H4005 H4005
The choicest, the best — the finest selection from a group, the pick of the lot
A masculine noun in construct that marks out the superlative specimen within any class. It never appears in absolute form, always pointing to 'the choicest of' something — whether offerings and vows brought to God's chosen place (Deut 12:11), the elite captains drowned in the Sea (Exod 15:4), or the most honored sepulchres offered to Abraham (Gen 23:6). Isaiah deploys it for the finest valleys and loftiest cedars (Isa 22:7; 37:24), while Ezekiel selects 'the choicest of the flock' for a grim siege-pot allegory (Ezek 24:4–5). Daniel closes the biblical usage with 'his choice troops' (Dan 11:15), soldiers handpicked for their quality.
Senses
1. choicest, best — The superlative, finest selection from a category — always in construct or with suffixes, never absolute. Applied to human excellence (Exod 15:4 'choice captains'; Dan 11:15 'choice troops'), material quality (Isa 37:24 'choicest cedars'; Jer 22:7 'choice cedars'; Ezek 24:4–5 'choice of the flock'), topographic splendor (Isa 22:7 'choicest valleys'), social honor (Gen 23:6 'choicest sepulchres'), and sacred devotion (Deut 12:11 'choicest vows'). Spanish 'lo mejor de' and German renderings confirm the superlative force across all target languages. 13×
AR["أَفْضَلُ", "أَفْضَلُ-", "فِي-أَفْضَلِ", "مُخْتَارَ", "مُخْتَارِ", "مُخْتَارِيهِ", "وَ-خِيرَةُ", "وَمُخْتَارُ"]·ben["উত্তমতমতে", "এবং-নির্বাচিত", "এবং-শ্রেষ্ঠ", "তার-বাছাই-করা", "বাছাই", "শ্রেষ্ঠ", "শ্রেষ্ঠ-", "সেরা"]·DE["[ומבחר]", "[מבחר]", "[מבחריו]", "choice-von", "im-besten", "und-choice-von"]·EN["and-choice-of", "choice-of", "choice-of-", "choicest-of-", "his-choice-ones", "in-the-choicest-of", "the-choicest"]·FR["[ומבחר]", "[מבחר]", "choice-de", "choix", "dans-le-choicest-de", "et-choice-de"]·heb["ב-מבחר", "ו-מבחר", "מבחור", "מבחר", "מבחריו"]·HI["उत्तम", "उसके-चुने-हुए", "और-चुने-हुए", "चुनिंदा-में", "चुनींदा", "चुने-हुए", "श्रेष्ठ", "श्रेष्ठ-"]·ID["dan-pilihan", "dan-yang-terpilih-dari", "di-yang-terpilih", "pilihan", "pilihan-", "pilihannya", "pohon-cemara", "yang-pilihan", "yang-terpilih"]·IT["[ומבחר]", "[מבחר]", "choice-di", "e-choice-di", "il-migliore", "in-il-choicest-di", "migliore"]·jav["Pilihan", "aras-ipun", "ing-pilihan", "ingkang-pilihan", "lan-pilihan", "lembah-pilihan-", "pilihan", "pilihan-ipun"]·KO["가장-좋은", "그리고-뽑힌", "그리고-선택된-자들이", "그의-선택된-자들의", "선택된", "선택된-것을", "선택된-것의", "선택된-자들의", "에-가장-좋은", "의-뛰어난-것을", "좋은-", "최상과-", "최상의-것을"]·PT["Escolhidos-de", "No-melhor-de", "e-escolha-de", "e-melhores-de", "escolha-de", "escolha-de-", "escolhido", "escolhido-de-", "escolhidos-de", "melhor-"]·RU["в-лучшей-из", "и-лучшие", "и-отборные", "избранное", "лучшее", "лучшие-", "на-них", "отборные", "отборными", "отборных", "отборных-его"]·ES["Lo-mejor-de", "en-lo-mejor-de", "escogidos-suyos", "lo-escogido", "lo-escogido-de", "lo-mejor", "lo-mejor-de", "lo-mejor-de-", "y-escogidos-de-", "y-lo-mejor-de"]·SW["bora", "bora-ya", "chaguo-bora-la", "kwa-kile", "mabonde-yako-bora", "na-bora-wa", "na-waliochaguliwa", "wake-teule", "wateule-wa"]·TR["secilmisi-", "seckinini", "seçkini", "seçkinini", "seçkinleri", "seçkinlerini", "seçkinlerinin", "seçmelerini-", "seçmesi-için", "seçmesini", "ve-seçkinleri", "ve-seçmesi"]·urd["اور-بہترین", "اور-چنے-ہوئے", "اُس-کے-چُنیدہ", "بہترین", "بہترین-میں", "عمدہ", "چنیدہ", "چُنے-ہوئے"]
Gen 23:6, Exod 15:4, Deut 12:11, 2 Kgs 19:23, Isa 22:7, Isa 37:24, Jer 22:7, Jer 48:15, Ezek 23:7, Ezek 24:4, Ezek 24:5, Ezek 31:16 (+1 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
† I. [מִבְחָר] n.[m.] (f. Ez 24:5) choicest, best, cstr. מִבְחַר Dt 12:11 + 10 times; sf. מִבְחָרָיו Dn 11:15; vows Dt 12:11; valleys Is 22:7; fir trees Is 37:24; cedars Je 22:7; bones Ez 24:4; sepulchres Gn 23:6 (P); of the flock Ez 24:5; of the Assyrians Ez 23:7; captains Ex 15:4 (E poet.); young men Je 48:15; מבחר וטוב לבנון Ez 31:16 (del. וטוב 𝔊 Co); עַם מִבְחָרָיו Dn 11:15 = his choice troops.