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H1069 · Hebrew · Old Testament
בָּכַר
bakar
Verb
to bear firstborn, give first fruits, make firstborn

Definition

Bakar (בָּכַר) means to bring forth the firstborn or to bear first fruit. The verb is the root behind bekor (H1060, firstborn) and bikkurim (H1061, first fruits). It encapsulates the Hebrew theology of priority — the first of everything belongs to God, sanctifying the whole.

Usage & Theological Significance

The firstborn principle runs throughout Scripture: the firstborn son received the double inheritance, the birthright, and the blessing. God claimed all firstborn of Israel (Exodus 13:2) as His own — redeemable by price, pointing forward to Christ, the "firstborn over all creation" (Colossians 1:15). The feast of firstfruits (bikkurim) required that the initial yield of the harvest be offered to God before any was consumed, an act of trust that more would follow. Giving God the first is the antithesis of Cain's offering — the difference between reluctant leftovers and wholehearted priority.

Key Verses

Deuteronomy 21:16-17 He must acknowledge the son of the unloved wife as the firstborn [bekor] by giving him a double share of all he has.
Exodus 13:2 Consecrate to me every firstborn [bekor] male. The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me.
Colossians 1:15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
Psalm 89:27 I will also appoint him my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth.
Romans 8:29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

Word Study

The noun family: bekor (H1060, firstborn son), bekorah (H1062, birthright), bikkurim (H1061, first fruits). Esau's sale of his bekorah for stew (Genesis 25) is tragedy because he traded eternal priority for momentary appetite. Christ as "firstborn from among the dead" (Colossians 1:18) signals that the resurrection inaugurates a new creation — He is its first yield, guaranteeing the full harvest to come.

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