בָּרָה (ba.rah)
ba.rah
to eat
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 6 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb barah is a straightforward term meaning to eat or consume food. It appears in six verses across the Old Testament, with notable occurrences in 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, and Lamentations. The word describes the physical act of eating bread or other sustenance without additional metaphorical layers.
Its usage ranges from the basic Qal stem, indicating simple consumption, to the Piel form which emphasizes devouring, and the Hiphil where one causes another to eat. In 2 Samuel 9:7, for example, Mephibosheth is invited to eat at the king’s table, highlighting a social dimension of sharing meals. The term remains concrete, focusing on the nourishment aspect rather than spiritual symbolism.
Unlike more complex Hebrew words for eating that carry ritual or covenantal weight, barah simply denotes the biological necessity of consuming food. Its presence in Lamentations underscores themes of scarcity and survival during times of distress. Translators consistently render it as "eat" or "devour," preserving its direct meaning across contexts.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word barah simply means to eat. It describes the basic, physical act of consuming food. In the Old Testament, it appears in six verses. These passages show people eating bread, cakes, or even facing starvation. The term does not carry hidden spiritual symbols. It focuses on the real need for nourishment.
This simplicity reminds us that God cares about our daily needs. When David refused to eat in grief, his action showed deep sorrow. When Mephibosheth ate at the king’s table, it showed kindness and restoration. These moments are not just about biology. They reveal how meals connect people and express care.
Even in Lamentations, where eating becomes a tragic symbol of survival, the word stays grounded in reality. It speaks to our shared human experience. We all need food. We all know hunger. This word invites us to see God’s presence in the ordinary act of breaking bread with others.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 6 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- so/ I may eat2×
- to/ make to eat1×
- for/ eating1×
- commission1×
- and/ let her cause to eat/ me1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וְ/אֶבְרֶ֖ה2×
- לְ/הַבְר֧וֹת1×
- לְ/בָרוֹת֙1×
- וְ/תַבְרֵ֣/נִי1×
- בְּרוּ\־1×
Key Verses
-
II Samuel 3:35
All the people came to urge David to eat bread while it was yet day; but David swore, saying, “God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else, until the sun goes down.”
David's refusal to eat shows how grief can override physical needs, highlighting the word's use for basic sustenance.
-
II Samuel 13:6
So Amnon lay down and faked being sick. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, “Please let my sister Tamar come and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand.”
Amnon’s request for cakes prepared in his sight uses the word to describe a specific, intimate act of eating from another's hand.
-
Lamentations 4:10
The hands of the pitiful women have boiled their own children. They were their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
This verse uses the concept of eating in its most desperate form, describing cannibalism during siege, which underscores the word's literal meaning.