Original Word: בָּכַר
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: bakar
Pronunciation: bah-KAR
Phonetic Spelling: (baw-kar')
KJV: make firstborn, be firstling, bring forth first child (new fruit)
NASB: firstborn, bear, first child, giving birth, make
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. (properly) to burst the womb
2. (causatively) bear or make early fruit (of woman or tree)
3. (also, as denominative from H1061) to give the birthright

make firstborn, be firstling, bring forth first child new fruit

A primitive root; properly, to burst the womb, i.e. (causatively) bear or make early fruit (of woman or tree); also (as denominative from bikkuwr) to give the birthright -- make firstborn, be firstling, bring forth first child (new fruit).

see HEBREW bikkuwr

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to bear new fruit, to constitute as first-born
NASB Translation
bear (1), first child (1), firstborn (2), giving birth (1), make (1).

[בָּכַר] verb (Late Hebrew בְּכֵּר, Aramaic בַּכֵּר, ; compare Arabic rise early, do anything early; , virgin, woman having her first child; Ethiopic primogenitus; Assyrian bukru, first-born, Dl^{§ 65, 5}) —

Pi`el Imperfect יְבַכֵּר Ezekiel 47:12; Infinitive לְבַכֵּר Deuteronomy 21:16; —

1 bear early, new fruit Ezekiel 47:12.

2 make or constitute as first-born Deuteronomy 21:16 (denominative of בכיר).

Pu`al Imperfect יְבֻכַּר Leviticus 27:26 born or made a firstling.

Hiph`il Participle f. מַבְכִּירָה Jeremiah 4:31 one bearing her first child.

Meaning and Scope

The verb בָּכַר (Strong’s 1069) portrays the moment something becomes first—whether a first-born offspring or brand-new produce. Though it appears only three times in the Hebrew canon, its thematic reach touches dedication, travail, and perpetual fruitfulness.

Cultic and Legal Background (Leviticus 27:26)

In the valuation laws, Moses reminds Israel that a firstborn animal cannot be pledged as a voluntary offering because “a firstborn belongs to the LORD” (Leviticus 27:26). The verb underscores divine prior claim: before any human vows are considered, the first issue of the womb has already crossed an invisible line of ownership. This principle rests on the Passover narrative (Exodus 13:2, 13:12-15) where the spared firstborn are forever marked as the LORD’s. The appearance of בָּכַר in Leviticus thus protects sacred precedence—God receives what is first and best, not what remains after personal arrangements.

Prophetic Imagery of Agonized Birth (Jeremiah 4:31)

Jeremiah hears “a cry like a woman in labor, a cry of anguish like one bearing her first child” (Jeremiah 4:31). The verb communicates both rarity and intensity: a first delivery is often the longest and most perilous. Here Judah faces the pain of judgment that precedes the birth of purification. The prophet’s choice of בָּכַר warns that covenant renewal will not be painless; the nation will travail before new life appears. Yet such anguish also hints at hope—labor sounds precede birth, not death.

Eschatological Renewal and Perpetual Yield (Ezekiel 47:12)

Ezekiel’s river vision concludes with trees that “bear fruit every month” (Ezekiel 47:12). The verb conveys continuous first-fruiting—each cycle is as fresh as the first. Because the water flows from the sanctuary, fertility never wanes: “Their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing.” In a land scarred by exile, בָּכַר becomes an emblem of unstoppable restoration. The scene anticipates Revelation 22:2, where John sees a similar tree “yielding its fruit every month,” uniting the Testaments in a single stream of life.

Theological Threads

1. Divine Prior Claim

God’s right to the firstborn foreshadows the comprehensive redemption He will secure in Christ, “the firstborn over all creation” (Colossians 1:15) and “the firstborn from the dead” (Colossians 1:18). What begins with livestock and sons culminates in the incarnate Son who represents and redeems all.

2. Pain Before Promise

Like Zion’s labor pains, spiritual renewal often involves sharp disruption before deliverance (John 16:21-22; Romans 8:22-23). The verb’s use in Jeremiah legitimizes honest lament while anchoring it to an assured birth.

3. Ever-Fresh Provision

Ezekiel’s picture of ceaseless first fruits reveals that life under God’s reign never stagnates. The Spirit’s indwelling river keeps ministries vibrant, marriages fruitful, and congregations replenished (Psalm 1:3; John 7:38).

Practical Ministry Implications

• Stewardship: Prioritizing the Lord with first income, talents, and time echoes Leviticus 27:26 and reshapes hearts toward worship rather than mere obligation (Proverbs 3:9-10; 2 Corinthians 8:5).
• Pastoral Care: Seasons of congregational upheaval may resemble Jeremiah’s birth pangs; shepherds can frame hardship as labor leading to revival, not evidence of abandonment (Hebrews 12:11-13).
• Mission and Hope: Ezekiel’s vision empowers evangelism in spiritually barren contexts—where the river flows, perpetual first fruits will appear. Leaders plan for multiplication rather than maintenance (Acts 1:8; Revelation 22:17).

Summary

Though rare in occurrence, בָּכַר threads together consecration, travail, and renewal. It summons believers to give God the first, to persevere through pain, and to anticipate unending freshness in the presence of the risen Firstborn.

יְבַכֵּ֔ר יְבֻכַּ֤ר יבכר כְּמַבְכִּירָ֔ה כמבכירה kə·maḇ·kî·rāh kəmaḇkîrāh kemavkiRah yə·ḇak·kêr yə·ḇuk·kar yəḇakkêr yəḇukkar yevakKer yevukKarInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts