What does בָּחִיר (bāḥiyr) mean in the Bible?
בָּחִיר (bāḥiyr): One chosen by divine selection for covenant role or office, emphasizing God's sovereign election
Hebrew · H972
בָּחִיר
Select
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Where it appears: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
This lexicon entry is part of our ongoing editorial review. If you notice missing content, unclear wording, or a possible correction, please send us a note through the Connect page. Screenshots are helpful.
בָּחִיר H972
Pronunciation bāḥiyr
What does בָּחִיר (bāḥiyr) mean in the Bible?
בָּחִיר (bāḥiyr): One chosen by divine selection for covenant role or office, emphasizing God's sovereign election
Full entry for בָּחִיר (H972) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H972?
The BSB source-word alignment has 13 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include His chosen ones (2), My Chosen One (2), and My chosen ones (1), for My chosen ones (1), His chosen (1).
Where does בָּחִיר (bāḥiyr) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at 2 Samuel 21:6. Its strongest book concentrations include Isaiah (6), Psalms (5), 1 Chronicles (1), 2 Samuel (1).
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 His chosen ones 2× 1 Chronicles 16:13, Psalms 105:6
My Chosen One 2× Isaiah 42:1, Isaiah 45:4
and My chosen ones 1× Isaiah 65:22
for My chosen ones 1× Isaiah 65:15
His chosen 1× Psalms 105:43
His chosen one 1× Psalms 106:23
My elect 1× Isaiah 65:9
of Your chosen ones 1× Psalms 106:5
the chosen 1× 2 Samuel 21:6
to My chosen 1× Isaiah 43:20
with My chosen one 1× Psalms 89:3
Show sample aligned rows
2 Samuel 21:6 בְּחִ֣יר to the chosen Adjective - masculine singular construct 1 Chronicles 16:13 בְּחִירָֽיו׃ to His chosen ones Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular Psalms 89:3 לִבְחִירִ֑י to with My chosen one Preposition-l | Adjective - masculine singular construct | first person common singular Psalms 105:6 בְּחִירָֽיו׃ to His chosen ones Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular Psalms 105:43 בְּחִירָֽיו׃ to His chosen Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular Psalms 106:5 בְּחִירֶ֗יךָ to of Your chosen ones Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular Psalms 106:23 בְחִיר֗וֹ to His chosen one Adjective - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Isaiah 42:1 בְּחִירִ֖י to My Chosen One Adjective - masculine singular construct | first person common singular Isaiah 43:20 בְחִירִֽי׃ to to My chosen Adjective - masculine singular construct | first person common singular Isaiah 45:4 בְּחִירִ֑י to My chosen one Adjective - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row 2 Samuel 21:6
Aligned rows 13
Books represented 4
2 Samuel 1 1 Chronicles 1 Psalms 5 Isaiah 6
Source forms
בְּחִירָֽיו׃ 3x bə·ḥî·rāw 1 Chronicles 16:13, Psalms 105:6, Psalms 105:43
בְּחִ֣יר 1x bə·ḥîr 2 Samuel 21:6
בְחִיר֗וֹ 1x ḇə·ḥî·rōw Psalms 106:23
בְחִירַ֔י 1x ḇə·ḥî·ray Isaiah 65:9
בְּחִירִ֖י 1x bə·ḥî·rî Isaiah 42:1
בְּחִירִ֑י 1x bə·ḥî·rî Isaiah 45:4
בְחִירִֽי׃ 1x ḇə·ḥî·rî Isaiah 43:20
בְחִירָֽי׃ 1x ḇə·ḥî·rāy Isaiah 65:22
Parsing patterns
Adjective - masculine singular construct | first person common singular 3x Isaiah 42:1, Isaiah 43:20, Isaiah 45:4
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular 3x 1 Chronicles 16:13, Psalms 105:6, Psalms 105:43
Adjective - masculine plural construct | first person common singular 2x Isaiah 65:9, Isaiah 65:22
Adjective - masculine singular construct 1x 2 Samuel 21:6
Adjective - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular 1x Psalms 106:23
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular 1x Psalms 106:5
Preposition-l | Adjective - masculine plural construct | first person common singular 1x Isaiah 65:15
Preposition-l | Adjective - masculine singular construct | first person common singular 1x Psalms 89:3
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. One chosen by divine selection for covenant role or office, emphasizing God's sovereign election
Source Gloss
select
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
One chosen by divine selection for covenant role or office, emphasizing God's sovereign election
select BDB: chosen Usage: choose, chosen one, elect.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
God's selection of a remnant from Jacob for preservation and blessing
Showing 1 selected witness from 13 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
בָּחִיר is built from this root:
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