Lexical Summary baqbuq: jar Original Word: בַּקְבֻּק Strong's Exhaustive Concordance bottle, cruse From baqaq; a bottle (from the gurgling in emptying) -- bottle, cruse. see HEBREW baqaq NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom baqaq Definition a flask NASB Translation jar (3). Brown-Driver-Briggs בַּקְבֻּק noun [masculine] flask (from gurgling sound of emptyIng, compare Arabic  gurgling sound; also Syriac  , cantharus, etc.) — absolute בַּקְבֻּק Jeremiah 19:10; construct id. 1 Kings 14:3; Jeremiah 19:1. Topical Lexicon Physical description and everyday function The בַּקְבּוּק was a narrow-necked earthenware bottle, typically wheel-thrown, hardened in a kiln, and sealed with pitch or cloth. Its shape limited evaporation and spillage, making it ideal for transporting precious liquids—oil, wine, honey, or even perfumed ointments—on journeys or into the sanctuary. The vessel’s hollow echo when emptied gave rise to its onomatopoetic name, and ancient shards bearing long, tapering necks from Iron Age strata in Israel match the biblical picture. Occurrences and literary context • 1 Kings 14:3 presents the first occurrence when Jeroboam instructs his wife to carry “a jar of honey” to the prophet Ahijah. The vessel is part of a humble gift offered in hope of receiving a favorable oracle for their sick son. These three scenes frame the בַּקְבּוּק as first a messenger’s gift and then an instrument of prophetic judgment. Historical background of ceramic bottles in ancient Israel From the Late Bronze through the Iron Age, Judean potters produced peg-shaped flasks with capacities ranging from one-half to one liter. They were inexpensive, ubiquitous, and often labeled with the owner’s seal impression. When broken, the clay could not be mended to hold liquid pressure, so an intact bottle represented integrity, while a shattered one signified final ruin. Such cultural expectations underlie Jeremiah’s sign-act. Theological significance in 1 Kings 14:3 Jeroboam’s choice of a modest בַּקְבּוּק rather than a lavish vessel underscores the emptiness of ritual without obedience. The king who engineered idolatrous calves (1 Kings 12:28–30) resorts to outward tokens—loaves, cakes, honey—instead of repentance. The narrative contrasts a fragile earthen bottle with the unchanging word of the LORD that exposes sin and predicts judgment (1 Kings 14:7–16). The scene anticipates later prophetic usage where the vessel itself becomes the sermon. Prophetic symbolism in Jeremiah 19 Jeremiah’s flask represents Judah under divine formation: once malleable in the hands of the potter (Jeremiah 18:6), now fired and brittle. Its public shattering in the Valley of Ben-Hinnom enacts the irreversible consequences of persistent covenant breaking—“just as one shatters a potter’s vessel, so it can never be repaired” (Jeremiah 19:11). The chosen valley, infamous for child sacrifice, accentuates the gravity of sin, and the acoustic shock of clay bursting drives the message into the elders’ memories. The בַּקְבּוּק thus becomes a visual parable of finality: mercy spurned leads to inescapable ruin. Ministry applications 1. Visible illustrations: Jeremiah’s use of a commonplace bottle encourages modern teachers to harness tangible objects that anchor truth in the senses. Christological and redemptive themes The contrast between a fragile בַּקְבּוּק and the person of Christ is striking. Whereas the flask, once broken, cannot be repaired, the Savior’s body was broken so that others might be made whole (Luke 22:19; 1 Peter 2:24). Jeremiah’s shattered bottle proclaims judgment; the broken bread proclaims redemption. Believers—“jars of clay” (2 Corinthians 4:7)—carry the treasure of the gospel, showing that the surpassing power is from God, not from themselves. In Christ, the finality of wrath portrayed in Jeremiah is satisfied, offering restoration where the old bottle foretold only ruin. Key truths for believers • External piety without repentance is as hollow as an empty bottle. Forms and Transliterations בַקְבֻּ֖ק בקבק הַבַּקְבֻּ֑ק הבקבק וּבַקְבֻּ֥ק ובקבק ḇaq·buq ḇaqbuq hab·baq·buq habbakBuk habbaqbuq ū·ḇaq·buq ūḇaqbuq uvakBuk vakBukLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Kings 14:3 HEB: לֶ֧חֶם וְנִקֻּדִ֛ים וּבַקְבֻּ֥ק דְּבַ֖שׁ וּבָ֣את NAS: with you, [some] cakes and a jar of honey, KJV: and cracknels, and a cruse of honey, INT: loaves you cakes jar of honey and go Jeremiah 19:1 Jeremiah 19:10 3 Occurrences |
    |