Lexical Summary beki: Weeping, crying Original Word: בְּכִי Strong's Exhaustive Concordance overflowing, sore, continual weeping, wept From bakah; a weeping; by analogy, a dripping -- overflowing, X sore, (continual) weeping, wept. see HEBREW bakah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom bakah Definition a weeping NASB Translation bitterly (1), bitterly* (3), continual weeping (1), flowing (1), tears (1), weep (2), weeping (19), wept* (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs בְּכִי noun masculineJudges 21:2 weeping — בְּכִי Judges 21:2 20t. (also construct Deuteronomy 34:8, etc.); בִּבְכִ֑י Genesis 45:2; בֶּ֑כִי Isaiah 15:2 6t.; suffix בִּכְִיי֑ Psalm 6:9; — weeping Psalm 30:6; Isaiah 15:2,5; as accusative of congnate meaning with verb (with בכה) Judges 21:2; 2 Samuel 13:36; 2 Kings 20:3 = Isaiah 38:3 compare Isaiah 16:9 (בבכי) Jeremiah 48:32 (מבכי); audible ׳קול ב Psalm 6:9; Isaiah 65:19; Ezra 3:13 compare Jeremiah 3:21; Jeremiah 31:16; Isaiah 15:3 (ייליל יֹרֵד בבכי see Jeremiah 9:17); so also Genesis 45:2 (׳ויתן אתקֿלו בב) & Jeremiah 48:5 (בבכי יעלה בכי i.e. the sound of it shall ascend) — but text here suspicious, compare Isaiah 15:5; as disfiguring Job 16:16; "" words of mourning Esther 4:3 (אֵבֶל, צוֺם, מִסְמֵּד), Jeremiah 31:9 (תחנונים compare Jeremiah 3:21), Jeremiah 9:10; Jeremiah 31:15 (נהי), compare בכי אבל משׁהDeuteronomy 34:8 & Di on the passage; cotrition (humiliation) Joel 2:12 (צום, מִסְמֵּד), Isaiah 22:12 (מספד, קרחה, חגור שׂק), compare Malachi 2:13 (אנקה, דמעה); of bitter weeping Isaiah 22:4 אֲמָרֵר בַּבֶּ֑כִי, compare Jeremiah 31:15 (& Isaiah 33:7); בכי יעזר Isaiah 16:9; Jeremiah 48:32 i.e. Ya`zer in Moab, compare יעזר proper name; Psalm 102:10 (מסכתי ׳שׁקוי בב compare Psalm 42:4; Psalm 80:6 & Babylonian dîmtu maštîtî, tears (were) my drink ZimBP 34, 42). Trop., of trickling streams (נהרות) in mines — hindrance to miners Job 28:11. Topical Lexicon Scope and OccurrenceThe noun בְּכִי appears twenty-eight times across the Old Testament, from Genesis to Malachi. In every setting it conveys audible, visible sorrow—“weeping” that is never superficial but springs from deep emotion. Its distribution embraces individual lament (e.g., Joseph, David, Job), communal crisis (Israel in exile, Judah under threat), prophetic warnings, and ritual mourning. By surveying these contexts, one sees how Scripture treats human grief, how God attends to it, and how redemptive hope ultimately rises through it. Personal Grief in Narrative 1. Joseph’s disclosure – Genesis 45:2 records, “He wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it,” underscoring how reconciliation with estranged brothers releases years of pent-up emotion. Corporate Mourning • Flight from Absalom – “All the land wept aloud as all the people passed by” (2 Samuel 15:23). National sorrow erupts when the king’s sin bears public consequences. • Persian diaspora – “There was great mourning among the Jews, fasting, weeping, and wailing” (Esther 4:3). A death decree bonds scattered exiles into unified lament. • Captivity and exile – In Jeremiah 31:9 the returning remnant comes “weeping,” yet guided by streams of grace. Tears accompany both judgment and restoration. Prophetic Lamentation and Warning Prophets often summon the nation to tears. Isaiah 22:12 declares, “The Lord GOD of Hosts called for weeping and wailing,” exposing a people who chose revelry instead. Isaiah 30:19 promises that “people will weep no more” when they finally respond to God’s voice. Jeremiah 3:21; 9:10, and Micah 1:10 alike portray mourning that either anticipates repentance or announces inevitable judgment. Ritual and Liturgical Contexts Bekî joins fasting, sackcloth, and ashes in communal rites (Esther 4:3; Jeremiah 31:16). Psalm 6:8 affirms that “the LORD has heard my weeping,” integrating tears into temple worship as legitimate offerings God receives. Psalm 102:9 depicts tears literally mingling with one’s drink, confirming that lament shapes Israel’s hymnody. Divine Response to Human Weeping Scripture repeatedly testifies that God notices beki: • “The LORD has heard my weeping” (Psalm 6:8). Tears therefore invite either comfort or correction, depending on the worshiper’s heart. Weeping Turned to Joy While beki underscores sorrow, several passages place it on a trajectory toward rejoicing. Jeremiah 31:9–13 links tears with the “new covenant” joy soon announced in Jeremiah 31:31–34. Psalm 30:5 (verbally related) balances “weeping may stay the night, but joy comes in the morning.” Such pairing anticipates the ultimate promise that “He will wipe away every tear” (Revelation 21:4), showing canonical harmony between Old and New Testaments. Ministry Implications 1. Pastoral empathy – Romans 12:15 exhorts, “Weep with those who weep.” The Old Testament precedent legitimizes tears in pastoral presence rather than hurried consolation. Summary Bekî threads through Scripture as a sign of brokenness and longing. Whether shed by patriarchs, kings, prophets, or the covenant community, these tears matter to God. They expose human frailty, invite divine compassion, and often herald transformative joy. Understanding the biblical theology of beki equips believers to honor grief, nurture repentance, and anticipate the day when the last tear will indeed be wiped away. Forms and Transliterations בְּכִ֖י בְּכִ֣י בְּכִ֥י בְכִ֖י בְכִ֣י בִּבְכִ֑י בִּבְכִ֖י בִּבְכִ֣י בִּבְכִ֤י בִּבְכִ֥י בִּבְכִי֙ בִּכְיִֽי׃ בֶ֑כִי בֶּ֑כִי בֶּ֗כִי בַּבֶּ֑כִי בַּבֶּֽכִי׃ בבכי בבכי׃ בכי בכיי׃ וּבְבְכִ֖י וּבְכִ֖י ובבכי ובכי לְבֶ֑כִי לִבְכִי֙ לבכי מִ֭בְּכִי מִבְּכִ֨י מִבֶּ֔כִי מבכי bab·be·ḵî babBechi babbeḵî be·ḵî bə·ḵî ḇe·ḵî ḇə·ḵî beChi beḵî bəḵî ḇeḵî ḇəḵî biḇ·ḵî biḇḵî bichYi biḵ·yî biḵyî bivChi lə·ḇe·ḵî ləḇeḵî leVechi liḇ·ḵî liḇḵî livChi mib·be·ḵî mib·bə·ḵî Mibbechi mibbeḵî mibbəḵî ū·ḇə·ḇə·ḵî ū·ḇə·ḵî ūḇəḇəḵî ūḇəḵî uveChi uveveChi veChiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 45:2 HEB: אֶת־ קֹל֖וֹ בִּבְכִ֑י וַיִּשְׁמְע֣וּ מִצְרַ֔יִם INT: aloud loudly overflowing heard Egyptian Deuteronomy 34:8 Judges 21:2 2 Samuel 13:36 Ezra 3:13 Esther 4:3 Job 16:16 Job 28:11 Psalm 6:8 Psalm 30:5 Psalm 102:9 Isaiah 15:2 Isaiah 15:3 Isaiah 15:5 Isaiah 16:9 Isaiah 22:4 Isaiah 22:12 Isaiah 65:19 Jeremiah 3:21 Jeremiah 9:10 Jeremiah 31:9 Jeremiah 31:15 Jeremiah 31:16 Jeremiah 48:5 Jeremiah 48:5 28 Occurrences |
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