בֶּסֶר (be.ser)
be.ser
unripe grape
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun beser refers to unripe or sour grapes. It appears only once in the Old Testament, in Job 30:4, where the speaker describes his miserable condition by saying that wild plants and broom bushes were his food, and he gathered beser from the thicket.
This word is a variant spelling of bosar (H1155), both pointing to grapes that have not yet sweetened. The imagery evokes sharpness and bitterness rather than nourishment. In its single biblical context, it underscores the depth of Job’s suffering, using something normally associated with harvest and joy to highlight his current state of deprivation and distress.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When life feels stripped of its sweetness, it can be easy to wonder if God has forgotten you. The word for unripe grape appears in Job’s deepest lament, describing a state where even the basic fruits of the earth are sour and inedible. It captures the sharp, biting reality of suffering that offers no comfort or nourishment.
Yet this imagery reminds us that our current season does not define our final story. Just as grapes must pass through an unripe stage to eventually ripen, our painful experiences can become part of a larger, redemptive narrative. We are invited to trust that God is present even in the bitterness, working toward a harvest we may not yet see.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- unripe grape[s]/ his1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- בִּסְר֑/וֹ1×
Key Verses
-
Job 15:33
He will shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and will cast off his flower as the olive tree.
This verse uses the image of shaking off an unripe grape to illustrate how quickly and completely one's prosperity can be lost, emphasizing the fragility of worldly success.