Lexical Definition

‎יָקָר‎ yâqâr (yaw-kawr') precious ^H:A
from ‎יָקַר‎

brightness, clear, costly, excellent, fat, honourable women, precious, reputation.

• valuable (objectively or subjectively)

1) valuable, prized, weighty, precious, rare, splendid
1a) precious
1a1) costly
1a2) precious, highly valued
1a3) precious stones or jewels
1b) rare
1c) glorious, splendid
1d) weighty, influential

See Greek: ἐκλεκτός · πολυτελής · τίμιος · χρηστός

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎יָקָר‎ adjective precious, rare, splendid, weighty; — absolute ‎יָקָר‎ 1Sam 3:1 + 9 t.; construct ‎יְקַרֿ‎ Prov 17:27 Qr (Kt ‎וקר‎; see below); ‎כִּיקַר‎ Ps 37:20 feminine ‎יְקָרָה‎ 2Sam 12:30 + 14 t.; construct ‎יִקְרַת‎ Isa 28:16 masculine plural ‎יְקָרִים‎ Lam 4:2 feminine plural ‎יְקָדוֺת‎ 1Kgs 5:31* + 2 t. + Zech 14:6 (see below); ‎יְקָרֹת‎ 1Kgs 7:9 suffix ‎בְּיִקְּרוֺתֶ֑יךָ‎ Ps 45:10* (so Baer; van d. H ‎׳‎‎בִּיקְּ‎); —

1. precious:
a. costly, ‎אֲבָנִים יְקָרוֺת‎ of costly building-stones 1Kgs 5:31*; 1Kgs 7:9; 1Kgs 7:10; 1Kgs 7:11 compare ‎פִּנַּת‎ ‎יִקְרַת מוּסָד מוּסָּד‎ Isa 28:16 a costly corner (-stone) of a foundation, — on construct see Da^{Synt. § 28, R. 3, 6}; ‎הוֺן יָקָר‎ costly wealth Prov 1:13; Prov 12:27 ‎הוֺן יָקָר וְנָעִים‎ Prov 24:1.
b. precious, highly valued: ‎נֶפֶשׁ יְקָרָה‎ Prov 6:26 precious life; opposed to ‎זוֺלֵל‎ Jer 15:19 (of choice elements of character); ‎הַמָּֽוְתָה לַחֲסִידָיו‎ ‎׳‎‎יָקָר בְּעֵינֵי י‎ Ps 116:15 ‎יְקָרָה הִיא מפניים‎ Prov 3:15 she (wisdom) is more precious than rubies (see also c); prized, of ‎׳‎‎חסד י‎ Ps 36:8* = substantive ‎בְּנוֺת מְלָכִים בְּיִקְּרותֶ֑יךָ‎ Ps 45:10* king's daughters are among thy precious ( = dear) ones.
c. ‎אֶבֶן יְקָרָה‎ collective precious stones, jewels 2Sam 12:30 = 1Chr 20:2; 1Kgs 10:2; 1Kgs 10:10; 1Kgs 1:11 = 2Chr 9:1; 2Chr 9:9; 2Chr 9:10; 1Chr 29:3; 2Chr 3:6; 2Chr 32:27; Ezek 27:22; Ezek 28:13 (list of precious stones follows), Dan 11:38 so also Lam 4:2, read ‎אַבְנֵי צִיּוֺן‎ ‎הַיְקָרִים‎ (for ᵑ0 ‎׳‎‎בְּנֵי וגו‎), see VB; ‎שֹׁהַם יָקָר‎ Job 28:16 (see also Prov 3:15 below b).

2. rare, 1Sam 3:1 (compare √ Hiph`il Isa 13:12).

3. glorious, splendid (compare Aramaic), of the moon Job 31:26 as substantive = glory, the wicked perish, ‎כִּיקַר כָּרִים‎ Ps 37:20 like the glory of the pastures (i.e. like gay, but short-lived, flowers).

4. (late and Aramaic) weighty, influential, ‎יָקָר מֵחָכְמָה‎ Eccl 10:1 weightier than wisdom and honour is a little folly. — In Prov 17:27 read Kt ‎וְקַררֿוּחַ‎ and one cool of spirit (see VB); in Zech 14:6 read ‎לֹא יִהְיֶה אוֺר וְקָרוֺת וְקִפָּאוֺן‎ there shall not be light but cold and congelation (see id. and Vrss.); **'but' is very dubious; read probably ‎חוֺם וְקָרוֺת‎ there shall be neither heat nor cold, etc. (We and others).

Also see: קָפָא

‎קִפָּאוֺן‎ noun [masculine] congelation; — Zech 14:6 Qr [ > Kt see √ Qal Imperfect], so ᵐ5 ᵑ6 Symm We Now (with other change, but see GASm), see ‎יָקָר‎. p 429

Brown-Driver-Briggs References