---
title: בָּכָא — balsam-tree · The Tanakh dictionary
description: בָּכָא (1057), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 4 times: balsam-tree. BDB 1906: balsam-tree. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# בָּכָא

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«בָּכָא» in the Tanakh dictionary: **balsam-tree** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 4 times · **Key:** 1057 · **BDB:** בָּכָא

### Glosses

the.balsam.trees (2); \[the\].balsam.trees (1); trees (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

balsam-tree [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1489/1057/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

balsam-tree [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1489/1057/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.\[m.\] balsam-tree (v. Arabic بَكْأٌ DozyZMG 1869, 188 but LöwNo. 47; according to TA like جرجير, an eruca, cf. Lane s.v.; perhaps cf. بَكَأَ give little milk, of camel, i.e. drop, drip); pl. בְּכָאִים 2 S 5:23, 24 = 1 Ch 14:14, 15; sg. in עֵמֶק הַבָּכָא ψ 84:7 balsam-vale, cf. De Che.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 4 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (1 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 2 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (2 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «בָּכָא» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1489/1057/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[2 Samuel 5:23](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/2SA.5.23/)

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וַיִּשְׁאַ֤ל דָּוִד֙ בַּֽיהוָ֔ה וַיֹּ֖אמֶר לֹ֣א תַעֲלֶ֑ה הָסֵב֙ אֶל־אַ֣חֲרֵיהֶ֔ם וּבָ֥אתָ לָהֶ֖ם מִמּ֥וּל בְּכָאִֽים׃

*Word for word:* and he.enquired David by Yahweh and he.said not you.must.go.up go.around to behind them and you.will.come to them from in.front.of \[the\].balsam.trees

*JPS 1917:* And when David inquired of the LORD, He said: 'Thou shalt not go up; make a circuit behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry-trees.

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[2 Samuel 5:24](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/2SA.5.24/)

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וִ֠יהִי כְּֽשָׁמְעֲךָ֞ אֶת־ק֧וֹל צְעָדָ֛ה בְּרָאשֵׁ֥י הַבְּכָאִ֖ים אָ֣ז תֶּחֱרָ֑ץ כִּ֣י אָ֗ז יָצָ֤א יְהוָה֙ לְפָנֶ֔יךָ לְהַכּ֖וֹת בְּמַחֲנֵ֥ה פְלִשְׁתִּֽים׃

*Word for word:* and let.it.be just as you.hear (et) \[the\].sound of.marching in the.tops of the.balsam.trees then you.will.act.decisively (dm) then he.has.gone.out Yahweh before you to attack (in).the camp of.\[the\].Philistines

*JPS 1917:* And it shall be, when thou hearest the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry-trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself; for then is the LORD gone out before thee to smite the host of the Philistines.'

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- ← previous: [בָּכָא](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/1056.md)
- next →: [בָּכָה](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/1058.md)
- ↑ back to [ב](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/1489-2.md)