H1237 H1237
A broad valley or open plain between mountains; a wide, level lowland
Derived from the root בקע ('to cleave, split'), this noun pictures a wide rift valley or open plain — land that has been 'cleft apart' between mountain ranges. It describes the plain of Shinar where humanity gathered to build Babel (Gen 11:2), the valley-plain where Ezekiel saw the glory of the Lord (Ezek 3:22–23) and the valley of dry bones (Ezek 37:1–2), and specific geographic regions like the valley of Jericho (Deut 34:3) and the valley of Lebanon (Josh 11:17). The word often appears in construct with place names, serving as a geographic descriptor for broad, fertile lowlands.
Senses
1. broad valley / plain — A wide, open valley or plain formed between mountains or hills — the landscape 'cleft open' by geological forces. Used for both named geographic locations (בִּקְעַת יְרֵחוֹ, Deut 34:3; בִּקְעַת הַלְּבָנוֹן, Josh 11:17) and general topographic description (Deut 8:7; 11:11). German renders 'Ebene' (plain) and 'Tal' (valley); Spanish 'el valle.' The creation psalm (Ps 104:8) pairs it with mountains in the poetic line 'mountains rose, valleys sank down.' 20×
AR["الأَوْدِيَةِ", "الـ-بِقاعِ", "بِ-الْوَادِي", "بِقَاعًا", "بِقْعةِ", "بِقْعَةَ", "سَهْلًا", "في-البِقاعِ", "في-بِقْعةِ", "في-بِقْعَةِ", "فِي-الْبِقَاعِ", "فِي-بِقْعَةِ", "فِي-سَهْلِ", "مِنْ-بِقْعَةِ-", "وَبِقَاعٍ", "وِديان", "ٱلْبِقَاعِ"]·ben["-উপত্যকায়", "-উপত্যকার", "উপত্যকা", "উপত্যকা-থেকে-", "উপত্যকাগুলিতে", "উপত্যকাগুলির", "উপত্যকায়", "উপত্যকায়-", "উপত্যকার", "এবং-উপত্যকার", "মগিদোন-উপত্যকায়", "সমতলভূমি"]·DE["Ebene", "Tal-von", "[בבקעה]", "[בבקעת]", "[בקעות]", "[לבקעה]", "[מבקעת]", "die-Ebene", "eine-Ebene", "in-Tal-von", "in-der-Ebene", "in-der-Tal", "und-Taeler", "valleys"]·EN["Megiddon", "a-plain", "a-valley", "and-valleys", "from-Valley-of-", "in-Valley-of", "in-the-plain-of", "in-the-valley", "in-valley-of", "into-a-valley", "of-valleys", "the-valley", "valley-of", "valleys"]·FR["[בבקעה]", "[בבקעת]", "[בקעות]", "[לבקעה]", "dans-le-vallée", "dans-plaine", "dans-vallée-de", "et-vallées", "plaine", "une-vallée", "vallée-de"]·heb["ב-בקעה", "ב-בקעת", "בקעה", "בקעות", "בקעת", "ה-בקעה", "ו-בקעות", "ל-בקעה", "מ-בקעת-"]·HI["और-घाटियों-की", "घाटियों-के", "घाटियों-में", "घाटी", "घाटी-में", "तराई", "तराई-में", "ती-घाटी", "में-तराई", "में-मैदान", "मैदन", "मैदान", "मैदान-में", "सूखी-हुईं", "से-तराई-"]·ID["dan-lembah-lembah", "dari-Lembah-", "di-dataran-", "di-lembah", "ke-lembah", "lembah", "lembah-itu", "lembah-lembah"]·IT["[בבקעה]", "[בבקעת]", "[בקעות]", "[לבקעה]", "e-valli", "in-il-valle", "in-valle-di", "la-pianura", "nella-pianura", "pianura", "un-valle", "valle-di"]·jav["dataran", "ing-lebak", "ing-lebak-", "ing-lembah", "lan-lèmbah-lèmbah", "lebak", "lebak-", "lebak-lebak", "lebak-punika", "lembah-jembar", "lembah-lembah", "lèmbah-punika", "saking-Lèmbah-", "wonten-ing-lèmbah"]·KO["~의-골짜기에", "~의-평지-에서", "골짜기", "골짜기(접)", "골짜기-들-로", "골짜기들", "골짜기에서", "그-골짜기", "그-골짜기-에서", "그-골짜기에서", "그-골짜기의", "그리고-골짜기들이라", "에-골짜기", "에-골짜기로", "에-골짜기에", "평지로", "평지를"]·PT["de-Vale-de-", "e-vales", "em-vale", "no-vale", "no-vale-de", "o-vale", "os-vales", "vale", "vale-de", "vales"]·RU["в-hа-долину", "в-долине", "долин", "долину", "долины", "и-долин", "из-долины-", "на-долине", "равниной", "равнину"]·ES["de-Valle-de-", "el-valle", "el-valle,", "el-valle-de", "el-valle;", "en-el-valle", "en-llanura-de", "en-valle", "en-valle-de", "llanura", "que-al-valle", "valle-de", "valles", "y-de-valles"]·SW["bonde", "bonde-la", "bondeni", "bּbikat", "katika-bonde", "katika-bonde-la", "kutoka-Bonde-la", "kuwa-tambarare", "mabonde", "na-mabonde", "tambarare-ya"]·TR["duzluk-olacak", "gördüm", "ova", "ovasında", "ovaya", "vadide", "vadilere", "vadilerin", "vadinin", "vadisi", "vadisinde", "vadisinden-", "vadisine", "vadiye", "ve-vadilerin"]·urd["اور-وادیوں-کی", "میدان", "میدان-میں", "میدان-کے", "میں-وادی", "وادی", "وادی-سے-", "وادی-میں", "وادی-کے", "وادیاں", "وادیوں-کے"]
Gen 11:2, Deut 8:7, Deut 11:11, Deut 34:3, Josh 11:8, Josh 11:17, Josh 12:7, 2 Chr 35:22, Neh 6:2, Ps 104:8, Isa 40:4, Isa 41:18 (+8 more)
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† בִּקְעָה n.f. valley (cleft), plain—abs. ב׳ Gn 11:2 + 8 times; cstr. בִּקְעַת Dt 34:3 + 7 times; pl. בְּקָעוֹת Is 41:18 ψ 104:8; בְּקָעֹת Dt 11:11;— 1. valley (opp. הַר mountain) Dt 8:7 11:11 cf. Is 41:18; also 63:14 כַּבְּהֵמָה בַּבִּקְעָה תֵרֵד in creation-poem ψ 104:8 יַעֲלוּ הָרִים יֵרֽדוּ בְקָעוֹת. 2. plain (sometimes valley-plain, broad valley) Gn 11:2; also Ez 3:22, 23; 8:4; 37:1, 2…