Lexical Summary baat: To terrify, to startle, to dismay Original Word: בָּעַט Strong's Exhaustive Concordance kick A primitive root; to trample down, i.e. (figuratively) despise -- kick. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to kick NASB Translation kick (1), kicked (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [בָּעַט] verb kick (so Late Hebrew, Aramaic בְּעַט,  ) — Qal Imperfect וַיִּבְעַט Deuteronomy 32:15; 2masculine plural תִּבְעֲטוּ 1 Samuel 2:29; — kick (only figurative of refractory Israel) Deuteronomy 32:15 (absolute); kick at (with בְּ) 1 Samuel 2:29. בְּעִי Job 30:24 see עִי. Topical Lexicon Overview Rare in Scripture but rich in meaning, this Hebrew verb portrays a willful, contemptuous “kicking” against what God graciously provides. Its two occurrences frame a repeated pattern in Israel’s history: prosperity leading to arrogance, arrogance to disdain, and disdain to divine judgment. Biblical Usage • Deuteronomy 32:15 – “But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; filled with food, he became heavy and sleek. Then he abandoned the God who made him and scorned the Rock of his salvation.” In both texts the verb is metaphorical, pairing physical insolence (“kicked,” “scorn”) with spiritual revolt. The action is not merely rejection but aggressive repudiation of the covenantal grace that had produced Israel’s blessing. Historical-Cultural Backdrop In Deuteronomy, Moses sings on the plains of Moab, foretelling Israel’s future prosperity in Canaan. The imagery of a well-fed animal that “kicks” evokes pastoral life: an ox, once nourished, striking its benefactor. In 1 Samuel, the setting is Shiloh’s sanctuary under Eli. His sons treat the sacrificial system as a private buffet, “kicking at” the Lord’s ordained worship. Both contexts expose contempt that arises when religious privilege is divorced from reverence. Theological Significance 1. Rebellion against beneficence: Sin here is not ignorance but calculated repudiation of the very source of blessing (cf. Romans 2:4). Ministry and Practical Application • Pastoral admonition: Prosperity ministries must remind the flock that gifts are stewardship, not entitlement (1 Timothy 6:17-19). Intertextual Echoes • Acts 26:14—Saul hears, “It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” While Greek, the idiom resonates with the same rebellious kicking. Related Themes for Further Study Rebellion; Ingratitude; Divine discipline; Sacrilege; Prosperity and pride; Covenant fidelity; Priestly responsibility Forms and Transliterations וַיִּבְעָ֔ט ויבעט תִבְעֲט֗וּ תבעטו ṯiḇ‘ăṭū ṯiḇ·‘ă·ṭū tivaTu vaiyivAt way·yiḇ·‘āṭ wayyiḇ‘āṭLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Deuteronomy 32:15 HEB: וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ן יְשֻׁרוּן֙ וַיִּבְעָ֔ט שָׁמַ֖נְתָּ עָבִ֣יתָ NAS: fat and kicked-- You are grown fat, KJV: waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, INT: grew Jeshurun and kicked fat thick 1 Samuel 2:29 2 Occurrences |
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