Lexical Summary
bikkurah: Firstfruits
Original Word:בִּכּוּרָה
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:bikkuwrah
Pronunciation:bik-koo-RAW
Phonetic Spelling:(bik-koo-raw')
KJV: firstripe (fruit)
NASB:first-ripe fig, earliest fruit, first-ripe
Word Origin:[feminine ofH1061 (בִּכּוּר - first fruits)]
1. the early fig
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
firstripe fruit
Feminine ofbikkuwr; the early fig -- firstripe (fruit).
see HEBREWbikkuwr
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
bakarDefinitionthe first ripe fig, early fig
NASB Translationearliest fruit (1), first-ripe (1), first-ripe fig (2).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(regarded as a delicacy) (Löw
391; compare Arabic
, Spanish
albacora, Moorish
bokkôre)
Micah 7:1;
Hosea 9:10; suffix = (read Di),
Isaiah 28:4; plural
Jeremiah 24:2 probably a different word, plural abstract =
early ripeness, compare Du.
Topical Lexicon
Definition and Imageryבִּכּוּרָה denotes the first, tender figs that appear before the main summer crop. These figs develop on the previous year’s wood, ripening earlier (late spring to early summer) and possessing exceptional sweetness. In biblical thought they picture the first evidence of life, promise, and covenant faithfulness.
Occurrences
•Hosea 9:10: “I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the early fruit on the fig tree.”
•Micah 7:1: “Woe is me, for I am like one who gathers summer fruit... no early fig that I crave.”
Both prophets employ the term to measure spiritual vitality: Hosea recalls Israel’s youthful devotion; Micah laments its absence in his generation.
Agricultural and Cultural Background
In ancient Israel the early fig was prized by travelers and farmers alike. Because it appeared when other fresh produce was scarce, it was eagerly sought and quickly consumed. Its arrival signaled that the full harvest was imminent, creating anticipation and joy among the people.
Theological Significance
1. Divine Expectation: Just as a farmer waits for these first figs, the Lord anticipates the firstfruits of obedience from His people (Hosea 9:10; compareDeuteronomy 26:1-11 concerning firstfruits in general).
2. Covenant Memory: Hosea’s image evokes the Exodus generation—God’s initial delight in Israel contrasts sharply with their later apostasy at Baal Peor.
3. Spiritual Barometer: Micah’s disappointment mirrors God’s assessment of Judah’s moral climate. The absence of בִּכּוּרָה foretells judgment and exile, yet implicitly calls for repentance that could restore fruitfulness.
Prophetic Applications
The early fig is used prophetically to:
• Highlight the fleeting nature of initial zeal that is not sustained (Hosea 9).
• Illustrate the prophet’s loneliness amid widespread corruption (Micah 7).
• Warn that a season of reckoning follows unmet divine expectations, just as unfruitful trees are cut down (Isaiah 34:4; compareLuke 13:6-9).
New Testament Resonance
Although בִּכּוּרָה itself does not appear in the New Testament, its concept permeates the teaching of Jesus:
• The barren fig tree (Matthew 21:18-22) dramatizes judgment for fruitlessness in spite of outward promise.
• The budding fig tree signals the nearness of the kingdom (Matthew 24:32-35), echoing the prophetic role of early figs as harbingers of a coming harvest.
•James 1:18 identifies believers as “a kind of firstfruits,” transferring the Old Testament imagery to the Church’s call to manifest authentic, early evidence of redemption.
Practical Ministry Insights
• Pastoral Evaluation: Leaders may assess congregational health by looking for “early figs” of conversion—repentance, love, and service that naturally precede larger works.
• Encouragement of Perseverance: Hosea warns against a faith that blossoms early yet fades; discipleship must nurture initial zeal into lasting obedience.
• Missional Readiness: As בִּכּוּרָה heralded the larger harvest, visible fruit in believers should alert the world to the imminent return of Christ and the final ingathering.
Forms and Transliterations
בִּכּוּרָ֖ה בכורה כְּבִכּוּרָ֤ה כבכורה bik·kū·rāh bikkuRah bikkūrāh kə·ḇik·kū·rāh kəḇikkūrāh kevikkuRah
Links
Interlinear Greek •
Interlinear Hebrew •
Strong's Numbers •
Englishman's Greek Concordance •
Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •
Parallel Texts
