Lexical Summary Bul: Bul Original Word: בּוּל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Bul The same as buwl (in the sense of rain); Bul, the eighth Hebrew month -- Bul. see HEBREW buwl NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain derivation Definition the eighth month of the Jewish calendar NASB Translation Bul (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs I. בּוּל noun [masculine] Bul, 8th month = Marcheswan, Assyrian Ara— samna, 1 Kings 6:38 בְּיֶרַח בּוּל הוּא הַחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁמִינִי; (Canaanitish; Phoenician ירח בל; a Palmyrene god is בול (in proper name עבדבול, Vog93 זבדבול etc.) & ירחבול (Vog93, moon-god), which DHMBer. Wien. Akkadian cviii. 977 connects with Hebrew בּוּל; BaeRel 87 f. (q. v.) thinks = בעל, compare Thesp. 560). Topical Lexicon Calendrical Placement and Seasonal Setting Bul designates the eighth month of the ancient Hebrew calendar, corresponding roughly to the latter part of modern October and the first part of November. By this time the early rains of autumn had softened the soil after the long dry season, inaugurating a new agricultural cycle of plowing and sowing (Psalm 65:9–10). In the civil reckoning that began with Tishri, Bul marked the second month; in the religious year that began with Nisan, it stood eighth, hence its description in 1 Kings 6:38. Connection to the Construction of Solomon’s Temple The single biblical occurrence of Bul is tied to the completion of Solomon’s Temple: “In the eleventh year, in the month of Bul (the eighth month), the house was finished in all its parts and according to all its specifications. So he spent seven years building it” (1 Kings 6:38). This verse situates the finishing of the Temple during the early rainy season, a time when agricultural activity paused and skilled labor could concentrate upon sacred architecture. The timing underscores several truths: 1. Divine order: The project that began in Ziv (the second month, 1 Kings 6:1) closed in Bul, framing the work within the agricultural year and highlighting God’s sovereignty over times and seasons. Agricultural and Climatic Significance The root behind Bul suggests “produce” or “rain.” Autumn rains revive the parched land, and fresh shoots begin to appear in fields and orchards. By naming the month Bul, Israel testified that God “crowns the year with His bounty” (Psalm 65:11). The link between heavens opening and Temple completion powerfully associates sanctuary and sustenance: just as the rains support physical life, so the Temple supports covenant life with God. Prophetic and Symbolic Overtones Later prophets echoed Temple imagery when foretelling divine restoration (Ezekiel 40–48; Haggai 2:6-9). The fact that Solomon’s Temple reached completion during Bul foreshadows the outpouring of spiritual blessing tied to the latter rain motif (Joel 2:23; Zechariah 10:1). The timing hints that true fruitfulness is inseparable from worship rightly ordered. Practical Ministry Insights • Seasons of apparent delay—nearly eight years elapsed from groundbreaking to completion—are often periods in which God perfects both craftsmanship and character. Historical Developments After the Exile By the post-exilic era the month came to be called Marcheshvan. Though the name changed, Jewish tradition continued to view this period as solemn and preparation-oriented, lacking major festivals yet pointing forward to the rededication celebrated at Hanukkah in Kislev. Related Biblical Themes Chronology of Kings (1 Kings 6–8) Seasonal Rains (Deuteronomy 11:14; Jeremiah 5:24) Temple Theology (Psalm 132:13-18; Hebrews 9:11) Divine Sovereignty over Time (Daniel 2:21) Summary Bul stands as more than a calendrical marker; it situates the crowning moment of Solomon’s Temple within a season when God sends life-giving rain. The month therefore bears enduring testimony that the Lord who waters the earth also establishes His dwelling among His people, ordering both natural and spiritual harvests according to His faithful covenant purposes. Forms and Transliterations בּ֗וּל בול Bul būlLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Kings 6:38 HEB: עֶשְׂרֵ֜ה בְּיֶ֣רַח בּ֗וּל ה֚וּא הַחֹ֣דֶשׁ NAS: in the month of Bul, which KJV: in the month Bul, which [is] the eighth INT: ten the month of Bul which month |
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