Original Word: יָקַר
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: yaqar
Pronunciation: yah-KAR
Phonetic Spelling: (yaw-kar')
Definition: To be precious, to be rare, to be valuable, to be esteemed
Meaning: to be heavy, valuable, to make rare

be make precious, be prized, be set by, withdraw

A primitive root; properly, apparently, to be heavy, i.e. (figuratively) valuable; causatively, to make rare (figuratively, to inhibit) -- be (make) precious, be prized, be set by, withdraw.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to be precious, prized or appraised
NASB Translation
costly (1), esteemed (1), make...scarcer (1), precious (6), rarely (1), valued (1).

[יָקַר] verb be precious, prized, appraised (Late Hebrew id., Pi`el, Hiph`il; Aramaic יְקַר, , be heavy, precious; Pa`el honour; יַקִּיר, weighty, precious, honoured; compare Assyrian a‡âru, be precious, costly, and derivatives, Dl^{HWB 240}; Arabic be heavy, II. honour; dignity; Sabean noun יקר honour DHM^{ZMG 1883, 402}) —

Qal Perfect3feminine singular יָָֽקְרָה 1 Samuel 16:21; 2masculine singular יָקַרְתָּ Isaiah 43:4; 1singular יָקַרְתִּי Zechariah 11:13; 3plural יָ˜קְרוּ Psalm 139:17; Imperfect וַיִּיקַר 1 Samuel 18:30; וְיֵקַר Psalm 49:9; וְיֵיקַר Psalm 72:14; jussive תִּיקַר(נָֿאׅ 2 Kings 1:13,14; —

1 be precious:

a. = highly valued, esteemed, David's name, וַיִּיקַר שְׁמוֺ מְאֹד 1 Samuel 18:30; of Israel, יָקַרְתָּ בְעֵינַי Isaiah 43:4 (+ נִכְבַּדְתָּ, אֲהַבְתִּיךָ); of God's thoughts וְלִי מַהיָָּֽֿקִרוּ רֵעֶיךָ Psalm 139:17 (Ew Hi Hup render hard, difficult: compare יַקִּירָה Daniel 2:11).

b. especially of life (נֶפֶשׁ), in phrase יָָֽקִרָה נַפְשִׁי בְּעֵינֶיךָ 1 Samuel 26:21, i.e. thou hast spared it; so (jussive) 2 Kings 1:13,14; similarly יֵיקַר דָּמָם בְּעֵינָיו Psalm 72:14 ("" מִתּוֺךְ וּמֵחָמָס יִגְאַל נַפְשָׁס).

c. be costly, וְיֵקַר מִּדְיוֺן נַפְשָׁם Psalm 49:9.

2 be appraised, valued, אֶדֶר הַיְקָר אֲשֶׁר יָקַרְתִּי מֵעֲלֵיהֶם Zechariah 11:13 the magnificence of the price at which I was appraised (and dismissed) from them!

Hiph`il Imperfect1singular אוֺקִיר אֱנוֺשׁ מִמָּ֑ז Isaiah 13:12 I will make men more rare (literally precious) than fine gold. Imperative הֹקַר Proverbs 25:17 make rare (i.e. withhold) thy foot from the house of thy friend.

Word Origin: A primitive root

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: • G1381 (δοκιμάζω, dokimazo): To test, approve, or deem worthy
• G1521 (εἰσάγω, eisago): To bring in, introduce
• G1784 (ἐντιμότερος, entimoteros): More honorable, esteemed
• G5091 (τιμάω, timao): To honor, value, revere

These Greek entries reflect similar themes of value, honor, and worthiness, paralleling the Hebrew concept of יָקַר (yaqar) in the New Testament context.

Usage: The verb יָקַר (yaqar) is used in the Hebrew Bible to convey the concepts of weightiness, value, and rarity. It often describes something that is precious or esteemed, whether in a literal or metaphorical sense.

Context: יָקַר (yaqar) is a Hebrew verb that appears in various contexts throughout the Old Testament. It primarily denotes the idea of heaviness or weight, which metaphorically extends to signify value or preciousness. This term is often used to describe objects, people, or concepts that are considered rare or of great worth.

In the Berean Standard Bible, יָקַר is translated in ways that reflect its nuanced meanings. For example, in 1 Samuel 3:1, the word is used to describe the rarity of visions: "In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions." Here, the term conveys the scarcity and preciousness of divine communication during that period.

Another instance is found in Proverbs 3:15, where wisdom is described as more precious than rubies: "She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire compares with her." In this context, יָקַר emphasizes the incomparable value of wisdom.

The concept of heaviness associated with יָקַר can also imply honor or esteem, as seen in Isaiah 13:12: "I will make man scarcer than pure gold, and mankind rarer than the gold of Ophir." This passage uses the term to highlight the rarity and esteemed value of humanity in the context of divine judgment.

Overall, יָקַר (yaqar) captures the essence of something that is not only physically weighty but also metaphorically significant, esteemed, and rare.

אוֹקִ֥יר אוקיר הֹקַ֣ר הקר וְ֭יֵקַר וְיֵיקַ֖ר וַיִּיקַ֥ר וייקר ויקר יָּקְר֣וּ יָקְרָ֥ה יָקַ֖רְתִּי יָקַ֧רְתָּ יקרה יקרו יקרת יקרתי תִּֽיקַר־ תִּיקַ֥ר תיקר תיקר־ ’ō·w·qîr ’ōwqîr hō·qar hoKar hōqar oKir tî·qar tî·qar- tikar tîqar tîqar- vaiyiKar veyeiKar Veyekar way·yî·qar wayyîqar wə·yê·qar wəyêqar yā·qar·tā yā·qar·tî yā·qə·rāh yā·qə·rū yaKarta yaKarti yakeRah yakeRu yāqartā yāqartî yāqərāh yāqərūInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts