Original Word: בִּכְרָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: bikrah
Pronunciation: bik-raw'
Phonetic Spelling: (bik-raw')
KJV: dromedary
NASB: young camel, young camels
Word Origin: [feminine of H1070 (בֶּכֶר - Firstborn)]

1. a young she-camel

dromedary

Feminine of beker; a young she-camel -- dromedary.

see HEBREW beker

Word Origin
from bakar
Definition
a young camel, dromedary
NASB Translation
young camel (1), young camels (1).

בִּכְרָה noun feminine young camel, dromedary (Arabic young she-camel) Jeremiah 2:23; plural construct בִּכְרֵי Isaiah 60:6.

Overview

בִּכְרָה designates a young female camel. Its solitary appearance in Jeremiah 2:23 employs the animal’s characteristic energy and wanderlust as a vivid metaphor for Judah’s unrestrained pursuit of idols.

Scriptural Setting

Jeremiah 2 records the prophet’s first extended oracle against Judah. After reminding the nation of its bridal devotion in the wilderness, the Lord confronts it for exchanging “their glory for useless idols” (Jeremiah 2:11). Verse 23 reads:

“‘How can you say, “I am not defiled; I have not run after the Baals”? Look at your behavior in the valley; acknowledge what you have done. You are a swift young camel weaving through her ways.’”

The image of the “swift young camel” (בִּכְרָה) encapsulates Judah’s restless, self-directed roaming.

Cultural and Historical Background

1. Mobility and Trade: In the ancient Near East, camels were prized for long-distance travel. Their speed and hardiness opened caravan routes stretching from Arabia to the Mediterranean. A young camel, especially a female just coming into strength, symbolized vigor and freedom.
2. Desert Instincts: Unyoked camels instinctively wander in search of water or mates. Observers noted their tendency to zigzag, creating unpredictable paths—imagery Jeremiah folds into the charge that Judah “entangles” her course.
3. Domestic Value: While male camels often bore heavy loads, females supplied milk and, when young, were valued breeding stock. Losing such an animal to desert wandering was costly, accentuating the tragedy of Judah’s spiritual drift.

Prophetic Function of the Metaphor

• Restlessness of Idolatry: Like a young she-camel darting here and there, Judah pursued Baal worship from hilltop to valley (Jeremiah 2:20, 23). Idolatry never satisfies, driving the heart to continual motion (cf. Hosea 2:5–7).
• Self-Deception: Judah protests innocence—“I have not run after the Baals”—even as her actions betray her. The contrast between claim and conduct underscores sin’s blinding power (Proverbs 16:2).
• Call to Accountability: “Look at your behavior in the valley.” The public nature of the camel’s tracks parallels the undeniable evidence of Judah’s apostasy. The prophet appeals to visible deeds rather than hidden motives.

Theological Significance

1. Covenant Infidelity: The metaphor highlights relational breach, echoing the marriage imagery throughout Scripture (Exodus 34:14; Ephesians 5:25–27). Wandering from Yahweh equates to spiritual adultery.
2. Divine Pursuit: Even as Judah lurches away, the Lord’s question “How can you say…?” manifests His seeking heart (Luke 15:4–7).
3. Human Agency and Responsibility: Just as a camel chooses its path, Judah consciously opts for syncretism. Scripture holds God’s people accountable for deliberate deviation (Hebrews 3:12–13).

Connections with Related Imagery

• Wild Donkey in Heat (Jeremiah 2:24): Paired animal metaphors intensify the accusation—one depicts restless roving, the other uncontrolled passion.
• Adulterous Wife (Ezekiel 16:15): Both passages expose covenant betrayal through striking, even shocking, symbols.
• Camel and the Eye of a Needle (Matthew 19:24): While New Testament usage differs, both texts leverage camel imagery to teach moral truth—restless idolatry in Jeremiah, hindrance of riches in Matthew.

Ministry and Discipleship Applications

• Diagnostic Preaching: Jeremiah’s camel furnishes an arresting picture of spiritual restlessness applicable to modern idolatries—materialism, entertainment, or self-promotion.
• Pastoral Counseling: The text helps individuals trace “tracks in the valley,” examining tangible behaviors that reveal heart loyalties (James 1:14).
• Call to Return: The implied remedy is rediscovering covenant faithfulness. Jeremiah later voices God’s invitation: “Return, faithless Israel…for I am merciful” (Jeremiah 3:12). In Christ, the invitation finds its ultimate fulfillment (1 John 1:9).
• Missionary Challenge: Just as caravans once carried earthly goods across deserts, believers are summoned to bear the gospel, not idols, to the nations (Matthew 28:19–20). The contrast between Judah’s misuse of freedom and the Spirit-led journey of the church offers fertile ground for exhortation.

Summary

בִּכְרָה appears only once, yet it conveys a potent lesson: unchecked desire propels God’s people into winding paths of self-chosen worship. Jeremiah’s young camel urges every generation to heed its tracks, repent of idolatry, and return to covenant fidelity under the Shepherd who “leads me beside still waters” (Psalm 23:2).

בִּכְרָ֥ה בכרה bichRah biḵ·rāh biḵrāhInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts