Bible Word Study
בָּעֲרָא
Bâʻărâʼ · Baara, an Israelitish woman
בָּעֲרָא
Baara, an Israelitish woman
Definition
Baara is the name of an Israelite woman mentioned only once in the Bible. She is listed as one of the wives of Shaharaim, a man from the tribe of Benjamin, as recorded in 1 Chronicles 8:8. The name itself, derived from the Hebrew root meaning 'to burn' or 'to be brutish,' is not elaborated upon in the narrative. Her inclusion appears to be purely genealogical, serving to document the lineage and family connections within the tribe of Benjamin during the post-exilic period when Chronicles was compiled.
Biblical Usage
The word is used exclusively as a proper noun in 1 Chronicles 8:8. It occurs within a detailed genealogical list of the tribe of Benjamin. The context is purely historical and record-keeping, with no narrative story or action associated with her. The pattern of usage is consistent with other minor personal names in the Chronicler's genealogies, which aim to establish continuity and identity for the returning Israelite community.
Etymology
The name Baara (בָּעֲרָא) is a feminine form derived from the root בַּעַר (ba'ar, H1198), which primarily means 'to burn' or 'to consume.' By extension, it can carry the sense of 'to be brutish' or 'foolish,' implying a lack of understanding. It is related to the noun בְּעֵרָה (be'erah, H1197), meaning 'a burning.' The name likely reflects a characteristic or circumstance, though the specific reason for its application to this individual is not explained in the biblical text.
Semantic Range
In ancient Israelite culture, names often held significant meaning, reflecting circumstances of birth, parental hopes, or perceived character traits. While the meaning of Baara's name ('brutish' or 'burning') might seem negative to modern readers, it does not necessarily imply a moral judgment on the person in the biblical record. Her inclusion in a sacred genealogy underscores the biblical value placed on every individual within the covenant community, no matter how briefly mentioned, as part of God's ongoing story with His people.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]