H0977 H0977
To choose, select, prefer; of God's sovereign election of persons and places, and of human deliberate choice; passive: chosen, elect.
Bachar is the Hebrew Bible's primary verb of deliberate selection, and its theological weight is immense. When God 'chooses' Israel (Deut 7:6), Jerusalem (1 Kgs 11:13), or David (1 Sam 16:8-10), the verb carries the full gravity of sovereign election — not a preference among equals but a decisive act of covenantal commitment. The multilingual evidence reveals how seriously translators take this: Arabic yakhtāru and Spanish escoger both select purposeful-choosing vocabulary, while Korean 택하다/선택하다 and Swahili -chagua isolate the deliberative, decisive core. The passive participle bachur ('chosen one') becomes virtually a title — for elite warriors (Judg 20:15-16), for Israel as a people (Isa 43:20), and in the Proverbs for wisdom 'chosen' above silver (Prov 8:10, 10:20).
Senses
1. choose, select (Qal active) — The core Qal active sense of deliberately choosing or selecting — by far the dominant usage at 145 occurrences. This covers both divine election (God choosing Abraham, Israel, Levites, Jerusalem, David's line: Deut 4:37, 7:6-7, Neh 9:7) and human choice (Joshua told to 'choose men' at Exod 17:9; Job declaring 'I would choose' at Job 9:14). Arabic yakhtāru, Korean 택하다, and Swahili -chagua all converge on deliberate, volitional selection. The verb regularly takes the preposition be- to mark the object chosen, a distinctive Hebrew idiom that Spanish renders with the direct object (escoja a) while German uses erwählen. 145×
AR["يَخْتَارُ"]·ben["তিনি-বেছে-নেবেন","তিনি-মনোনীত-করবেন","বেছে-নেবেন","মনোনীত-করবেন","যিহোবা"]·DE["Er-soll-erwaehlen","er-wird-erwaehlen","soll-erwaehlen","wird-erwaehlen"]·EN["He-shall-choose","he-will-choose","shall-choose","will-choose"]·FR["Il-devra-choisir","devra-choisir","fera-choisir","il-fera-choisir"]·heb["יבחר"]·HI["चुनेगा"]·ID["dipilih","dipilih-Nya"]·IT["Egli-dovra-scegliere","egli-fara-scegliere","scegliera"]·jav["badhe-dipun-pilih","bakal-dipunpilih"]·KO["택하시리라","택하실"]·PT["ele-escolher","escolher"]·RU["изберёт"]·ES["escoja"]·SW["atachagua"]·TR["seçecek","seçer"]·urd["چنے-گا","چُنے-گا"]
Deut 4:37, Deut 7:6, Deut 7:7, Deut 10:15, Deut 12:5, Deut 12:11, Deut 12:14, Deut 12:18, Deut 12:21, Deut 12:26, Deut 14:2, Deut 14:23 (+38 more)
2. chosen one, elect (Qal passive participle) — The Qal passive participle used substantively: 'chosen one(s), elect, choice.' Appears 16 times as virtually a title or status marker — of elite fighting men (Judg 20:15-16, 600 chosen Benjaminites), of Pharaoh's best chariot officers (Exod 14:7), and of Israel as God's elect people (1 Sam 24:2). Arabic mukhtār ('the chosen/elect'), Korean 선택된/뽑힌 ('selected/picked'), and Swahili wateule ('chosen ones') all use dedicated passive-participial or adjectival forms, confirming that this is a lexicalized category distinct from the active verb — a person defined by their status of having been chosen. 16×
AR["مُختاراً","مُختاري","مُختارٍ","مُخْتَارًا","مُخْتَارٌ","مُخْتَارٍ","مُخْتَارَةٍ","مُنتَخَبي","مُنْتَخَبٍ"]·ben["নির্বাচিত","বছাই","বাছাই","বাছাই-করা","বীর","বেছে-নেওয়াদের","মনোনীত"]·DE["erwaehlen","erwaehlt","erwaehlt-die","erwaehlt-die-von","erwaehlt-von"]·EN["chosen","chosen-of","chosen-ones","chosen-ones-of","the-chosen-one"]·FR["choisi","choisi-ceux","choisi-ceux-de","choisi-de","choisir","jeune-homme"]·heb["בָּחוּר","בחור","בחורי","מובחר"]·HI["चुना-हुआ","चुने-हुए","चुने-हुओं"]·ID["berperang","orang-pilihan","pilihan","prajurit-muda","terpilih"]·IT["scegliere","scelto","scelto-di","scelto-quelli","scelto-quelli-di"]·jav["kapilih","pilihan","pilihan-saking","prajurit-pilihan","tiyang-pilihan"]·KO["뽑은","뽑힌","선택된","선택된-자를","정예","정예-의","정예들","택한","택한-자를"]·PT["escolhido","escolhidos","escolhidos,","escolhidos-de","jovem","jovens","os-jovens-de"]·RU["избранный","избранных","отборных"]·ES["escogido","escogidos","escogidos-de"]·SW["aliyechaguliwa","teule","vijana","vijana-wateule","vijana-wateule-wa","wachaguliwa","waliochaguliwa","wateule","yaliyochaguliwa"]·TR["genç","seçkin","seçkinleri","seçkinlerin","seçkinlerinin","seçme"]·urd["چنا-ہوا","چنے-ہوئے","چُنے-ہوئے"]
Exod 14:7, Judg 20:15, Judg 20:16, Judg 20:34, 1 Sam 24:2, 1 Sam 26:2, 2 Sam 6:1, 2 Sam 10:9, 1 Kgs 12:21, 1 Chr 19:10, 2 Chr 11:1, 2 Chr 13:3 (+4 more)
3. be chosen, be selected (Nifal) — The Nifal stem expressing the passive or reflexive: 'to be chosen, be preferred, be more desirable.' Found 7 times, concentrated in Proverbs wisdom literature where abstract qualities are ranked — 'chosen is my fruit above fine gold' (Prov 8:19), 'the tongue of the righteous is choice silver' (Prov 10:20), 'to get understanding is to be chosen above silver' (Prov 16:16). Arabic mukhtārun and Korean 택함을 받다 ('to receive choosing') both mark the passive voice explicitly. The Nifal here functions almost as a comparative adjective: X is-to-be-preferred over Y. 7×
AR["الْمُخْتَارَةِ","اِخْتَارُوا","مُخْتارٌ","مُخْتَارَةٌ","وَيُخْتَارُ"]·ben["এবং-বেছে-নেওয়া-হবে","পছন্দনীয়","বরং-পছন্দনীয়"]·DE["erwaehlte","und-erwaehlen"]·EN["And-shall-be-chosen","choice","chosen"]·FR["choisir","et-choisir"]·heb["ו-נבחר","נבחר"]·HI["और-चुनी-जाएगी","चुना-गया","चुना-हुआ","चुनी-हुई"]·ID["Lebih-dipilih","dan-akan-dipilih","dipilih","lebih-dipilih","pilihan"]·IT["e-scegliere","scegliere"]·jav["Lan-dipilih","langkung-dipunpilih","pilihan"]·KO["그리고-택하여지리라","택하라","택함-받은","택함을-받느니라","택함을-받는니라"]·PT["E-será-preferida","escolhida","escolhido","preferível","É-escolhido"]·RU["и-предпочтётся","избранное.","отборное","предпочтительнее"]·ES["Es-escogido","Y-será-preferida","es-escogido","escogida","escogido"]·SW["huchaguliwa","iliyochaguliwa","na-utachaguliwa","ni-bora","yalichaguliwe"]·TR["seçilmiş","tercih-edilir","ve-tercih-edilecek"]·urd["اور-پسند-کی-جائے-گی","پسندیدہ","چنا-ہوا","چنا-ہوا-ہے","چنی-ہوئی"]
4. sense 4 — A single occurrence at Eccl 9:4 involving a ketiv/qere textual variant. The ketiv reading yechubbar ('is joined') differs from the qere yibbacher ('is chosen'), producing translation uncertainty. Multilingual renderings split: some follow the ketiv (Spanish escoja may reflect the qere), others the qere. The passage's point — that a living dog is better than a dead lion — carries either way, but the textual crux makes this a distinct lexicographic note rather than a clean sense. 1×
AR["[يَبْحَر]"]·ben["[বেছে-নেবে]"]·DE["erwaehlte"]·EN["[ketiv]"]·FR["choisir"]·heb["יבחר"]·HI["[चुना-जाए]"]·ID["[Q]"]·IT["scegliere"]·jav["(kina)"]·KO["선택된다"]·PT["[será-escolhido]"]·RU["[ктив:изберёт]"]·ES["[escoja]"]·SW["[anachaguliwa]"]·TR["secilir"]·urd["[قدیم]"]
5. sense 5 — A single occurrence at Song 5:15 where bachur is used adjectivally to describe the beloved's appearance as 'choice as the cedars of Lebanon.' Here the word functions as a qualitative adjective meaning 'excellent, finest, choice' rather than referring to an act of selection or a status of election. Spanish escogido and French choisi both render it as 'selected/choice,' while the Song's poetic register transforms the participle into pure aesthetic praise — the beloved is as 'choice' as Lebanon's most magnificent trees. 1×
AR["بَحُور"]·ben["বাছাই"]·DE["erwaehlte"]·EN["choice"]·FR["choisi"]·heb["בחור"]·HI["चुना-हुआ"]·ID["terpilih"]·IT["scegliere"]·jav["kang-dipunpilih"]·KO["뛰어나네"]·PT["eleito"]·RU["избранный"]·ES["escogido"]·SW["bora"]·TR["seckin"]·urd["بہترین"]
Related Senses
H3045 1. Qal: to know, perceive, understand (829×)H5315 1. soul, inner being (647×)H3820a 1. heart, inner self (mind/will/emotion) (572×)H4672 1. Qal: find, discover (289×)G1492 1. know facts or truths (285×)H3824 1. heart, inner self (mind/will/emotion) (250×)H1245 1. seek, search for (200×)G1097 1. know, be acquainted with (196×)H2142 1. Qal: remember, recall (173×)G2588 1. heart (inner self, mind, will) (158×)G2147 1. find, discover (144×)G5590 1. soul, inner self (100×)H4672 2. Niphal: be found, be discovered (99×)H1875 1. seek, search for (96×)H5315 2. life, vitality (94×)H1847 1. knowledge, discernment (90×)H2450 1. wise, prudent (84×)H7911 1. Qal: to forget (83×)H3684 1. fool, dullard (70×)G2212 1. seek, search for, look for (64×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† בָּחַר vb. choose (cf. Aramaic בְּחַר, Syriac ܒܚܰܪ ‖ בחן, Assyrian bêru (√ באר) DlPr 76)— Qal Pf. בָּחַר Dt 7:6 +; Impf. יִבְחַר Is 41:24 + 60 times; אֶבֲחַר Jb 29:25 (Baer); Imv. בְּחַר Ex 17:9 + 5 times; Inf. abs. בָּחוֹר 1 S 2:28 Is 7:15, 16; Inf. cstr. sf. בָּהֳרִי Ez 20:5; Pt. בֹּחֵר 1 S 20:30 Zc 3:2; pass. בָּחוּר Ex 14:7 + 18 times;— 1. with בְּ, a. divine choice, of Abraham Ne 9:7;…