בְּכִי (be.khi)
be.khi
weeping
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 25 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The noun bechi denotes the act or sound of weeping, derived from the root bakah meaning to cry out in grief. In the Hebrew Bible it appears roughly twenty-five times, frequently in prophetic books like Isaiah and Jeremiah where national disaster triggers public mourning. It captures the audible expression of sorrow rather than just the internal emotion.
A notable nuance occurs in Job 28:11, where the word describes water dripping or distilling from mines. This rare usage links human tears to the natural flow of water, suggesting that deep grief is as inevitable and pervasive as underground springs. Translators typically render it simply as "weeping" or "tears," preserving its straightforward emotional weight.
The term often appears in contexts of profound loss, such as Rachel weeping for her children in Jeremiah 31:15 or the people mourning Moses in Deuteronomy 34:8. It signifies a loud, public lamentation that marks significant transitions or tragedies in biblical history.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word bechi captures the raw, audible sound of grief rather than just a quiet feeling inside. In the Bible, this is often a public expression of sorrow, marking moments where loss feels too heavy to bear alone. When we read about Israel mourning Moses or Rachel weeping for her children, we see that deep pain is not something to hide away in silence.
Yet Scripture also shows us that God hears these loud cries. He does not dismiss the noise of our distress as insignificant. Instead, He meets us in our lament, promising that tears are seen and that hope can eventually replace mourning. This word reminds us that bringing our heaviest sorrows to God is an act of faith.
Even when grief feels endless, the biblical narrative points toward a future where weeping will no longer define our days. For now, it is okay to let your voice be heard in prayer. You are not alone in your sorrow, and there is a gentle promise that comfort awaits those who wait on the Lord.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 25 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- weeping7×
- with/ weeping3×
- [the] weeping of3×
- from/ weeping2×
- for/ weeping2×
- with/ [the] weeping of1×
- with <the>/ weeping1×
- weeping of1×
- more than/ [the] weeping of1×
- in/ weeping1×
- in <the>/ weeping1×
- and/ with/ weeping1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- בְּכִ֥י4×
- בְּכִ֖י3×
- בְּכִ֣י2×
- מִ֭/בְּכִי1×
- מִ/בֶּ֔כִי1×
- מִ/בְּכִ֨י1×
- לִ/בְכִי֙1×
- לְ/בֶ֑כִי1×
- וּ/בְכִ֖י1×
- וּ/בְ/בְכִ֖י1×
- בַּ/בֶּֽכִי\׃1×
- בַּ/בֶּ֑כִי1×
Key Verses
-
Jeremiah 31:15
Yahweh says: “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children. She refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.”
This verse captures the depth of maternal grief, showing God’s awareness of Rachel’s bitter weeping for her lost children.
-
Ezra 3:13
so that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people; for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard far away.
Here the word highlights how joy and sorrow can coexist in the same moment during the rebuilding of the temple.
-
Isaiah 65:19
I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and delight in my people; and the voice of weeping and the voice of crying will be heard in her no more.
God promises a future restoration where the very sound of weeping will no longer be heard in Jerusalem.
-
Joel 2:12
“Yet even now,” says Yahweh, “turn to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.”
The prophet calls for a return to God that includes genuine weeping, linking emotional honesty with spiritual repentance.