּדֶק (bedeq) refers to a breach, gap, or leak, specifically in a built structure. In its primary sense, it describes physical damage or deterioration in the walls of the Jerusalem Temple that required repair, as detailed in the account of King Joash's restoration project (2 Kings 12:5-12). A secondary, related meaning emerges in Ezekiel's oracle against Tyre, where the word is used metaphorically for leaks or breaches in the wooden hulls of ships (Ezekiel 27:9, 27). In both contexts, it signifies a flaw that compromises structural integrity and necessitates skilled work to mend.
Biblical Usage
בֶּדֶק is used exclusively in two contexts: the repair of the Jerusalem Temple and the description of ships. It appears six times in 2 Kings 12 (verses 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12) in the narrative about collecting funds and hiring workers to repair the Temple's breaches. It appears twice in Ezekiel 27 (verses 9 and 27), first describing the skilled 'calkers' (repairers of leaks) from Gebal who maintained Tyre's ships, and later describing the disastrous 'breaches' in those ships during their metaphorical shipwreck. The usage is consistently about identifying and fixing critical weaknesses.
Etymology
בֶּדֶק is a noun derived from the root verb בָּדַק (badaq, H918), which means 'to examine, inspect, or search out.' The semantic connection is clear: one must first 'inspect' (בָּדַק) a structure to find the 'breaches' (בֶּדֶק) that need repair. The word implies a flaw discovered through careful investigation.
Semantic Range
While primarily a practical term, בֶּדֶק carries theological weight in its Temple context. The meticulous repair of breaches in God's house (2 Kings 12) reflects the themes of covenant faithfulness, proper worship, and stewardship of sacred space. It illustrates the need for God's people to actively maintain the physical and spiritual conditions required for His presence. In Ezekiel 27, the 'breaches' in Tyre's ships become an image of divine judgment, where human strength and craftsmanship ultimately fail. Understanding this Hebrew term enriches the reading of these passages by connecting physical repair to spiritual responsibility and judgment.
In ancient Israelite culture, maintaining the Temple was a paramount religious and national duty. A breach (בֶּדֶק) in its walls was not merely a maintenance issue but a serious symbol of neglect towards God. For a maritime trading power like Tyre, a leak in a ship's hull was a direct threat to survival and wealth, making the skilled 'calkers' who repaired them (Ezekiel 27:9) highly valued specialists. The word captures critical vulnerabilities in two foundational pillars of society: religion and commerce.
פֶּרֶץ (perets, H6556) — a wider, more violent breach or break, often in city walls or social order. בְּקִיעַ (beqiaʿ, H1233) — a fissure or split, often in the ground or rocks.
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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