H0970 H0970
A young man in his prime, of fighting or marriageable age; rarely, a chosen or elect one (from the root בחר, 'to choose').
The word בָּחוּר is formally the passive participle of בחר ('to choose'), but in the vast majority of its occurrences it has become a standard noun meaning 'young man' — one in the prime of manhood, fit for war and marriage. It pairs naturally with בְּתוּלָה ('young woman/virgin') as in Deut 32:25 and Ps 148:12, and prophetic texts use the plural בַּחוּרִים to lament the loss of a nation's youth in judgment (Jer 6:11; Lam 1:15). In just two passages (Ps 89:19; Jer 50:44), the etymological sense surfaces: a 'chosen one' selected by God, where Spanish 'escogido' and German 'Erwählter' reveal the verbal root shining through.
Senses
1. young man, youth — A young man of military or marriageable age, the standard substantival use. The pairing בָּחוּר וּבְתוּלָה ('young man and young woman') recurs across poetry and prophecy (Deut 32:25; 2 Chr 36:17; Ps 148:12). Spanish 'joven/jóvenes,' French 'jeune homme/jeunes hommes,' and German 'Jüngling/junge Männer' all capture the age-specific sense. Saul is described as a בָּחוּר in his prime (1 Sam 9:2); Proverbs 20:29 celebrates the strength of young men. In prophetic judgment oracles (Jer 6:11; 48:15; Lam 1:15), the collective plural evokes the devastating loss of an entire generation. 44×
AR["الشَّابُّ", "الشَّابِّ", "الشُّبَّانَ", "الـ-شُّبَّانِ", "شابًّا", "شَابًّا", "شَابٌّ", "شَابٍّ", "شُبَّانًا", "شُبَّانَ", "شُبَّانُ", "شُبَّانُهَا", "شُبَّانِهَا", "شُبَّانِهِ", "فِتْيَانًا"]·ben["-যুবক", "তার-যুবকদের", "তার-যুবকরা", "তার-যুবকেরা", "যুবক", "যুবকদের", "যুবকের", "যুবকেরা"]·DE["Juengling", "jung-Mann", "junge-Maenner"]·EN["a-young-man", "her-young-men", "his-young-men", "its-young-men", "young-man", "young-men", "young-men-of-"]·FR["[בחור]", "jeune-homme", "jeunes-hommes"]·heb["בחור", "בחורי", "בחוריה", "בחוריו", "בחורים"]·HI["उसके-जवान", "उसके-जवानों", "जवान", "जवान-की", "जवानों-की", "जवानों-को", "जवानों-पर-उसके"]·ID["Pemuda-pemuda", "muda", "pemuda", "pemuda-pemuda", "pemuda-pemudanya"]·IT["[בחור]", "giovane", "giovane-uomo"]·jav["Para-jaka", "jaka", "nem-neman-ipun", "nom-noman", "nonoman-jaler", "para-jaka", "para-jaka-ipun", "para-jaka-nipun", "para-jakanipun", "para-priya-nem", "tiyang-anem"]·KO["그의-젠은이들의", "저은이들이-", "젊은-자와", "젊은이들을-그녀의", "젊은이들이-그녀의", "젊은이들이다", "젊은이의", "젖은이라", "젠은이와", "청년", "청년과", "청년들을", "청년들의", "청년이"]·PT["Jovens-de", "escolhido", "jovem", "jovem,", "jovens", "jovens-de", "jovens-seus", "mancebo", "seus-jovens"]·RU["желанных", "юноша", "юношами-его", "юношей", "юношей-её", "юноши", "юноши-его", "юноши-её", "юношу"]·ES["Los-jóvenes-de", "al-joven", "el-joven", "joven", "jóvenes", "jóvenes-de", "sus-jóvenes"]·SW["Vijana-wa-kiume-wa", "baּchwּr", "kijana", "vijana", "vijana-wa", "vijana-wake"]·TR["delikanlıları-", "delikanlıyı", "genc-adam", "genc-erkekleri", "gencin", "genclerinin", "genç", "gençleri", "gençlerin", "gençlerine", "gençlerinin"]·urd["اُس-کے-جوانوں", "جوان", "جوان-", "جوان-اُس-کے", "جوان-کی", "جوانوں-اُس-کے", "جوانوں-پر", "جوانوں-کو", "جوانوں-کی", "جوانوں-کے-لیے", "نوجوان"]
Deut 32:25, Judg 14:10, Ruth 3:10, 1 Sam 8:16, 1 Sam 9:2, 2 Kgs 8:12, 2 Chr 36:17, 2 Chr 36:17, Ps 78:31, Ps 78:63, Ps 148:12, Prov 20:29 (+32 more)
2. chosen one, elect — The passive participle retaining its verbal force from בחר ('to choose'): a chosen one, an elect person. In Ps 89:19 God declares 'I have exalted one chosen (בָּחוּר) from the people,' and Jer 50:44 asks 'who is the chosen one I will appoint?' Spanish 'escogido' and German 'Erwählter' unmistakably render the elective meaning, in contrast to the age-related translations used elsewhere. This rare sense preserves the word's etymological connection to divine selection. 2×
AR["الْمُخْتَارُ", "مُخْتَارًا"]·ben["মনোনীত", "মনোনীতকে"]·DE["Juengling", "ein-Erwählter-einer"]·EN["a-chosen-one", "the-chosen-one"]·FR["dans-jeune-homme", "jeune-homme"]·heb["בחור"]·HI["चुना-हुआ", "चुने-हुए-को"]·ID["terpilih", "yang-terpilih"]·IT["giovane"]·jav["kapilih", "tiyang-ingkang-pinilih"]·KO["택한-자를", "택함-받은-자-를"]·PT["escolhido", "um-escolhido"]·RU["избранного", "избранный"]·ES["escogido"]·SW["aliyechaguliwa", "mteule"]·TR["seçilmişi", "seçkin"]·urd["چُنا-ہوا", "چُنیدہ"]
Related Senses
H0376 1. man, person, human male (2130×)H3045 1. Qal: to know, perceive, understand (829×)H5315 1. soul, inner being (647×)H0251 1. brother (blood sibling) (573×)H3820a 1. heart, inner self (mind/will/emotion) (572×)H0120 1. man, human being (individual/generic) (527×)H0802 1. woman, female person (519×)H4672 1. Qal: find, discover (289×)G1492 1. know facts or truths (285×)H0802 2. wife, spouse (255×)H3824 1. heart, inner self (mind/will/emotion) (250×)H0517 1. mother, female parent (217×)G0435 1. man, male person (202×)H1245 1. seek, search for (200×)G1097 1. know, be acquainted with (196×)G1135 1. woman, adult female (190×)H2142 1. Qal: remember, recall (173×)H2233 1. offspring, descendants (172×)G2588 1. heart (inner self, mind, will) (158×)H0001 2. ancestor, forefather (146×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† בָּחוּר n.m. young man Is 62:5 + 7 times; pl. בַּחוּרִים (intensive with dag. f. implic.) Pr 20:29 + 13 times; cstr. בַּחוּרֵי Ez 23:6 + 4 times; sf. בַּחוּרַי etc. La 1:18 + 16 times;—young man (choice, in the prime of manhood) 1 S 9:2 Ec 11:9 Is 62:5; coll. young men Je 15:8; בָּחוּר וּבְתוּלָה young men and virgins Dt 32:25 2 Ch 36:17 Je 51:22 Ez 9:6; usually pl. Ju 14:10 Ru 3:10 1 S 8:16 2…