Bible Word Study
בֹּכִים
Bôkîym · Bo-kim, a place in Palestine
בֹּכִים
Bo-kim, a place in Palestine
Definition
Bokim (בֹּכִים) is a proper noun referring to a specific location in ancient Palestine, meaning 'the weepers.' It is the site where the Angel of the Lord rebuked the Israelites for their disobedience after Joshua's death, leading the people to weep and offer sacrifices (Judges 2:1-5). The name is derived from the Hebrew verb for weeping, directly commemorating the emotional event that occurred there. In the biblical narrative, Bokim serves as a geographical marker for a pivotal moment of covenant failure and repentance at the beginning of the Judges period.
Biblical Usage
This word is used exclusively in the Book of Judges, occurring only in Judges 2:1 and 2:5. It functions solely as a proper place name, given to a location near Gilgal where the Israelites received a divine rebuke. The context is entirely historical and geographical, with no metaphorical or varied usage elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Etymology
Bokim is the plural active participle of the root בָּכָה (bākâ, H1058), meaning 'to weep.' With the definite article (הַבֹּכִים), it literally translates as 'the weepers.' The name is not a pre-existing town name but was given on the spot to memorialize the Israelites' weeping after hearing the Angel of the Lord's message.
Semantic Range
Bokim is theologically significant as the site of a major covenant confrontation. It marks Israel's immediate failure to uphold the covenant after Joshua's generation, setting the stage for the cyclical pattern of sin, oppression, repentance, and deliverance in Judges. Understanding the name 'the weepers' enriches reading by highlighting the direct link between Israel's disobedience, God's rebuke, and their initial, though often short-lived, repentance. It underscores the seriousness of covenant faithfulness. In ancient Near Eastern culture, naming a location after a significant event was a common practice to preserve collective memory. The name 'Bokim' would have served as a lasting, geographical reminder for future generations of Israel's failure and the consequences of breaking their covenant with God. This differs from a modern understanding where place names often lose their original, descriptive meaning over time. There are no direct synonyms for this proper place name. However, the root verb is: בָּכָה (bākâ, H1058) — the common verb meaning 'to weep,' from which the name Bokim is derived.
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]