בּוֹא2569 H0935
To come, arrive, enter; in Hifil, to bring; in Hofal, to be brought. One of Hebrew's most frequent verbs of motion.
Bo is the quintessential Hebrew verb of arrival and entry — so common that it appears in nearly every chapter of the Hebrew Bible. At its most basic, it describes motion toward a reference point: Abraham 'came' to Hebron (Gen 13:18), visitors 'arrived' at Sodom (Gen 19:1), the word of the LORD 'came' to Abram (Gen 15:1). But bo also specializes for crossing a threshold — 'entering' the ark, a city, a tent, or the promised land — and in this narrower sense it contrasts with yatsa ('to go out'). The Hifil causative stem transforms bo into a bringing-verb: Joseph's brothers 'brought' gifts (Gen 43:26), and God 'brought' Israel out of Egypt and into Canaan. The multilingual evidence neatly tracks the semantic split: Spanish distinguishes vino ('came') from entro ('entered') from trajo ('brought'), while Korean toggles between oda ('come'), deureogada ('enter'), and gajyeoda ('bring').
1. come, arrive (Qal) — The dominant Qal sense: to come, arrive, reach a destination — 2,413 occurrences covering general motion toward a reference point. This encompasses narrative arrivals ('and Abraham came to Hebron,' Gen 13:18), prophetic formulas ('the word of the LORD came to...'), and eschatological expectations ('the day of the LORD will come'). Arabic ja'a/ata, Korean oda/watta, Swahili kuja/fika, Spanish vino/llego, and German kam all deploy basic arrival vocabulary. The verb's flexibility allows it to cover physical, metaphorical, and temporal 'coming' — events 'come to pass,' plagues 'come upon' Egypt, and blessings 'come upon' the obedient. 2413×
AR["فَ-جَاءَ","فَجَاءَ","فَـ-جَاءَ","وَ-أَتى","وَ-جاءَ","وَ-جَاءَ","وَ-جَاءُوا"]·ben["আর-এল","এবং-আসল","এবং-এল","এবং-এলেন","এবং-তিনি-এলেন","ও-এল"]·DE["und-er-kam","und-es-kam","und-kam"]·EN["and-came","and-he-came"]·FR["et-il-vint","et-vint"]·heb["ו-בא","ו-בוא","ו-הביא","ו-יבוא"]·HI["और-अअय","और-आईं","और-आया"]·ID["Dan-datanglah","dan-datang","dan-datanglah","dan-datanglah-ia","dan-dia-datang"]·IT["e-egli-venne","e-venne"]·jav["Lan-Yakub-rawuh","Lan-mlebet","Lan-rawuh","lan-dumugi","lan-rawuh"]·KO["그리고-그가-와서","그리고-그가-왔다","그리고-들어왔다","그리고-왔다"]·PT["E-veio","e-veio","§ E-veio","¶ E-veio"]·RU["И-подошёл","И-пришёл","и-пришли","и-пришёл"]·ES["Y-vino","y-llegó","y-vino"]·SW["Na-akaja","Yakobo","na-akaenda","na-akafika","na-akaja","na-akakuja","na-wakaja","na-yakaja"]·TR["Ve-geldi","ve-geldi","ve-gitti","ve-vardı"]·urd["اور-آئیں","اور-آیا"]
Gen 13:18, Gen 14:13, Gen 20:3, Gen 23:2, Gen 24:30, Gen 25:29, Gen 30:16, Gen 31:24, Gen 33:18, Gen 35:27, Exod 3:1, Exod 8:24 (+38 more)
▼ 3 more senses below
Senses
2. enter, go in (Qal) — Qal with a specific 'enter' nuance: to go into an enclosed, bounded, or defined space — 112 occurrences. Noah 'entered' the ark (Gen 7:7), Lot urged the angels to 'enter' his house (Gen 19:3), and Israel is commanded to 'enter' the land. The spatial containment distinguishes this from sense 1's open-ended arrival. Arabic dakhala ('to enter'), Korean deureogada/deureowada ('go in/come in'), Swahili ingia ('enter'), and Spanish entro ('entered') all select entry-specific vocabulary distinct from their general arrival terms, confirming a real cross-linguistic sense boundary. The idiom bo el ('come in to') for sexual relations (Gen 16:4; 19:33) belongs here as a specialized extension of the 'enter' metaphor. 112×
AR["تَدْخُلُونَ","دَخَلْتُمْ","دُخُولِكَ","فَدَخَلَ","وَ-دَخَلَ","وَ-دَخَلَتِ","وَدَخَلَ"]·ben["আর-গেল","আর-প্রবেশ-করলেন","আসবে","আসা-তোমার","এবং-গেল","এবং-গেলেন","এবং-প্রবেশ-করল","ও-গেল","তোমরা-আসবে","প্রবেশ-করবে","যাবে"]·DE["du-dort-ankommst","du-kommen","soll-eintreten","und-er-ging","und-er-ging-in","und-ging","und-ging-ein","und-ging-in","und-hineinging"]·EN["and-he-went","and-he-went-in","and-went","and-went-in","shall-enter","you-come"]·FR["devra-entrer","et-alla","et-alla-dans","et-entra","et-il-alla","et-il-alla-dans","tu-venir"]·heb["בוא-ך","הביא","ו-בא","ו-בוא","ו-יבוא","תבואו"]·HI["आओ","आओगे","और-गया","और-गयि","जाओ","तुम आओगे","तुम-प्रवेश-करो","तेरे-अअने","प्रवेश-करोगे","यहोवा"]·ID["akan-masuk","dan-dia-masuk","dan-ia-masuk","dan-masuk","engkau-masuk","kamu-datang","kamu-masuk","kamu-pergi"]·IT["dovra-entrare","e-andò","e-andò-in","e-egli-andò","e-egli-andò-in","e-entrò","tu-venire"]·jav["Lan-piyambakipun-mlebet","badhe-mlebet","lan-lumebet","lan-mlebet","lan-piyambakipun-mlebet","lumebet","mlebet","panjenengan-sadaya-mlebet","panjenengan-sedaya-mlebet","rawuh-panjenengan","sami-mlebet"]·KO["그리고-들어갔다","너희가-가면","너희가-들어가면","너희가-들어간다","너희가-들어감","당신이-들어가다","들어가리라","들어가면-너희가","들어갈-것이다"]·PT["E-entrou","E-veio","e-entrou","e-veio","entrardes","fordes","tua-chegada","vierdes","virdes","vireis"]·RU["войдёте","и-вошла","и-вошёл","придёте","прихода-твоего"]·ES["Y-entró","entraréis","entréis","tu-llegar","y-entró","y-vino"]·SW["akaingia","enda","kukamatia-wako","mkubwa","mtaingia","mtakapoingia","na-akaingia","na-kuja"]·TR["Ve-girdi","gelirseniz","giderseniz","girdiğinizde","gireceksiniz","girerseniz","varmana","ve-geldi","ve-girdi"]·urd["آؤ-تم","اور-آئی","اور-گیا","تم-آؤ","تم-جاؤ","جاؤ-گے","داخل-ہو","پہنچنے-تیرے"]
3. bring, carry to (Hifil) — Hifil causative: to bring, fetch, carry, or deliver someone or something to a location — 62 occurrences. Isaac asks Esau to 'bring' him game (Gen 27:4), Joseph's brothers 'brought' Benjamin to Egypt (Gen 43:15), and God promises to 'bring' Israel into the land. Arabic ahdara ('to bring/present'), Korean gajyeoda/deryeoda ('bring a thing/bring a person'), Swahili leta ('bring'), and Spanish trajo/trajeron all use dedicated causative-motion vocabulary. The Hifil stem morphology is confirmed by cross-linguistic evidence: every major target language shifts to a distinct 'bring' lexeme rather than simply adding 'cause to come.' 62×
AR["أَحضَروا","أَحضَرَها","أَحْضَرُوا","وَ-أتى-بي","وَ-أَتَوْا","وَ-أَتَوْا-بِهِ","وَ-أَحْضَرُوا","وَأَتَوْا","يَأْتُوا","يَجِيئُونَ","يُحْضِرُونَ"]·ben["আনছিল","আনত","আনল","আর-নিয়ে-গেলেন","এনেছিল","এনেছিলেন","এবং-আনল-তারা","এবং-আনলেন","তাদের","তারা-আনল"]·DE["brachte","sie-brachte","und-brachte","und-er-kam","und-sie-brachte"]·EN["and-He-brought","and-brought","and-they-brought","brought","they-brought"]·FR["apporta","et-apporta","et-il-vint","et-ils-apporta","et-ils-apportèrent","ils-apporta"]·heb["הֵבִיאוּ","הביאו","ו-הביא","ו-הביאו","ו-יביא","ו-יביאו","יביאו","יביאון"]·HI["और-उसने-लाया","और-लाए","लाए","लाए-थे","लाते-थे"]·ID["Dan-Dia-membawa","dan-membawaihlah-mereka","dan-membawanya","dan-mereka-membawa","lalu-mereka-membawa","membawa","membawa-lah-mereka","mereka-bawa","mereka-membawa"]·IT["e-essi-porto","e-essi-portò","e-portò","e-venire","essi-portò","portò"]·jav["Lan-Panjenenganipun-mbekta","bekta","lan-dipun-bekta","lan-mbeta","lan-ngasta","lan-piyambakipun-bekta","mbekta","mbeta","mila-sami-beta","piyambakipun-sedaya-mbekta","piyambakipun-sedaya-mbekta.","tiyang-beta"]·KO["가져왔다","그들이-가져왔다","그리고-가져왔다","그리고-그들이-데려왔다","그리고-데려왔다"]·PT["E-trouxe","e-trouxeram","traziam","trouxeram"]·RU["и-внесли","и-привели","и-привёл","принесли","приносили"]·ES["Y-me-trajo","trajeron","traían","y-la-metieron","y-lo-trajeron","y-trajeron"]·SW["kwa-mfalme","leta","na-akanileta","na-wakalileta","na-wakamleta","na-wakawaleta","walileta","wangemleta"]·TR["getirdiler","getirirlerdi","ve-getirdi","ve-getirdiler"]·urd["اور-انہوں-نے-لایا","اور-لائے","اور-لایا","لائے","لائے-تھے","لاتے-تھے","لاتے-رہے","لایا"]
4. be brought (Hofal) — Hofal passive: to be brought, be carried in, be led — only 5 occurrences, making it the rarest stem of this verb. Joseph's brothers fear they 'are being brought' into the steward's house (Gen 43:18), silver 'was brought' into the temple (2 Kgs 12:9), and the book of the law 'was brought' to the king (2 Kgs 22:4). Arabic majlub/mudkhal ('that which is brought'), Korean deullyeobonaejeotda, and Swahili letwa ('-be brought') all use passive morphology, confirming genuine voice distinction. The rarity reflects Hebrew's general preference for active constructions even when the agent is unstated. 5×
AR["أُدْخِلُوا","الْمُدْخَلَةَ","مُدْخَلُونَ","ٱلْمَجْلُوبَةِ"]·ben["আনা","আনা-হচ্ছে","আনা-হল-তাদের"]·DE["der-brachte","sie-gebracht-worden-waren","werden-gebracht"]·EN["are-brought","the-brought","they-were-brought"]·FR["ils-étaient-apporta","le-apporta","sont-apporta"]·heb["בוא","ה-מובא"]·HI["लाए-गए-थे","लाए-जा-रहे-हैं","ह-लाई-गई","हम्मूवा"]·ID["-yang-dibawa","dibawa","mereka-dibawa","yang-dibawa"]·IT["essi-furono-portò","il-portò","sono-portò"]·jav["dipun-mlebet-aken","ingkang-dipun-beta"]·KO["가져오는","그-가져온","들여보냈졌다"]·PT["a-trazida","foram-trazidos","sendo-trazidos"]·RU["введены-были-они","вводимы","принесённое","приносимого","приносимое"]·ES["el-traído","fueron-llevados","la-traída","somos-traídos"]·SW["iliyoletwa","kuletea","ya-mwanzo"]·TR["getirildik","getirildiler","getirilen-","getirilen-o"]·urd["جو-لائی-گئی","لائی-گئی","لائے-گئے","لائے-گئے-ہیں"]
Related Senses
G1473 1. first person singular pronoun (2084×)H3318 1. Qal: go out, depart, come forth (891×)H7725 1. to return, come/go back (Qal) (874×)H5927 1. go up, ascend (Qal) (779×)H7971 1. to send, dispatch (Qal) (701×)G2064 1. come / arrive (physical movement toward) (588×)H5307 1. Qal: fall down physically (339×)H5375 1. Qal: to lift up, raise (330×)H5975 1. to stand, stand up (310×)H5674a 1. Qal: pass by, pass through (256×)H3381 1. Qal: to go down, descend (physical movement) (242×)G1831 1. go/come out physically (193×)H5337 1. deliver, rescue, save (Hifil) (188×)H7901 1. lie down, rest, sleep (183×)G1525 1. enter a place physically (179×)H7812 1. prostrate oneself, bow down, worship (173×)H3318 2. Hifil: bring out, lead out, take out (persons) (172×)H7725 2. to bring back, restore (Hifil) (151×)H5674a 2. Qal: cross over (134×)H5265 1. set out, journey, depart (Qal) (133×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
בּוֹא2569 vb. come in, come, go in, go (Assyrian bâʾu HptKAT 499, Ethiopic ቦአ Arabic بَآءَ return)— Qal Pf. בָּא Gn 6:13 +; 3 fs. בָּ֫אָה Gn 15:17 +; sf. בָּאַתְנוּ ψ 44:18; 2 ms. בָּ֫אתָ Jos 13:1 +, בָּ֫אתָה 2 S 3:7; 2 fs. בָּאתְ Gn 16:8 Ru 2:12, וּבָאתְ consec. Ru 3:4 2 S 14:3 Mi 4:10; 3 pl. בָּאוּ Gn 7:9 +; 1 pl. בָּאנוּ Gn 32:7 + (בָּנוּ 1 S 25:8), etc.; Impf. יָבוֹא Gn 32:9 +, יָבֹא Gn 49:10…