בֶּ֫כֶר (be.kher)
be.kher
Becher
N:N-M-PQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N-M-P
Word Overview
The name Becher, derived from the Hebrew word for a young camel, appears in the genealogies of Genesis and Numbers. It identifies two distinct men within the tribe of Benjamin: one son of Ephraim mentioned in Numbers 26:35, and another son of Benjamin listed in Genesis 46:21. In these contexts, the name functions primarily as a personal identifier rather than carrying an active theological verb or noun meaning.
Its presence in these lists highlights the importance of lineage in biblical history. The sources note that Becher was part of the families who went to Egypt and later formed part of the wilderness generation. By tracing his descendants, such as Zemirah and Joash, the text preserves the identity of this branch of Benjamin for future generations.
Translators typically leave the name as "Becher" without attempting to translate it as "young camel," recognizing that proper names in Scripture often retain their original form. This approach respects the historical nature of the genealogies, where the focus remains on the continuity of the family line rather than the etymological meaning of each individual name.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The name Becher appears in the genealogies of Genesis and Numbers, identifying men within the tribe of Benjamin. These lists may seem like dry records, but they show that God keeps track of every individual in His people. Each name marks a real person whose life contributed to the larger story of Israel.
When you see Becher listed as a son of Benjamin or Ephraim, it reminds us that our own lives matter to God. He knows your name and your place in His family just as He knew these ancient ancestors. This continuity shows that God is faithful across generations, preserving the identity of His people through time.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ Beker2×
- Beker2×
- of/ Beker1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לְ/בֶ֕כֶר1×
- וָ/בֶ֛כֶר1×
- וָ/בֶ֙כֶר֙1×
- בָֽכֶר\׃1×
- בֶ֗כֶר1×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 46:21
The sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.
This verse lists Becher among Benjamin's sons, showing his place in the family that moved to Egypt.
-
Numbers 26:35
These are the sons of Ephraim after their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthelahites; of Becher, the family of the Becherites; of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites.
Here Becher is a son of Ephraim, indicating a different branch of the tribe with its own family line.
-
I Chronicles 7:8
The sons of Becher: Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth, and Alemeth. All these were the sons of Becher.
This passage details the sons of Becher, highlighting how his descendants continued the tribal heritage.