H1240 H1240
To search, inquire, investigate; an Aramaic verb used exclusively in Ezra for official archival research and administrative inquiry.
An Aramaic verb appearing only in Ezra, used for the act of conducting an official search or inquiry, particularly in royal archives. Every occurrence involves governmental investigation—whether searching records to verify claims about Jerusalem's rebellious history (Ezra 4:15, 19) or locating Cyrus's original decree (Ezra 6:1). The Spanish renderings "investigar" and "sea buscado" nicely capture both the active and passive dimensions: one can search deliberately or a search can be ordered impersonally. The word underscores how bureaucratic procedure shaped the fate of the returning exiles.
Senses
1. sense 1 — To search, inquire, or investigate officially—used of archival and administrative research conducted by royal authority. In Ezra 4:15 and 4:19 the Piel perfect and imperfect describe searches made in historical records; in 5:17 the Hithpael conveys an impersonal passive 'let search be made' in the royal treasury. English glosses 'and-searched' and 'let-be-searched' together with Spanish 'investigar' and 'sea buscado' reflect both active and passive voice usages of this single sense of official inquiry. 5×
AR["فِي-سِفْرِ-", "لِ-فَحْص", "لِيُفْحَص", "وَ-فَتَّشُوا", "وَ-فَحَصُوا"]·ben["অনুসন্ধান-করতে", "অনুসন্ধান-করা-হউক", "অনুসন্ধান-করা-হোক", "আর-অনুসন্ধান-করলেন", "আর-তারা-অনুসন্ধান-করলেন"]·DE["[ובקרו]", "[יבקר]", "[יתבקר]", "[לבקרא]"]·EN["and-searched", "and-they-searched", "let-be-searched", "let-search", "to-inquire"]·FR["[ובקרו]", "[יבקר]", "[יתבקר]", "[לבקרא]"]·heb["ו-בקרו", "ו-בקרו ׀", "יבקר", "יתבקר", "ל-בקרא"]·HI["और-खोज-की-गई", "खोज-की-जाए", "जाँच-करने-के-लिए"]·ID["biarlah-diperiksa", "dan-mereka-memeriksa", "diperiksa", "untuk-memeriksa"]·IT["e-investigare", "investigare"]·jav["dipun-padosi", "ing-griya", "kangge-niti-priksa", "lan-dipun-padosi"]·KO["그리고-조사하였다", "위해-조사하다", "조사되라", "조사하라"]·PT["e-investigaram", "e-pesquisaram", "para-investigar", "que-seja-investigado", "seja-pesquisado"]·RU["и-искали", "и-поискали", "исследовать", "поискали", "пусть-поищут"]·ES["para-investigar", "se-busque", "sea-buscado", "y-buscaron"]·SW["ifanyiwe-utafiti", "kuchunguza", "na-wakatafuta", "utafute"]·TR["arasinlar", "arasmak-icin", "arastirilsin", "ve-arastirildi"]·urd["اور-تلاش-کیا", "تلاش-کرے", "تلاش-کیا-جائے", "لے-جانچنے-کو"]
Related Senses
H0935 1. come, arrive (Qal) (2413×)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×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [בְּקַר] vb. Pa. inquire, seek (only Ezr) (𝔗 Syriac; v. BH);—Pf. 3 mpl. בַּקַּ֫רוּ 4:19; 6:1; Impf. 3 ms. יְבַקַּר 4:15; Inf. לְבַקָּרָה 7:14;—inquire, c. עַל (rei) concerning 7:14; c. subj. indef., = pass., 4:19 search was made, so 6:1, 4:15. Hithpa. Impf. 3 ms. יִתְבַּקַּר 5:17, impers., let search be made.