H1309 H1309
tidings, news (especially good news); also the reward given to the bearer of tidings
A feminine noun appearing in the narratives of 2 Samuel and 2 Kings, closely tied to the drama of battlefield messengers. In most occurrences it simply means 'news' or 'tidings,' as in David's court awaiting word from the battle against Absalom (2 Sam 18:20-27). In 2 Kings 7:9, the lepers recognize that their discovery of the abandoned Aramean camp is 'good news.' A specialized sense appears in 2 Samuel 4:10, where it denotes the reward given to a messenger -- the payment one expects for bringing tidings. The Arabic cognate bisharah confirms the core meaning of joyful announcement.
Senses
1. news — News or tidings, often with a positive connotation -- the report brought by a runner from the battlefield or a dramatic scene. Five occurrences cluster around the Absalom narrative (2 Sam 18:20, 22, 25, 27) and the lepers' discovery (2 Kgs 7:9). French 'nouvelle' and Spanish 'buena nueva' consistently reflect the positive expectation associated with this word, though the news itself is not always good. 5×
AR["بِشارَةٌ","بِشارَةٍ"]·ben["সুসংবাদ","সুসংবাদের"]·DE["gut-news","news"]·EN["good-news","news"]·FR["bon-nouvelle","nouvelle"]·heb["בשורה"]·HI["बसोराह","सुसमाचार","सुसमाचार-का"]·ID["-kabar-baik","kabar"]·IT["buono-notizie","notizie"]·jav["kabar-becik","pawarta-sae"]·KO["기쁜-소식의","소식","소식의","소식이","소식이다"]·PT["boas-novas","notícia"]·RU["благовестие","благовестием","благовестия","вести-доброй"]·ES["buena-nueva"]·SW["habari-njema","ujumbe-mzuri","wa-habari-njema"]·TR["muijde","müjde","müjdenin","müjdeyle"]·urd["خوشخبری","خوشخبری-کا"]
2. a reward — The reward or payment given to the bearer of good tidings -- a metonymic extension from the news itself to the compensation expected by its messenger. In 2 Samuel 4:10, David ironically recalls how he treated a previous messenger who expected a reward (besorah) for his report. Spanish 'recompensa' and English 'a reward' capture this concrete, transactional sense distinct from the message itself. 1×
AR["بِشَارَةً"]·ben["সংবাদ"]·DE["ein-reward"]·EN["a-reward"]·FR["un-récompense"]·heb["בשורה"]·HI["सुसमाचार"]·ID["berita"]·IT["un-ricompensa"]·jav["pawarta"]·KO["소식을"]·PT["notícia"]·RU["благую-весть"]·ES["recompensa"]·SW["zawadi-ya-habari"]·TR["müjde"]·urd["خوشخبری-کا-انعام۔"]
Related Senses
H0559 1. say, speak, tell (5297×)G3004 1. say, tell, speak (2226×)H1696 1. speak, say, tell (Piel) (1105×)H7121 1. call, summon, name (575×)H6680 1. command, order, charge (483×)H6030b 1. answer, respond, reply (289×)G2980 1. speak, talk (277×)H5046 1. Hifil: to tell, report (237×)G0611 1. answer or respond verbally (232×)H1288 1. Piel: bless, invoke blessing (227×)H7650 1. swear, take an oath (Niphal) (154×)H3789 1. Qal passive participle: written, recorded (112×)H1984b 1. praise, laud (Piel) (111×)H7592 1. ask, inquire, question (96×)H3034 1. give thanks, praise (Hifil) (94×)G1321 1. teach, instruct actively (92×)H3789 2. Qal active: write, compose (89×)G1125 1. to write, compose (a letter or document) (84×)H5046 2. Hifil: to declare, proclaim (79×)H7892a 1. song, musical composition (78×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† בְּשׂרָה n.f. tidings (cf. Arabic بِشَارَةٌ v. BaNB 61; Sab. בשרן DHM ZMG 1876, 672), 2 S 4:10 + 3 times; בְּשׂוֹרָה 2 S 18:25, 27— 1. good tidings 2 K 7:9. 2. tidings, news 2 S 18:20, 25; with טובה 2 S 18:27. 3. reward for good tidings 2 S 4:10; 18:22.