---
title: בָּרָא — shape · The Tanakh dictionary
description: בָּרָא (lemma:בָּרָא), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 6 times: shape. BDB 1906: vb. shape, create. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# בָּרָא

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«בָּרָא» in the Tanakh dictionary: **shape** — 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:** 6 times · **Key:** lemma:בָּרָא · **BDB:** בָּרָא

### Glosses

cut.\[it\].out (1); cut.out (1); making (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

shape [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1489/lemma_3a_5d1_5b8_5bc_5e8_5b8_5d0/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

vb. shape, create [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1489/lemma_3a_5d1_5b8_5bc_5e8_5b8_5d0/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** vb. shape, create (cf. Arabic بَرَى, form, fashion by cutting, shape out, pare a reed for writing, a stick for an arrow; بَرَأَ, create (loan-word); Ph. הברא CISi. 347 incisor, a trade involving cutting; Assyrian barû, make, create, COTGloss \& Hpt KAT2 Gloss 1 but dub.; Sab. ברא found, build, DHMZMG 1883, 413, synon. בנה; BaZA 1888, 58, comp. Assyrian banû, create, beget, with change of liquid; Aramaic בְּרָא, ܒܪܳܐ, create)— Pf. Gn 1:1 + 19 times; Impf. יִבְרָא Gn 1:21, 27 Nu 16:30; Inf. בְּרֹא Gn 5:1; Imv. בְּרָא ψ 51:12; Pt. בּוֹרֵא Is 42:5 + 10 times; sf. בֹּרַאֲךָ Is 43:1; בּוֹרְאֶיךָ Ec 12:1;—shape, fashion, create, always of divine activity, with acc. rei, seldom except in P and Is 2. obj. heaven and earth Gn 1:1; 2:3 (P) Is 45:18, 18; mankind Gn 1:27(×3); 5:1, 2 (P) 6:7 (J) Dt 4:32 ψ 89:48 Is 45:12; the host of heaven Is 40:26; heavens Is 42:5; ends of the earth Is 40:28; north and south ψ 89:13; wind Am 4:13; the תנינים Gn 1:21 (P). the individual man Mal 2:10 (‖ father) Ec 12:1; the smith and the waster Is 54:16(×2) Israel as a nation Is 43:15; Jacob Is 43:1; the seed of Israel Is 43:7. new conditions and circumstances: righteousness and salvation Is 45:8; darkness and evil Is 45:7; fruit of the lips Is 57:19; a new thing חֲדָשָׁה (a woman encompassing a man) Je 31:22; בְּרִיאָה (swallowing up the Korahites) Nu 16:30 (J); cloud and flame over Zion Is 4:5. of transformations: a clean heart ψ 51:12 (‖ חִדֵּשׁ; new heaven and earth Is 65:17 (in place of old); transformation of nature Is 41:20; with double acc. בורא ירושׁלם גילה transform Jerusalem into rejoicing Is 65:18. Pf. 2 fs. נִבְרֵאתְ Ez 21:35; 3 pl. נִבְרְאוּ Ex 34:10 + 2 times; Impf. יִבָּרֵא֑וּן ψ 104:30; Inf. sf. הִבָּרַאֲךָ Ez 28:13; הִבָּֽרְאָךְ Ez 28:15; הִבָּֽרְאָם Gn 2:4; 5:2; Pt. נִבְרָא ψ 102:19;—Pass. be created: heaven and earth Gn 2:4 (P); creatures ψ 104:30; mankind Gn 5:2 (P); heavens ψ 148:5. with reference to birth: במקום אשׁר נבראת in the place where thou wast created (i.e. native land) Ez 21:35; יום הבראך day when thou wast created (king of Tyre) Ez 28:13, 15 (cf. היום ילדתיך ψ 2:7); עַם נִבְרָא ψ 102:19 (‖ עַם נוֹלָד ψ 22:32). of something new, astonishing: miracles Ex 34:10 (J); new things, חדשׁית Is 48:6. Pf. בֵּרֵאתָ Jos 17:15; בֵּרֵאתוֹ Jos 17:18; Inf. abs. בָּרֵא Ez 21:24(×2) 23:47;— cut down: a forest Jos 17:15, 18 (J); וּבָרֵא אוֹתְהֶן בְּחַרְבוֹתָם Ez 23:47. cut out: יָד hand, as an index Ez 21:24(×2).

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 4 of its verses cited, 0 words shared with the glosses (4 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 0 with the glosses (3 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «בָּרָא» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1489/lemma_3a_5d1_5b8_5bc_5e8_5b8_5d0/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Ezekiel 23:47](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/EZK.23.47/)

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וְרָגְמ֨וּ עֲלֵיהֶ֥ן אֶ֙בֶן֙ קָהָ֔ל וּבָרֵ֥א אוֹתְהֶ֖ן בְּחַרְבוֹתָ֑ם בְּנֵיהֶ֤ם וּבְנֽוֹתֵיהֶם֙ יַהֲרֹ֔גוּ וּבָתֵּיהֶ֖ן בָּאֵ֥שׁ יִשְׂרֹֽפוּ׃

*Word for word:* and they.will.stone on them stone\[s\] \[the\].company and they.will.cut.down them with swords their sons their and daughters their they.will.kill and houses their with (the) fire they.will.burn

*JPS 1917:* And the assembly shall stone them with stones, and despatch them with their swords; they shall slay their sons and their daughters, and burn up their houses with fire.

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[Ezekiel 21:24](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/EZK.21.24/)

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וְאַתָּ֨ה בֶן־אָדָ֜ם שִׂים־לְךָ֣ ׀ שְׁנַ֣יִם דְּרָכִ֗ים לָבוֹא֙ חֶ֣רֶב מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֔ל מֵאֶ֥רֶץ אֶחָ֖ד יֵצְא֣וּ שְׁנֵיהֶ֑ם וְיָ֣ד בָּרֵ֔א בְּרֹ֥אשׁ דֶּֽרֶךְ־עִ֖יר בָּרֵֽא׃

*Word for word:* and you O.son of.humankind make for yourself two roads to come the.sword of.the.king of.Babylon from a.land one they.will.go.out both of.them and a.monument cut.out at.\[the\] beginning of.\[the\].road of.a.city cut.\[it\].out

*JPS 1917:* 'Now, thou son of man, make thee two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come; they twain shall come forth out of one land; and mark a signpost, mark it clear at the head of the way to the city.

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