בּוּר (bur)
bur
to explain
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb bur appears only once in the Old Testament, found in Ecclesiastes 9:1. In this specific context, it means to make clear or explain a situation. The Preacher uses it to describe how human actions and outcomes are often opaque; people do not always understand why events unfold as they do.
While some lexical sources suggest a secondary sense of "boring into" or digging, the consensus for this verse leans toward clarity. The word highlights the gap between divine sovereignty and human perception. We observe the results of life, but we cannot fully drill down to see the hidden reasons behind them.
This rare usage underscores a key theme in Ecclesiastes: the limits of human insight. We are called to live faithfully without demanding full transparency from God about every circumstance. The word reminds readers that confusion is part of the earthly experience, even for those who serve the Creator.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word bur appears only once in Scripture, nestled in Ecclesiastes 9:1. Here, it describes how humans struggle to explain or make clear why events unfold as they do. We see the results of our labor and the actions of others, yet the hidden reasons behind them remain opaque. This single usage highlights a profound tension between divine sovereignty and human perception.
For your faith, this rare word offers comfort rather than frustration. It acknowledges that confusion is part of the earthly experience, even for those who serve the Creator. You are not called to demand full transparency from God about every circumstance. Instead, you are invited to live faithfully, trusting that God holds all things in His hand, even when the path ahead is unclear.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ to/ make clear1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וְ/לָ/ב֣וּר1×
Key Verses
-
Ecclesiastes 9:1
For all this I laid to my heart, even to explore all this: that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; whether it is love or hatred, man doesn’t know it; all is before them.
This verse uses bur to express human inability to fully explain or understand whether outcomes stem from love or hatred.