What does בָּכָה (bākāh) mean in the Bible?
בָּכָה (bākāh): Weeping as audible, emotional expression of grief; often combines tears with vocal lamentation over loss or calamity.
Hebrew · H1058
בָּכָה
To weep ; generally to bemoan
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בָּכָה H1058
Pronunciation bākāh
What does בָּכָה (bākāh) mean in the Bible?
בָּכָה (bākāh): Weeping as audible, emotional expression of grief; often combines tears with vocal lamentation over loss or calamity.
Full entry for בָּכָה (H1058) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H1058?
The BSB source-word alignment has 114 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include wept (19), and wept (18), weeping (14), weep (7), . . . (4).
Where does בָּכָה (bākāh) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 21:16. Its strongest book concentrations include Genesis (16), 2 Samuel (15), 1 Samuel (10), Jeremiah (9).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It wept 19× Genesis 27:38, Genesis 37:35, Genesis 45:14, Genesis 50:1
and wept 18× Genesis 21:16, Genesis 29:11, Genesis 42:24, Genesis 45:14
weeping 14× Numbers 11:10, Judges 14:16, Judges 20:26, 2 Samuel 3:16
weep 7× 2 Samuel 1:24, Job 31:38, Isaiah 33:7, Jeremiah 22:10
. . . 4× Genesis 43:30, 1 Samuel 1:10, Jeremiah 22:10, Lamentations 1:2
and mourned 2× Deuteronomy 21:13, Judges 11:38
mourned 2× Genesis 50:3, Numbers 20:29
or weep 2× Nehemiah 8:9, Ezekiel 24:16
to weep 2× Genesis 43:30, Ecclesiastes 3:4
were weeping 2× Numbers 25:6, Nehemiah 8:9
and have cried out 1× Numbers 11:20
and mourn 1× Judges 11:37
And they both wept 1× Genesis 33:4
and to weep 1× Genesis 23:2
and weep 1× Joel 1:5
and weeping 1× Judges 21:2
and wept with many tears 1× 1 Samuel 1:10
are they weeping 1× 1 Samuel 11:5
are you crying 1× 1 Samuel 1:8
as he wept 1× Genesis 45:15
as they wept 1× Ruth 1:9
at all 1× Micah 1:10
began to weep 1× 2 Kings 8:11
do not weep 1× Micah 1:10
grieved 1× Deuteronomy 34:8
he wept 1× Hosea 12:4
I weep 1× Isaiah 16:9
I will weep 1× Jeremiah 48:32
I would weep 1× Jeremiah 9:1
is weeping 1× 2 Samuel 19:1
lament 1× Psalms 78:64
left to weep 1× 1 Samuel 30:4
may mourn [on account of] 1× Leviticus 10:6
more 1× Isaiah 30:19
of weeping 1× Job 30:31
She weeps aloud 1× Lamentations 1:2
She wept 1× Judges 14:17
Should I weep 1× Zechariah 7:3
They began to weep 1× Job 2:12
they keep crying out 1× Numbers 11:13
they wept 1× Ruth 1:14
They will weep 1× Ezekiel 27:31
until she wept 1× 1 Samuel 1:7
wailing 1× 2 Samuel 13:36
was crying 1× Exodus 2:6
was weeping 1× 2 Samuel 15:23
Weep bitterly 1× Jeremiah 22:10
weep for them 1× Job 27:15
wept bitterly 1× Ezra 10:1
will weep 1× Jeremiah 13:17
you have cried out 1× Numbers 11:18
you will weep 1× Isaiah 30:19
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 21:16 וַתֵּֽבְךְּ׃ to and wept Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular Genesis 23:2 וְלִבְכֹּתָֽהּ׃ to and to weep Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person feminine singular Genesis 27:38 וַיֵּֽבְךְּ׃ to wept Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Genesis 29:11 וַיֵּֽבְךְּ׃ to and wept Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Genesis 33:4 וַיִּבְכּֽוּ׃ to And they both wept Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Genesis 37:35 וַיֵּ֥בְךְּ to wept Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Genesis 42:24 וַיֵּ֑בְךְּ to and wept Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Genesis 43:30 לִבְכּ֑וֹת to . . . Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct Genesis 43:30 וַיֵּ֥בְךְּ to to weep Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Genesis 45:14 וַיֵּ֑בְךְּ to and wept Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 21:16
Aligned rows 114
Books represented 25
Genesis 16 Exodus 1 Leviticus 1 Numbers 8 Deuteronomy 3 Judges 8 Ruth 2 1 Samuel 10 2 Samuel 15 2 Kings 5 2 Chronicles 1 Ezra 3 Nehemiah 3 Esther 1 Job 5 Psalms 4 Ecclesiastes 1 Isaiah 5 Jeremiah 9 Lamentations 3 Ezekiel 4 Hosea 1 Joel 2 Micah 2 Zechariah 1
Source forms
וַיֵּ֥בְךְּ 7x way·yê·ḇək Genesis 37:35, Genesis 43:30, Genesis 46:29, Genesis 50:1
וַיֵּ֑בְךְּ 3x way·yê·ḇək Genesis 42:24, Genesis 45:14, 2 Samuel 18:33
וַיֵּֽבְךְּ׃ 3x way·yê·ḇək Genesis 27:38, Genesis 29:11, 1 Samuel 24:16
וַיִּבְכּ֑וּ 3x way·yiḇ·kū 1 Samuel 30:4, 2 Samuel 13:36, Job 2:12
וַיִּבְכּֽוּ׃ 3x way·yiḇ·kū Genesis 33:4, Judges 2:4, 1 Samuel 11:4
בָּכָ֖ה 2x bā·ḵāh Genesis 45:14, Hosea 12:4
בֹּכֶה֙ 2x bō·ḵeh Numbers 11:10, Ezra 10:1
וְאֶבְכֶּה֙ 2x wə·’eḇ·keh Judges 11:37, Jeremiah 9:1
Parsing patterns
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 17x Genesis 33:4, Genesis 50:3, Numbers 11:4, Numbers 14:1
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 17x Genesis 27:38, Genesis 29:11, Genesis 37:35, Genesis 42:24
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular 6x Genesis 21:16, Judges 11:38, Judges 14:16, Judges 14:17
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute 5x 1 Samuel 1:10, 2 Samuel 3:16, 2 Samuel 15:30, Psalms 126:6
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural 5x Numbers 25:6, 2 Samuel 15:23, Ezra 3:12, Nehemiah 8:9
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular 5x Exodus 2:6, Numbers 11:10, 2 Samuel 19:1, 2 Kings 8:12
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct 4x Genesis 43:30, 1 Samuel 30:4, 2 Samuel 3:34, Ecclesiastes 3:4
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural 4x Nehemiah 8:9, Jeremiah 22:10, Ezekiel 24:23, Micah 1:10
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Weeping as audible, emotional expression of grief; often combines tears with vocal lamentation over loss or calamity.
Strong's H1058
Lexical occurrences 116 verses Word forms 2 forms 46 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Isaiah 15:1-9 Source Gloss
to weep ; generally to bemoan
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Weeping as audible, emotional expression of grief; often combines tears with vocal lamentation over loss or calamity.
to weep; generally to bemoan BDB: weep Usage: × at all, bewail, complain, make lamentation, × more, mourn, × sore, × with tears, weep.
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 2 Aligned forms 46
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 42×
Imperfect 1Sam 1:10 · Jer 13:17 · Lam 1:2 · 1Sam 11:5 · Lev 10:6 · Num 11:13 · Ezek 24:16 · Isa 30:19 · Isa 16:9 · Jer 48:32 · Job 27:15 · Ps 78:64 · 1Sam 1:8 · Ezek 24:23 14×
Participle active 2Kgs 8:12 · 2Sam 15:23 · 2Sam 19:2 · Exod 2:6 · Ezra 3:12 · Ezra 10:1 · Job 30:31 · Lam 1:16 · Neh 8:9 · Num 11:10 · Num 25:6 11×
Perfect 2Sam 13:36 · Ezra 10:1 · Gen 45:14 · Hos 12:5 · Job 30:25 · Num 11:18 · Ps 137:1 7×
Infinitive absolute Isa 30:19 · Jer 22:10 · Lam 1:2 · Mic 1:10 4×
Jussive Jer 22:10 · Mic 1:10 · Neh 8:9 · Joel 2:17 4×
Sequential imperfect 2Sam 1:24 · Jer 22:10 2×
Piel intensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action 2×
Participle active Ezek 8:14 · Jer 31:15 2×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
To cry or lament with grief.
Showing 1 selected witness from 116 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
בָּכָה is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Why This Word Matters
The repeated weeping emphasizes the depth and breadth of Moab’s devastation. Isaiah 15:1-9
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain