Lexical Definition

‎בָּכָה‎ bâkâh (baw-kaw') to weep ^H:V
a primitive root

[idiom] at all, bewail, complain, make lamentation, [idiom] more, mourn, [idiom] sore, [idiom] with tears, weep.

• to weep
• generally to bemoan

1) to weep, bewail, cry, shed tears
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to weep (in grief, humiliation, or joy)
1a2) to weep bitterly (with cognate acc.)
1a3) to weep upon (embrace and weep)
1a4) to bewail
1b) (Piel) participle
1b1) lamenting
1b2) bewailing

See Greek: δακρύω · ἐλεέω · ἐπιπίπτω · θρηνέω · κλαίω · κλαυθμός · πενθέω

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎בָּכָה‎₁₁₄ verb weep, bewail (Arabic , Aramaic ‎בְּכָא‎, , Assyrian bakû Zim^{BP 23, 56}, Ethiopic ) —

Qal Perfect ‎׳‎‎בּ‎ Gen 43:14; Hos 12:5* ‎וּבָֽכְתָה‎ consecutive Deut 21:13 ‎בָּכִ֫יתִּי‎ Job 30:25, etc.; Imperfect ‎וַיֵּבְךְ‎ Gen 37:35 + 16 t. (‎וַיֵּבְךְּ‎ Gen 27:28 etc.); 3 feminine singular ‎תִּבְכֶּה‎ 1Sam 1:10 + 2 t.; ‎וַתִּבְכֶּה‎ 1Sam 1:7, ‎וַתֵּבְךְּ‎ Gen 21:16 (where ᵐ5 masculine compare Di) + 4 t.; 2 masculine singular ‎תִּבְכֶּה‎ Isa 30:19; Ezek 24:16 ‎וַתִּבְכֶּה‎ 2Kgs 22:19, ‎וַתֵּבְךְּ‎ 2Sam 12:21; 2Chr 34:27 2 feminine singular ‎תִּבְכִּי‎ 1Sam 1:8 ‎אֶבְכֶּה‎ Judg 11:37 + 4 t.; ‎וָאֶבְכֶּה‎ 2Sam 12:22 + 2 t.; ‎יִבְכּוּ‎ Lev 10:6 + 3 t.; ‎יִבְכָּי֑וּן‎ Job 31:38; Isa 33:7 3 feminine plural ‎תִּבְכֶּינָה‎ Job 27:15; Ps 78:64 ‎׳‎‎וַתִּב‎ Ruth 1:9; Ruth 1:14, etc.; Imperative plural ‎בְּכוּ‎ Jer 22:10; Joel 1:5 ‎בְּכֶינָה‎ 2Sam 1:24 Infinitive absolute ‎בָּכוֺ‎ Isa 30:19 + 3 t. + Mic 1:10 (where read ‎בְּעַכּוֺ‎, see ‎עכו‎); ‎בָּכֹה‎ 1Sam 1:10 + 3 t.; construct ‎לִבְכּוֺת‎ Gen 43:30 + 3 t.; ‎לִבְכֹּתָהּ‎ Gen 23:2 Participle ‎בֹּכֶה‎ (‎בּוֺכֶה‎) Exod 2:6 + 6 t.; feminine singular ‎בּוֺכִיָּה‎ Lam 1:16 plural ‎בֹּכִים‎ (‎׳‎‎בּו‎) Ezra 3:12 +, etc.; —

1. weep (in grief, humiliation, or joy), absolute Gen 42:24; Gen 43:30 (twice in verse); Exod 2:6; Num 11:4; Num 11:10; Num 14:1; 1Sam 1:7; 1Sam 1:8; 1Sam 1:10; 1Sam 11:5; 1Sam 30:4 (twice in verse); 2Sam 1:12; 2Sam 3:16; 2Sam 13:36; 2Sam 15:30 (twice in verse); 2Sam 19:1*; 2Sam 19:2*; 2Kgs 8:11; 2Kgs 8:12; Isa 30:19 (twice in verse); Jer 41:6; Jer 50:4; Ezek 24:16; Ezek 24:23; Lam 1:2; Zech 7:3; Joel 1:5; Joel 2:17; Ps 78:64; Ps 126:6 compare Ps 69:11* (but on text see Che) Job 27:15; Eccl 3:4 (opposed to laugh ‎שׂחק‎) Ezra 10:1; Neh 8:9; Esth 8:3 once with inanimate subject Job 31:38 ‎׳‎‎תְּלָמֶיהָ יִב‎ its furrows weep; on Neh 1:4 ‎יָשַׁבְתִּי וָאֶבְכֶּה‎ compare Assyrian attašab abakî, Flood^{130 ed.} Dl Gu^{§ 77} Hpt^{BAS i. 145}; of loud weeping ‎נָשָׂא‎ ‎׳‎‎הַקּוֺל וַיִּב‎ Gen 21:16; Gen 27:38; Gen 29:11; Judg 2:4; Judg 21:2; 1Sam 11:4; 1Sam 24:17*; 2Sam 3:32; 2Sam 13:36; Job 2:12; Ruth 1:9; Ruth 1:14, compare ‎׳‎‎בְּאָזְנֵי י‎ ‎׳‎‎בּ‎ Num 11:18, also Job 30:31.

2. with accusative of congnate meaning with verb ‎בְּכִי‎ Judg 21:2; 2Sam 13:36; 2Kgs 20:3 = Isa 38:3, compare ‎בִּבְכִי‎ Isa 16:9, ‎מִבְּכִי‎ Jer 48:32, & ‎חַרְבֶּה בֶּכֶה‎ ‎׳‎‎בּ‎ Ezra 10:1 followed by ‎קוֺל גָּדוֺל‎ 2Sam 15:33, compare ‎בקול גדול‎ ‎׳‎‎בּ‎ Ezra 3:12 weep bitterly ‎׳‎‎מַר יִב‎ Isa 33:7 also with infinitive absolute weep intensely, grievously 1Sam 1:10; Jer 22:10; Lam 1:2, compare Isa 30:19 & Mic 1:10 (but on text see above)

3. followed by ‎עַל‎ weep upon, i.e. embrace and weep, ‎עַלצֿואריו‎ Gen 45:14; Gen 46:29 compare Gen 45:15; Gen 50:1 also ‎עַלפָּֿנָיו‎ ‎׳‎‎בּ‎ 2Kgs 13:14 see further Gen 33:4; Gen 45:14 & ‎וַיִּבְכּוּ אִישׁ אֶתרֵֿעֵהוּ‎ 1Sam 20:41 also followed by ‎עַל‎ weep over, for Judg 11:37; Judg 11:38; 2Sam 3:34; Lam 1:16 followed by ‎אֶלֹֿ‎ 2Sam 1:24; 2Sam 3:32; Ezek 27:31 followed by ‎לְ‎ Jer 22:10; Jer 48:32; Job 30:25 followed by ‎מִפְּנִי‎ because of Jer 13:17 followed by temporal clause (of occasion of weeping) Gen 50:17; Ps 137:1; Neh 8:9.

4. followed by accusative bewail Gen 23:2; Gen 37:35; Gen 50:3; Lev 10:6; Num 20:29; Deut 21:13; Deut 34:8; Jer 8:23*, compare Isa 16:9.

5. followed by ‎עַל‎ in sense of burden, annoy with weeping Num 11:13; Judg 14:16; Judg 14:17 compare ‎לִפְנֵי‎ Num 11:20.

6. ‎׳‎‎לִפְנֵי י‎ ‎׳‎‎בּ‎ of penitent weeping Judg 20:23 (compare Be; see also Judg 21:2) Deut 1:45; 2Kgs 22:19; 2Chr 34:27, compare also Num 25:6 joined with fasting Judg 20:26; 2Sam 12:21; 2Sam 12:22 compare Ezra 10:1 so of weeping in anxious entreaty Hos 4:5 on participle as proper name Judg 2:1; Judg 2:5 see ‎בֹּכִים‎ below Pi`el Participle feminine singular ‎מְבַכָּה‎ lament Jer 31:25 followed by ‎עַל‎; bewail, plural ‎מְבַכּוֺת‎ followed by accusative Ezek 8:14.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References