Original Word: בְּעֵרָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: b`erah
Pronunciation: beh-ay-RAW
Phonetic Spelling: (be-ay-raw')
KJV: fire
NASB: fire
Word Origin: [from H1197 (בָּעַר - To burn)]

1. a burning

fire

From ba'ar; a burning -- fire.

see HEBREW ba'ar

Word Origin
from baar
Definition
a burning
NASB Translation
fire (1).

בְּעֵרָה noun feminine burning, only ׳הַבּ as accusative of congnate meaning with verb הִבְעִיר Exodus 22:5.

Term and Occurrence

בְּעֵרָה (beʾerah) designates a “burning” or “conflagration” and appears once in the Old Testament, at Exodus 22:6. The form stands in deliberate parallel with the verb “kindled” (מְבַעֵר, mᵊvaʿer), making the line read literally, “the one who ignites shall surely repay the burning.”

Context within the Covenant Code

1. Location: The term lies in the heart of the so-called “Book of the Covenant” (Exodus 20:22–23:33), immediately after regulations on theft, negligence with livestock, and liability for crop damage (Exodus 22:1–5).
2. Legal Principle: It legislates civil responsibility for accidental but preventable loss. While fire is a useful tool for clearing stubble or cooking, irresponsibility that permits it to “break out and spread to the thorns” (Exodus 22:6) transfers full economic liability to the offender.
3. Practical Setting: In an agrarian society dependent on seasonal grain harvests, unrestrained flames could wipe out months of labor. The law thus guards livelihood, promotes neighborly care, and restrains personal freedom for the good of the community.

Theological Themes

• Stewardship: The command recognizes that land, harvest, and even fire ultimately belong to the LORD (Leviticus 25:23; Deuteronomy 10:14). Mishandling His gifts incurs accountability.
• Justice and Restitution: The offender must “make restitution,” echoing earlier laws requiring repayment double or fourfold (Exodus 22:3–4). Divine justice demands restoration rather than mere apology.
• Holiness in Everyday Affairs: By placing “beʾerah” inside covenant legislation, Scripture elevates ordinary farm management to a matter of covenant obedience. Holiness is measured not only in worship but in responsible day-to-day actions.

Historical Significance

Rabbinic tradition grouped Exodus 22:6 with mishpatim (judgments) dealing with “damaging forces” (Bava Kamma). The Mishnah assumes that a landowner who sets fire too near another’s field is liable even when wind unpredictably fans the flames. This sustains the Mosaic concern for proactive caution. In later Second-Temple agriculture, communal watch-towers and seasonal burn bans reflected the same ethic of care.

Relation to the Biblical Motif of Fire

Scripture frequently employs fire as a symbol of:
• Divine presence (Exodus 3:2; 13:21)
• Purification (Zechariah 13:9; Malachi 3:2)
• Judgment (Genesis 19:24; 2 Peter 3:7)

Beʾerah, by contrast, is mundane, teaching that even common flame demands respect lest it become an agent of ruin. Thus the ordinary and the sacred intersect: mishandled fire illustrates how human negligence can turn a gift into destruction.

Foreshadowings and New Testament Parallels

• Jesus’ call to love one’s neighbor (Matthew 22:39) presupposes carefulness that avoids harming another’s property.
• Zacchaeus’ fourfold repayment (Luke 19:8) mirrors Exodus-style restitution, demonstrating that heart-level repentance expresses itself in tangible compensation.
• The Epistle of James warns, “How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!” (James 3:5). While James speaks of the tongue, his metaphor relies on the same agrarian reality governed by the law of beʾerah.

Lessons for Modern Believers

1. Personal Accountability: Intent never excuses reckless behavior; believers are called to own the consequences of their actions.
2. Neighbor Protection: Real love includes safeguarding others’ livelihoods, property, and wellbeing.
3. Responsible Use of God’s Gifts: Whether handling literal fire, technology, resources, or speech, discipleship demands disciplined stewardship.

Summary

Beʾerah is more than a technical term for a blaze; it embodies a covenant ethic that weds practical prudence to spiritual obedience. Its single appearance anchors a principle of restitution that reverberates through Israel’s civil life, prophetic warnings, and New Testament teaching, reminding every generation that the fear of the LORD begins with faithfulness in the smallest spark.

הַבְּעֵרָֽה׃ הבערה׃ hab·bə·‘ê·rāh habbə‘êrāh habbeeRahInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts