Lexical Summary
beki: Weeping, crying
Original Word:בְּכִי
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:Bkiy
Pronunciation:beh-kee
Phonetic Spelling:(bek-ee')
KJV: overflowing, X sore, (continual) weeping, wept
NASB:weeping, weep, bitterly, continual weeping, flowing, tears
Word Origin:[fromH1058 (בָּכָה - wept)]
1. a weeping
2. by analogy, a dripping
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
overflowing, sore, continual weeping, wept
Frombakah; a weeping; by analogy, a dripping -- overflowing, X sore, (continual) weeping, wept.
see HEBREWbakah
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
bakahDefinitiona weeping
NASB Translationbitterly (1), bitterly* (3), continual weeping (1), flowing (1), tears (1), weep (2), weeping (19), wept* (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Judges 21:2 —
Judges 21:2 20t. (also construct
Deuteronomy 34:8, etc.);
Genesis 45:2;
Isaiah 15:2 6t.; suffix
Psalm 6:9; —
weepingPsalm 30:6;
Isaiah 15:2,5; as accusative of congnate meaning with verb (with )
Judges 21:2;
2 Samuel 13:36;
2 Kings 20:3 =
Isaiah 38:3 compare
Isaiah 16:9 ()
Jeremiah 48:32 (); audible
Psalm 6:9;
Isaiah 65:19;
Ezra 3:13 compare
Jeremiah 3:21;
Jeremiah 31:16;
Isaiah 15:3 ( see
Jeremiah 9:17); so also
Genesis 45:2 () &
Jeremiah 48:5 ( i.e. the sound of it shall ascend) — but text here suspicious, compare
Isaiah 15:5; as disfiguring
Job 16:16; "" words of mourning
Esther 4:3 (, , ),
Jeremiah 31:9 ( compare
Jeremiah 3:21),
Jeremiah 9:10;
Jeremiah 31:15 (), compare Deuteronomy 34:8 & Di
on the passage; cotrition (humiliation)
Joel 2:12 (, ),
Isaiah 22:12 (, , ), compare
Malachi 2:13 (, ); of bitter weeping
Isaiah 22:4 , compare
Jeremiah 31:15 (&
Isaiah 33:7);
Isaiah 16:9;
Jeremiah 48:32 i.e. Ya`zer in Moab, compare proper name;
Psalm 102:10 ( compare
Psalm 42:4;
Psalm 80:6 & Babylonian
dîmtu maštîtî,
tears (
were)
my drink Zim
BP 34, 42). Trop., of trickling streams () in mines — hindrance to miners
Job 28:11.
Topical Lexicon
Scope and OccurrenceThe noun בְּכִי appears twenty-eight times across the Old Testament, from Genesis to Malachi. In every setting it conveys audible, visible sorrow—“weeping” that is never superficial but springs from deep emotion. Its distribution embraces individual lament (e.g., Joseph, David, Job), communal crisis (Israel in exile, Judah under threat), prophetic warnings, and ritual mourning. By surveying these contexts, one sees how Scripture treats human grief, how God attends to it, and how redemptive hope ultimately rises through it.
Personal Grief in Narrative
1. Joseph’s disclosure –Genesis 45:2 records, “He wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it,” underscoring how reconciliation with estranged brothers releases years of pent-up emotion.
2. Joseph at Jacob’s death –Genesis 50:17 again marks his “weeping” when past wounds are reopened, revealing that forgiveness is sometimes revisited in tears.
3. Covenant friendship – When Jonathan and David part, “they kissed one another and wept together, but David wept the more” (1 Samuel 20:41). Intimate friendship before God is not embarrassed by tears.
4. David’s family tragedy – After Amnon’s murder, “the king and all his servants wept very bitterly” (2 Samuel 13:36). The text shows that royal status does not shield anyone from piercing grief.
5. Job’s lament – “My face is red with weeping” (Job 16:16). Honest anguish is given inspired voice, inviting sufferers to express pain without censuring themselves.
Corporate Mourning
• Flight from Absalom – “All the land wept aloud as all the people passed by” (2 Samuel 15:23). National sorrow erupts when the king’s sin bears public consequences.
• Persian diaspora – “There was great mourning among the Jews, fasting, weeping, and wailing” (Esther 4:3). A death decree bonds scattered exiles into unified lament.
• Captivity and exile – InJeremiah 31:9 the returning remnant comes “weeping,” yet guided by streams of grace. Tears accompany both judgment and restoration.
Prophetic Lamentation and Warning
Prophets often summon the nation to tears.Isaiah 22:12 declares, “The Lord GOD of Hosts called for weeping and wailing,” exposing a people who chose revelry instead.Isaiah 30:19 promises that “people will weep no more” when they finally respond to God’s voice.Jeremiah 3:21; 9:10, andMicah 1:10 alike portray mourning that either anticipates repentance or announces inevitable judgment.
Ritual and Liturgical Contexts
Bekî joins fasting, sackcloth, and ashes in communal rites (Esther 4:3;Jeremiah 31:16).Psalm 6:8 affirms that “the LORD has heard my weeping,” integrating tears into temple worship as legitimate offerings God receives.Psalm 102:9 depicts tears literally mingling with one’s drink, confirming that lament shapes Israel’s hymnody.
Divine Response to Human Weeping
Scripture repeatedly testifies that God notices beki:
• “The LORD has heard my weeping” (Psalm 6:8).
• “Restrain your voice from weeping…for your work will be rewarded” (Jeremiah 31:16).
• InMalachi 2:13 the Lord rejects offerings stained with tears because of covenant unfaithfulness, proving He weighs motive, not mere emotion.
Tears therefore invite either comfort or correction, depending on the worshiper’s heart.
Weeping Turned to Joy
While beki underscores sorrow, several passages place it on a trajectory toward rejoicing.Jeremiah 31:9–13 links tears with the “new covenant” joy soon announced inJeremiah 31:31–34.Psalm 30:5 (verbally related) balances “weeping may stay the night, but joy comes in the morning.” Such pairing anticipates the ultimate promise that “He will wipe away every tear” (Revelation 21:4), showing canonical harmony between Old and New Testaments.
Ministry Implications
1. Pastoral empathy –Romans 12:15 exhorts, “Weep with those who weep.” The Old Testament precedent legitimizes tears in pastoral presence rather than hurried consolation.
2. Authentic worship – Lament psalms and prophetic calls remind congregations that confession and grief are acceptable liturgical postures that can precede revival.
3. Evangelistic hope – Tears over sin, like those in Jeremiah’s day, prepare hearts for the gospel, proving sorrow is a severe mercy that leads to repentance.
4. Eschatological comfort – Teaching on the future wiping away of tears offers concrete hope to sufferers, grounding consolation not in sentiment but in divine promise.
Summary
Bekî threads through Scripture as a sign of brokenness and longing. Whether shed by patriarchs, kings, prophets, or the covenant community, these tears matter to God. They expose human frailty, invite divine compassion, and often herald transformative joy. Understanding the biblical theology of beki equips believers to honor grief, nurture repentance, and anticipate the day when the last tear will indeed be wiped away.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּכִ֖י בְּכִ֣י בְּכִ֥י בְכִ֖י בְכִ֣י בִּבְכִ֑י בִּבְכִ֖י בִּבְכִ֣י בִּבְכִ֤י בִּבְכִ֥י בִּבְכִי֙ בִּכְיִֽי׃ בֶ֑כִי בֶּ֑כִי בֶּ֗כִי בַּבֶּ֑כִי בַּבֶּֽכִי׃ בבכי בבכי׃ בכי בכיי׃ וּבְבְכִ֖י וּבְכִ֖י ובבכי ובכי לְבֶ֑כִי לִבְכִי֙ לבכי מִ֭בְּכִי מִבְּכִ֨י מִבֶּ֔כִי מבכי bab·be·ḵî babBechi babbeḵî be·ḵî bə·ḵî ḇe·ḵî ḇə·ḵî beChi beḵî bəḵî ḇeḵî ḇəḵî biḇ·ḵî biḇḵî bichYi biḵ·yî biḵyî bivChi lə·ḇe·ḵî ləḇeḵî leVechi liḇ·ḵî liḇḵî livChi mib·be·ḵî mib·bə·ḵî Mibbechi mibbeḵî mibbəḵî ū·ḇə·ḇə·ḵî ū·ḇə·ḵî ūḇəḇəḵî ūḇəḵî uveChi uveveChi veChi
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