Lexical Summary
bad: Part, portion, alone, apart, branch, linen
Original Word:בּד
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:bad
Pronunciation:bahd
Phonetic Spelling:(bad)
KJV: alone, apart, bar, besides, branch, by self, of each alike, except, only, part, staff, strength
NASB:alone, poles, themselves, only, itself, himself, apart
Word Origin:[fromH909 (בָּדַד - shoots)]
1. (properly) separation
2. (by implication) a part of the body, branch of a tree, bar for carrying
3. (figuratively) chief of a city
4. (especially, with prepositional prefix as an adverb) apart, only, besides
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
alone, apart, bar, besides, branch, by self, of each alike, except,
Frombadad; properly, separation; by implication, a part of the body, branch of a tree, bar for carrying; figuratively, chief of a city; especially (with prepositional prefix) as an adverb, apart, only, besides -- alone, apart, bar, besides, branch, by self, of each alike, except, only, part, staff, strength.
see HEBREWbadad
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
badadDefinitionseparation, a part
NASB Translationaddition* (1), alone (58), alone* (4), apart (2), aside (2), bars (1), besides* (40), disease (1), except (1), except* (1), himself (6), including (1), itself (7), limbs (2), Myself (1), only (11), part of each (1), poles (37), separate (1), themselves (15), unless* (1), without* (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
II, III. see below I, II. .
II. , , concrete part (
,portion) — suffix (always with ) , etc., 3 feminine pluralGenesis 21:28 ,Genesis 21:29 ; —
with , only in singular, properlyin a state of (see below )separation, alone, by itself (Frenchà part).
Exodus 26:9 (=Exodus 36:16) five curtainsby themselves, and six curtainsby themselves,Judges 7:5 him shalt thou setapart,Zechariah 12:12-14.
with suffix (89 t.) to express the idea ofby oneself, alone (properlyin his, thy, my separation),Genesis 2:18 it is not good for man to bealone,Genesis 21:28 and A. set the seven lambsby themselves (literally in their separation),Genesis 32:17;Genesis 43:32;2 Samuel 10:8;Isaiah 5:8;Genesis 42:38 healone,Exodus 18:14 thoualone,Numbers 11:14 Ialone,1 Kings 19:10,14;Deuteronomy 8:3 not upon breadalone,Deuteronomy 29:13;2 Samuel 13:32;2 Samuel 18:24;Isaiah 44:24;Isaiah 49:21;Isaiah 63:3 +; after an oblique case, as a dativeExodus 22:19;Judges 3:20;Psalm 51:6 against theealone have I sinned; a GenitivePsalm 71:16 I will make mention of the righteousness of theealone.
as adverb of limitation,Isaiah 26:13only through thee do we celebrate thy name,Ecclesiastes 7:29.
it becomes a preposition,apart from, besides,Exodus 12:37;Numbers 29:39;Deuteronomy 3:5;Deuteronomy 18:8 (read with Aq Ew Di)Judges 8:26;Judges 20:15 and elsewhere (15 t.); once,Ezra 1:6, with instead of .
33 (probably inverted forbesides) (chiefly P and late):Genesis 26:1;Genesis 46:26;Leviticus 9:17;Leviticus 23:38 (4 t.)Numbers 5:8;Numbers 6:21;Numbers 17:14 12t. 28-29;Deuteronomy 28:69;Joshua 22:29;1 Kings 10:13;1 Chronicles 3:9; 2Chronicles 9:12; 17:19; 31:16;Ezra 2:65 =Nehemiah 7:67;Daniel 11:4. With suffixDeuteronomy 4:35 there is none elsebesides him (compareIsaiah 45:21).
concretepartExodus 30:34 (P)part for (i.e. like; compare
end)part shall it be.
parts, specificallyextended from something, i.e. (a) of a body,members, limbsJob 18:13 (of man),Job 41:4 (of crocodile); (b) of a vine,rods orshootsEzekiel 17:6;Ezekiel 19:14; (c) ofpoles orstaves used for carrying the arkExodus 25:13,14,15;Exodus 35:12;Exodus 37:4,5;Exodus 39:35;Exodus 40:20;Numbers 4:6;1 Kings 8:7,8 (twice in verse) (= 2Chronicles 5:8,9 (twice in verse)), or table of shewbreadExodus 25:27,28;Exodus 35:13;Exodus 37:14,15;Numbers 4:8, or altar of B. O.Exodus 27:6 (twice in verse);Exodus 27:7 (twice in verse);Exodus 35:16;Exodus 38:5,6,7;Exodus 39:39;Numbers 4:14, or altar of incenseExodus 30:4,5;Exodus 35:15;Exodus 37:27,28;Numbers 4:11; (d) more Generallybars (of fortress)Hosea 11:6, (of a gate)Job 17:16 figurative (seeIsaiah 38:10). Job 17:16 read (for ) Du Dr, with in vb (for ).
Topical Lexicon
OverviewStrong’s Hebrew 905 בַּד (bad) appears around two-hundred times in the Old Testament, consistently conveying the idea of being set apart—either as a physical bar that keeps things separate or as an adverbial/nominal form meaning “alone,” “besides,” or “apart.” The term thus operates on both the literal and theological levels, joining concrete imagery with the call to exclusive devotion to the LORD.
Primary Spheres of Usage
1. Physical Separation: Bars, bolts, crosspieces.
2. Personal or Corporate Isolation: “alone,” “by oneself,” “apart.”
3. Exclusive Comparison: “besides,” “except,” underscoring the uniqueness of God or an individual.
Symbolism in the Tabernacle and Temple
The Exodus narratives employ בַּד for the acacia-wood bars that strengthened the sanctuary framework and enabled the Ark and altars to be carried without direct human touch (Exodus 25:13–15;Exodus 26:26–29;1 Kings 8:7-8). These bars illustrate two abiding truths:
• Protection of holiness. The bars created necessary distance between the holy objects and human hands, anticipating the New Testament teaching that access to God must be mediated by divine provision.
• Unity through separation. Five horizontal bars bound each set of vertical frames “so that the frames will remain together” (Exodus 26:29). Separation thus secured cohesion—a paradox that mirrors the believer’s call to be “set apart” yet “one body.”
Separation as an Aspect of Holiness
“In the wilderness He found him… He shielded him, cared for him, guarded him as the apple of His eye” (Deuteronomy 32:10). The same passage declares, “The LORD alone guided him; no foreign god was with him” (Deuteronomy 32:12). Here בַּד underscores Israel’s covenantal distinctiveness. The people must live apart from idolatry (Numbers 16:21), dietary compromise (Leviticus 11:35), and foreign alliances (Ezra 10:11). Separation is never isolation for its own sake; it flows from the holiness of the LORD who makes His people holy (Leviticus 20:24-26).
The Language of Divine Exclusivity
Isaiah’s monotheistic declarations press בַּד into service: “I am the LORD, and there is no other; besides Me there is no God” (Isaiah 45:5). The formula “besides You” (מִבַּלְעֲדֶיךָ) recurs inIsaiah 45:21;Isaiah 44:6;Hosea 13:4, sealing the scriptural insistence that the LORD brooks no rivals. New Covenant preaching of Christ’s unique mediatorship (Acts 4:12) stands firmly on this Old Testament bedrock.
Narrative Portraits of Solitary Faithfulness
• Joseph dined “by himself” in Egypt (Genesis 43:32), prefiguring God-ordained separations that preserve covenant identity.
• Elijah lamented, “I alone am left” (1 Kings 19:10), only to learn that God had reserved a remnant. בַּד thus frames both prophetic loneliness and divine faithfulness.
•Micah 7:14 looks forward to a day when the flock dwells “in a forest with pastureland,” secure yet distinct.
Wisdom and Worship Texts
Psalm 4:4 counsels: “Tremble and do not sin; speak in your heart upon your bed, and be still.” Solitude cultivates reflection and repentance. Similarly,Psalm 83:18 prays that the nations may know “that You alone, whose name is the LORD, are Most High over all the earth.” Worship demands the recognition of God’s incomparable status.
Eschatological and Messianic Echoes
Zechariah 12:12 pictures Israel in national repentance: “Every family will mourn by itself.” Genuine revival begins with personal accountability before God. InIsaiah 63:3 the Servant declares, “I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with Me,” a foreshadowing of the redemptive isolation of Jesus Christ who bore sin “by Himself” (Hebrews 1:3).
Practical Ministry Applications
Separation for Devotion
Pastors and congregations are called to cultivate spaces—physical and spiritual—where holiness can flourish. As the tabernacle bars protected sacred vessels, disciplined boundaries protect corporate worship from profanation.
Exclusive Allegiance
The linguistic stress on “besides Me” confronts syncretism in any age. Evangelism and discipleship must exalt the LORD as the sole Savior.
Redemptive Solitude
Periods of God-ordained aloneness, whether in leadership (Moses), prophetic ministry (Jeremiah), or personal crisis (David in the wilderness), are not aberrations but instruments of divine formation.
Secure Togetherness
Just as individual bars strengthened the sanctuary frame, diverse believers “built together for a dwelling place for God” (Ephesians 2:22) find cohesion in shared separation unto Christ.
Conclusion
Strong’s Hebrew 905 בַּד weaves through Scripture as a quiet but persistent witness that God’s people are called to live apart from sin and idolatry, firmly held together by the exclusivity and sufficiency of the LORD. Whether functioning as literal bars or lexical markers of holiness, the term invites believers to embrace consecrated distinctiveness while resting in the One who “alone does great wonders” (Psalm 136:4).
Forms and Transliterations
בְּבַ֖ד בַּ֝דָּ֗יו בַּ֥ד בַּדִּ֔ים בַּדֵּ֖י בַּדֵּ֣י בַּדָּ֑יו בַּדָּ֔יו בַּדָּ֖יו בַּדָּֽיו׃ בַדִּים֙ בַדֵּ֖י בַדֶּ֙יהָ֙ בַדָּ֖יו בַדָּֽיו׃ בבד בד בדי בדיה בדיו בדיו׃ בדים הַבַּדִּ֑ים הַבַּדִּ֖ים הַבַּדִּ֗ים הַבַּדִּ֜ים הַבַּדִּ֤ים הַבַּדִּים֒ הַבַּדִּים֙ הבדים וּלְבַד֙ וּמִלְּבַ֣ד וּמִלְּבַ֤ד וּמִלְּבַד֙ ולבד ומלבד לְ֠בַד לְ֭בַדָּם לְֽבַדְּךָ֥ לְבַ֖ד לְבַ֛ד לְבַ֞ד לְבַ֤ד לְבַ֥ד לְבַ֨ד לְבַד֙ לְבַדְּהֶֽן׃ לְבַדְּךָ֔ לְבַדְּךָ֣ לְבַדְּךָ֨ ׀ לְבַדְּכֶ֑ם לְבַדְּכֶ֖ם לְבַדִּ֑י לְבַדִּ֔י לְבַדִּ֔ים לְבַדִּ֖י לְבַדִּ֗י לְבַדִּי֙ לְבַדֶּ֑ךָ לְבַדֶּ֔ךָ לְבַדֶּֽךָ׃ לְבַדֶּךָ֒ לְבַדָּ֑ם לְבַדָּ֔הּ לְבַדָּ֔ם לְבַדָּ֖הּ לְבַדָּ֖ם לְבַדָּ֗הּ לְבַדָּֽם׃ לְבַדָּֽנָה׃ לְבַדָּם֙ לְבַדּ֑וֹ לְבַדּ֔וֹ לְבַדּ֖וֹ לְבַדּ֛וֹ לְבַדּ֣וֹ לְבַדּֽוֹ׃ לְבַדּוֹ֙ לְבַד־ לְבָ֑ד לְבָ֔ד לְבָֽד׃ לְבָד֙ לַבַּדִּ֔ים לַבַּדִּֽים׃ לבד לבד־ לבד׃ לבדה לבדהן׃ לבדו לבדו׃ לבדי לבדים לבדים׃ לבדך לבדך׃ לבדכם לבדם לבדם׃ לבדנה׃ מִ֠לְּבַד מִלְּבַ֖ד מִלְּבַ֗ד מִלְּבַ֞ד מִלְּבַ֣ד מִלְּבַ֥ד מִלְּבַד֙ מִלְּבַד֩ מִלְּבַד־ מִלְבַדּֽוֹ׃ מִלִּבֹּ֑ו מלבד מלבד־ מלבדו׃ מלבו bad baḏ bad·dāw ḇad·dāw bad·dê ḇad·dê ḇad·de·hā bad·dîm ḇad·dîm badDav baddāw ḇaddāw baddê ḇaddê ḇaddehā badDei badDim baddîm ḇaddîm bə·ḇaḏ bəḇaḏ beVad hab·bad·dîm habbadDim habbaddîm lab·bad·dîm labbadDim labbaddîm lə·ḇaḏ lə·ḇāḏ lə·ḇaḏ- lə·ḇad·dā·nāh lə·ḇad·dāh lə·ḇad·dām lə·ḇad·də·hen lə·ḇad·de·ḵā lə·ḇad·də·ḵā lə·ḇad·də·ḵem lə·ḇad·dî lə·ḇad·dîm lə·ḇad·dōw ləḇaḏ ləḇāḏ ləḇaḏ- ləḇaddāh ləḇaddām ləḇaddānāh ləḇaddəhen ləḇaddeḵā ləḇaddəḵā ləḇaddəḵem ləḇaddî ləḇaddîm ləḇaddōw leVad levadDah levadDam levadDanah levadDecha levaddeChem levaddeHen levadDi levadDim levadDo Levaddom mil·ḇad·dōw mil·lə·ḇaḏ mil·lə·ḇaḏ- mil·lib·bōw milḇaddōw milləḇaḏ milləḇaḏ- milleVad millibBo millibbōw milvadDo ū·lə·ḇaḏ ū·mil·lə·ḇaḏ ūləḇaḏ uleVad ūmilləḇaḏ umilleVad vadDav vadDei vadDeiha vadDim
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