Bible Word Study
בַּרְקוֹס
Barqôwç · Barkos, one of the Nethimim
בַּרְקוֹס
Barkos, one of the Nethimim
Definition
Barqôs (בַּרְקוֹס) is a proper noun identifying an individual named Barkos, who is listed among the Nethinim (temple servants) in the post-exilic period. The name appears exclusively in two parallel census lists: Ezra 2:53 and Nehemiah 7:55, which record the families who returned from the Babylonian exile to Judah. As a Nethinim, Barkos would have been part of a hereditary class of temple assistants, performing duties to support the Levitical priests in worship. The name itself is of uncertain meaning, and no further narrative details about the person are provided in Scripture.
Biblical Usage
The word is used only as a proper name in the Old Testament, appearing in two identical administrative lists. It is found in the context of post-exilic restoration, specifically in the inventories of returning exiles compiled in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. The usage is purely genealogical and functional, identifying Barkos as the head of a family within the broader group of the Nethinim (Ezra 2:43-58; Nehemiah 7:46-60).
Etymology
The etymology of בַּרְקוֹס (Barqôs) is uncertain. Some scholars suggest it may be of foreign (non-Hebrew) origin, possibly Persian or Aramaic, which would be consistent with the exilic context. If derived from a Semitic root, a proposed connection is to the root בָּרַק (bāraq, H1300), meaning 'to flash, to lighten,' but this remains speculative. The name's meaning and linguistic derivation are not definitively known.
Semantic Range
As a Nethinim, Barkos belonged to a class of temple servants, likely originally assigned to the Levites for assisting in the tabernacle and temple (see Joshua 9:21-27; Ezra 8:20). Their role was one of humble, dedicated service in worship. The inclusion of his name in the post-exilic lists highlights the importance of every family and worker in the community's effort to restore proper worship and identity in Jerusalem after the exile. It reflects the biblical value of even those in supportive roles for the functioning of God's house. Nethinim (nᵉthînîm, H5411) — The class of temple servants to which Barkos belonged. Sherebiah (Šᵉrēḇyâ, H8274) — An example of a named Levite (Ezra 8:18), distinguished from the Nethinim who were a separate servant class.
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]