Original Word: בְּמוֹ
Part of Speech: Preposition
Transliteration: bmow
Pronunciation: beh-mo
Phonetic Spelling: (bem-o')
KJV: for, in into, through
NASB: through
Word Origin: [prolongation for prepositional prefix]

1. in, with, by, etc

for, in into, through

Prolongation for prepositional prefix; in, with, by, etc. -- for, in into, through.

Word Origin
poetic form of a preposition prefix
Definition
in
NASB Translation
through (1).

בְּמוֺ poetic for בְּ (see below מוֺ: compare Sabean בם, DHM^{ZMG 1883, 344}) Isaiah 25:10 Qr (< Kt בְּמֵי) Isaiah 43:2; Isaiah 44:16,19; Psalm 11:2; Job 9:30 Kt (> Qr בְמֵי) Job 16:4,5; Job 19:16; Job 37:8.

II. בְּ, perhaps abbreviated in

proper name for בֶּןֿ, בֵּית q. v.

בִּאָה see below בּוֺא.

Overview

בְּמוֹ is a compact prepositional-pronoun form that typically links an action, condition, or object directly “in,” “with,” or “upon” its subject. Though it appears only eight times, its placements are strategic, sharpening the focus on personal responsibility, divine protection, and the moral implications of human speech and behavior.

Literary Distribution

Job 16:4; Job 16:5; Job 19:16; Job 37:8; Psalm 11:2; Isaiah 43:2; Isaiah 44:16; Isaiah 44:19

Usage in Job: Dialogues on Suffering and Integrity

1. Job 16:4–5 contrasts merciless rhetoric with genuine consolation: “I also could speak as you do, if you were in my place… But I would encourage you with my mouth, and the consolation of my lips would bring relief.”. The tiny connective makes Job’s hypothetical empathy vivid, underscoring the ethical demand to support the afflicted rather than wound them with words.
2. Job 19:16 intensifies Job’s alienation: even his servants ignore him, heightening the drama of forsakenness and pointing ultimately to the need for a Redeemer.
3. Job 37:8 depicts animals retreating “into their dens,” illustrating God’s sovereign control over creation. The same particle that described human relationships now depicts instinctive obedience to divine ordering.

Psalm 11:2: The Precipice of Persecution

“The wicked bend their bows; they set their arrows on the string to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart.”. בְּמוֹ binds the wicked intent with its weapon, stressing the calculated nature of evil. The psalmist’s confidence in the LORD’s righteous throne is sharpened by this precise depiction of hostility.

Isaiah 43:2: Promise Amid the Waters and Flames

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you cross the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched; the flames will not set you ablaze.”. Here the construction fuses the believer’s peril with God’s pledge, making His presence inseparable from the trial itself. The word choice conveys covenant intimacy: deliverance is not merely external rescue but companionship within adversity.

Isaiah 44:16, 19: Satire of Idolatry

The prophet mocks a man who burns part of a tree for warmth and fashions the rest into a god, then says, “Deliver me, for you are my god!” (44:17). בְּמוֹ stresses the absurdity—trust is placed “in it,” the same log half-consumed by fire. Verse 19 revisits the scene, exposing the blindness of those who cannot discern the contradiction. The particle ties the idolater’s devotion to the very object that proves his folly.

Theological Themes

1. Moral Responsibility of Speech (Job 16).
2. Solidarity and Alienation (Job 19).
3. Divine Governance of Nature (Job 37).
4. Persecuted Righteousness versus Divine Justice (Psalm 11).
5. Covenant Presence in Trial (Isaiah 43).
6. Futility of Idolatry (Isaiah 44).

Historical Significance

The occurrences span wisdom, poetry, and prophecy, indicating a Hebrew linguistic consciousness that personalizes both faith and folly. From the patriarchal milieu of Job to post-exilic prophetic promises, the same form serves to highlight individual accountability and God’s unwavering agency.

Ministry Applications

• Pastoral Care: Like Job’s desired comforters, counselors must ensure that their words embody true empathy, not detached critique.
• Worship and Lament: Psalm 11 supplies language for believers facing covert hostility, reminding them that Yahweh remains enthroned.
• Suffering Theology: Isaiah 43 equips congregations to interpret trials as arenas of divine presence, not abandonment.
• Apologetics: Isaiah 44’s satire empowers believers to expose modern idolatries—whether materialism or self-deification—by showing their intrinsic contradictions.
• Creation Stewardship: Job 37 invites awe before God’s environmental governance, fostering humility and responsible dominion.

Summary

Though small, בְּמוֹ functions as a theological spotlight, attaching actions and objects directly to their agents and thus revealing the heart. In each text it either exposes human folly or magnifies God’s faithfulness, calling readers to align their trust, speech, and worship accordingly.

בְּמ֣וֹ בְּמוֹ־ בְמוֹ־ במו במו־ bə·mōw bə·mōw- ḇə·mōw- beMo bemov bəmōw bəmōw- ḇəmōw- vemovInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts