בַּד (bad)
bad
alone: pole
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 161 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun bad originates from a root meaning separation, and its core sense is something set apart or distinct. In practical usage, it refers to a part that has been separated from a whole, such as a branch on a tree or a limb of the body. This concrete idea of a detached piece extends naturally to describe structural components like bars or staves, which are individual pieces joined to form a larger structure.
This physical meaning is most visible in the detailed instructions for the Tabernacle. The text specifies that the Ark and its carrying poles were made of acacia wood overlaid with gold, using bad to denote the specific staves inserted through rings (Exodus 25:13-15). These bars were essential for transporting the sacred furniture, representing distinct parts working together to support a holy function.
When used with prepositions like le-, the word shifts from a physical object to an adverbial sense of being alone or besides. It marks something as separate from others, whether describing Abraham setting seven ewe lambs apart (Genesis 21:28) or noting that no other god existed besides Yahweh (Deuteronomy 4:35). This dual usage highlights how the ancient mind connected physical separation with conceptual exclusivity.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word bad captures a simple but profound idea: being set apart. In the Tabernacle instructions, it refers to the wooden poles used to carry the Ark of the Covenant. These were not just tools; they were distinct pieces of wood overlaid with gold, designed to keep the sacred object separate from the ground and from ordinary handling. This physical separation pointed to a deeper reality—that God’s presence is holy and must be treated with unique reverence.
Yet bad also appears in stories about human relationships. When God says it is not good for man to be alone, or when Abraham sets lambs apart as a witness, the word highlights distinction. It reminds us that while we are created for community, there are moments and things that belong exclusively to God or to specific purposes. We do not need to be isolated to be significant; rather, we find our true place when we understand what is set aside for Him and what is shared with others.
This balance helps us navigate our own lives. Some aspects of our faith are private and distinct, like the poles carrying the Ark, requiring careful stewardship. Other parts are communal, meant to be shared. Recognizing this difference allows us to honor both our individual calling and our connection to the wider body of believers.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 161 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- to/ only/ him30×
- <from>/ <to>/ besides27×
- to/ alone/ me16×
- <to>/ alone16×
- to/ alone/ you15×
- the/ poles15×
- poles/ its13×
- <to>/ apart11×
- to/ alone/ them10×
- to/ alone/ it4×
- to/ only/ it3×
- poles of3×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- מִ/לְּ/בַד֙11×
- לְ/בַדּֽ/וֹ\׃9×
- לְ/בַדּ֔/וֹ8×
- לְ/בַדּ֖/וֹ7×
- בַּדָּ֖י/ו7×
- לְ/בָ֔ד6×
- לְ/בַדִּ֔/י6×
- מִ/לְּ/בַ֖ד5×
- לְ/בָ֑ד5×
- לְ/בַדֶּֽ/ךָ\׃5×
- לְ/בַדִּ֖/י5×
- לְ/בַדּ֑/וֹ5×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 2:18
Yahweh God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make him a helper comparable to him.”
This verse uses bad to describe man's state before creation of woman, highlighting that isolation is contrary to God's design for human flourishing.
-
Exodus 25:13
You shall make poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.
Here bad refers specifically to the acacia poles for the Ark, showing how the word denotes distinct physical objects set apart for holy use.
-
Genesis 21:28
Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.
Abraham sets seven lambs apart by themselves, using bad to mark a specific act of separation that serves as a legal witness or testimony.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does bad mean in Genesis 2:18?
How is bad used in the Tabernacle instructions?
Does bad always mean physically alone?
Every Occurrence (161 verses across 23 books)
Genesis 10 verses
Yahweh God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make him a helper comparable to him.”
Genesis 21:28Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.
Genesis 21:29Abimelech said to Abraham, “What do these seven ewe lambs, which you have set by themselves, mean?”
Genesis 26:1There was a famine in the land, in addition to the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. Isaac went to…
Genesis 30:40Jacob separated the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the streaked and all the black in Laban’s flock. He…
Genesis 42:38He said, “My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left. If harm happens to him along…
Genesis 43:32They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the…
Genesis 44:20We said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead,…
Genesis 46:26All the souls who came with Jacob into Egypt, who were his direct offspring, in addition to Jacob’s sons’ wives, all…
Genesis 47:26Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth. Only the land of…