What does בָּקַע (bāqaʿ) mean in the Bible?
בָּקַע (bāqaʿ): Violent or forceful opening: splitting asunder by external force or internal pressure, often sudden.
Hebrew · H1234
בָּקַע
To cleave ; generally, to rend , break , rip or open
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בָּקַע H1234
Pronunciation bāqaʿ
What does בָּקַע (bāqaʿ) mean in the Bible?
בָּקַע (bāqaʿ): Violent or forceful opening: splitting asunder by external force or internal pressure, often sudden.
Full entry for בָּקַע (H1234) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H1234?
The BSB source-word alignment has 51 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include He split (4), was breached (3), and divide it (2), broke (2), split open (2).
Where does בָּקַע (bāqaʿ) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 7:11. Its strongest book concentrations include Isaiah (8), 2 Kings (5), Ezekiel (5), Psalms (4).
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 He split 4× Genesis 22:3, Psalms 78:13, Psalms 78:15, Isaiah 48:21
was breached 3× 2 Kings 25:4, Jeremiah 39:2, Jeremiah 52:7
and divide it 2× Exodus 14:16, Isaiah 7:6
broke 2× 2 Samuel 23:16, 1 Chronicles 11:18
split open 2× Numbers 16:31, Ezekiel 30:16
a breached 1× Ezekiel 26:10
and breaks up 1× Psalms 141:7
and hatch her eggs 1× Isaiah 34:15
and he who splits 1× Ecclesiastes 10:9
and mauled 1× 2 Kings 2:24
and rip open 1× 2 Kings 8:12
and ripped open 1× 2 Kings 15:16
broke open 1× Psalms 74:15
burst 1× Job 26:8
burst forth 1× Genesis 7:11
cracked 1× Joshua 9:4
He hews out 1× Job 28:10
I will release 1× Ezekiel 13:13
invaded it 1× 2 Chronicles 21:17
is hatched 1× Isaiah 59:5
it is about to burst 1× Job 32:19
opened up 1× Judges 15:19
tearing 1× Ezekiel 29:7
tearing them apart 1× Hosea 13:8
The people chopped up 1× 1 Samuel 6:14
they are cracked 1× Joshua 9:13
They hatch 1× Isaiah 59:5
they ripped open 1× Amos 1:13
to break through 1× 2 Kings 3:26
to conquer them 1× 2 Chronicles 32:1
was split 1× 1 Kings 1:40
were broken open 1× Proverbs 3:20
were dashed to pieces 1× 2 Chronicles 25:12
were divided 1× Exodus 14:21
who divided 1× Isaiah 63:12
will be split 1× Zechariah 14:4
will break forth 1× Isaiah 58:8
will burst forth 1× Ezekiel 13:11
will gush forth 1× Isaiah 35:6
will split apart 1× Micah 1:4
women ripped open 1× Hosea 13:16
You divided 1× Nehemiah 9:11
You split 1× Habakkuk 3:9
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 7:11 נִבְקְעוּ֙ to burst forth Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural Genesis 22:3 וַיְבַקַּע֙ to He split Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Exodus 14:16 וּבְקָעֵ֑הוּ to and divide it Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | third person masculine singular Exodus 14:21 וַיִּבָּקְע֖וּ to were divided Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Numbers 16:31 וַתִּבָּקַ֥ע to split open Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular Joshua 9:4 וּמְבֻקָּעִ֖ים to cracked Conjunctive waw | Verb - Pual - Participle - masculine plural Joshua 9:13 הִתְבַּקָּ֑עוּ to they are cracked Verb - Hitpael - Perfect - third person common plural Judges 15:19 וַיִּבְקַ֨ע to opened up Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 1 Samuel 6:14 וַֽיְבַקְּעוּ֙ to The people chopped up Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 2 Samuel 23:16 וַיִּבְקְעוּ֩ to broke Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 7:11
Aligned rows 51
Books represented 24
Genesis 2 Exodus 2 Numbers 1 Joshua 2 Judges 1 1 Samuel 1 2 Samuel 1 1 Kings 1 2 Kings 5 1 Chronicles 1 2 Chronicles 3 Nehemiah 1 Job 3 Psalms 4 Proverbs 1 Ecclesiastes 1 Isaiah 8 Jeremiah 2 Ezekiel 5 Hosea 2 Amos 1 Micah 1 Habakkuk 1 Zechariah 1
Source forms
וַתִּבָּקַ֥ע 2x wat·tib·bā·qa‘ Numbers 16:31, 1 Kings 1:40
וַתִּבָּקַ֣ע 2x wat·tib·bā·qa‘ 2 Kings 25:4, Jeremiah 52:7
תְּבַקֵּֽעַ׃ 2x tə·ḇaq·qê·a‘ 2 Kings 8:12, Ezekiel 13:11
בּוֹקֵ֥עַ 1x bō·w·qê·a‘ Ecclesiastes 10:9
בּ֤וֹקֵֽעַ 1x bō·w·qê·a‘ Isaiah 63:12
בִּקֵּ֑עַ 1x biq·qê·a‘ Job 28:10
בָּ֣קַע 1x bā·qa‘ Psalms 78:13
בִּקֵּֽעַ׃פ 1x biq·qê·a‘ 2 Kings 15:16
Parsing patterns
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular 4x Numbers 16:31, 1 Kings 1:40, 2 Kings 25:4, Jeremiah 52:7
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural 4x Genesis 7:11, 2 Chronicles 25:12, Proverbs 3:20, Isaiah 35:6
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 2x 2 Samuel 23:16, 1 Chronicles 11:18
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 2x Judges 15:19, Isaiah 48:21
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 2x Job 32:19, Isaiah 58:8
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine singular 2x 2 Kings 8:12, Habakkuk 3:9
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular 2x 2 Kings 15:16, Job 28:10
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular 2x Ecclesiastes 10:9, Isaiah 63:12
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Violent or forceful opening: splitting asunder by external force or internal pressure, often sudden.
Source Gloss
to cleave ; generally, to rend , break , rip or open
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Violent or forceful opening: splitting asunder by external force or internal pressure, often sudden.
to cleave; generally, to rend, break, rip or open BDB: cleave Usage: make a breach, break forth (into, out, in pieces, through, up), be ready to burst, cleave (asunder), cut out, divide, hatch, rend (asunder), rip up, tear, win.
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 6 Aligned forms 25
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 7×
Perfect 2Chr 25:12 · Gen 7:11 · Isa 35:6 · Prov 3:20 · Job 26:8 5×
Imperfect Isa 58:8 · Job 32:19 2×
Piel intensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action 7×
Imperfect 2Kgs 8:12 · Hab 3:9 · Ezek 13:11 · Ps 78:15 4×
Perfect 2Kgs 15:16 · Job 28:10 · Isa 59:5 3×
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 6×
Perfect Neh 9:11 · Ps 74:15 · Ps 78:13 3×
Participle active Eccl 10:9 · Isa 63:12 2×
Imperfect Isa 59:5 1×
Pual intensive passive — intensive action received by the subject 2×
Participle passive Ezek 26:10 1×
Imperfect Hos 14:1 1×
Hophal causative passive — the subject is caused to perform the action 1×
Perfect Jer 39:2 1×
Hithpael reflexive or reciprocal — the subject acts on itself or mutually with others 2×
Perfect Josh 9:13 1×
Imperfect Mic 1:4 1×
Word Origins
בָּקַע is a primitive root - no further derivation.
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