Lexical Summary
baqa: To cleave, split, break open, divide
Original Word: בָּקַע
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: baqa`
Pronunciation: baw-KAH
Phonetic Spelling: (baw-kah')
KJV: make a breach, break forth (into, out, in pieces, through, up), be ready to burst, cleave (asunder), cut out, divide, hatch, rend (asunder), rip up, tear, win
NASB: split, break, divided, breached, broken, broke through, burst
Word Origin: [a primitive root]
1. to cleave
2. (generally) to rend, break, rip or open
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
make a breach, break forth into, out, in pieces
A primitive root; to cleave; generally, to rend, break, rip or open -- make a breach, break forth (into, out, in pieces, through, up), be ready to burst, cleave (asunder), cut out, divide, hatch, rend (asunder), rip up, tear, win.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto cleave, break open or through
NASB Translationbreached (3), break (4), break forth (1), break through (1), breaks forth (1), breaks open (1), broke open (1), broke through (2), broken (3), burst (2), burst open (1), cleaved (1), dashed to pieces (1), divide (1), divided (4), forth (1), hatch (2), hews (1), invaded (1), make for ourselves a breach (1), rip (1), ripped (1), ripped open (2), shook (1), split (7), split open (1), splits (1), tear (1), tore (2), torn (2).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(Late Hebrew
id., MI
15 from break of dawn; Aramaic ; compare Ethiopic
👁 Image profit, be useful, originally
findere, aperire, Di) —
Perfect Psalm 78:13, Isaiah 34:15, Nehemiah 9:11; Psalm 74:15, Ezekiel 29:7; Imperfect Judges 15:19; Isaiah 48:21, 2 Samuel 23:16 = 1 Chronicles 11:18, 2Chronicles 21:17; Imperative Exodus 14:16; Infinitive construct suffix Amos 1:13; 2Chronicles 32:1; Participle active Isaiah 63:12; Ecclesiastes 10:9, Psalm 141:7; —
cleave, cleave open, followed by accusative, Judges 15:19 God cleft open the hollow (), and water came out, compare Isaiah 48:21 (object ), also Psalm 74:15 bring forth by cleaving, object , all three of divine operation; cleave or rip open pregnant women Amos 1:13; of a broken staff, tearing the shoulder Ezekiel 29:7 (but read hand for , Sm (?)Co.); cleave wood Ecclesiastes 10:9 ("" ); of ploughing (furrowing) the earth Psalm 141:7 ("" ; in simile); especially of dividing the sea, Exodus 14:16 (P) Nehemiah 9:11; Psalm 78:13, compare Isaiah 63:12, object ; — in all these subject except Exodus 14:16 where he commands Moses; of hatching out (a brood, but no object expressed) Isaiah 34:15, subject arrow-snake.
break through or into, followed by 2 Samuel 23:16 = 1 Chronicles 11:18; followed by accusative 2Chronicles 21:17 ; also 2 Chronicles 32:1, object suffix reference to cities, and he thought to break into them and so bring them unto himself.
Perfect Job 26:8; Zechariah 14:4 ( consecutive); Genesis 7:11; Isaiah 35:6, 2Chronicles 25:11; Proverbs 3:20; Imperfect Isaiah 58:8, Job 32:19; 3feminine singular Isaiah 59:5, Numbers 16:31 3t.; Infinitive construct Ezekiel 30:16; —
be cleft, rent open, subject the ground, Numbers 16:31 (J), 1 Kings 1:40 (hyperb.); mountain Zechariah 14:4; burst open, of men hurled from rock 2 Chronicles 25:12; of cloud beneath its weight of water Job 26:8; hyperb. of belly full of words seeking a vent, Job 32:19 like new wine-skins it will burst open; so of the water-receptacles () of the great deep, at the flood Genesis 7:11; of the water-masses themselves, Proverbs 3:20, Isaiah 35:6; also of the Red Sea, Exodus 14:21; of light breaking forth Isaiah 58:8 (figurative); of serpent's egg hatching out as a viper Isaiah 59:5 .
be broken into, of city captured by breaches in walls 2 Kings 25:4 = Jeremiah 52:7; Ezekiel 30:16.
Perfect 2 Kings 15:16; Job 28:10, Ezekiel 13:13, Isaiah 59:5; Imperfect Psalm 78:15, Genesis 22:3; 3feminine singular Ezekiel 13:11, Hosea 13:8; 2masculine singular Habakkuk 3:9, 2 Kings 8:12; 2feminine plural 2 Kings 2:24; — cleave, cut to pieces, or rend open (often more complete or more violent than Qal), followed by accusative, of cleaving wood Genesis 22:3 i.e. cut it up for burning, so 1 Samuel 6:14; of ripping open pregnant women 2 Kings 8:12; 2 Kings 15:16; of tearing in pieces children 2 Kings 2:24; compare also Hosea 13:8 (figurative); of cleaving open rocks, to bring forth water Psalm 78:15 (subject God); of cutting mining-shafts Job 28:10 ; Habakkuk 3:9 into rivers thou cleavest (the) earth; break through or down (a wall, but no object expressed), Ezekiel 13:11 (but Co ), compare Ezekiel 13:13 ; of hatching eggs Isaiah 59:5 (figurative)
Imperfect Hosea 14:1; Participle Ezekiel 26:10, Joshua 9:4; — be ripped open, of women Hosea 14:1 (verb of masculine form); rent, of old wine-skins Joshua 9:4; broken into, of a city in whose walls a breach has been made Ezekiel 26:10.
Imperfect1plural suffix Isaiah 7:6; Infinitive construct 2 Kings 3:26; — break into, followed by suffix reference to Judah, Isaiah 7:6 let us break into it, lay it open, and so bring it unto ourselves (compare Qal 2 Chronicles 32:1); break through (absolute) with sword, 2 Kings 3:26.
Perfect3feminine singular Jeremiah 39:2 the city was broken into, entrance was made by a breach.
Perfect Joshua 9:13, Imperfect Micah 1:4; — burst (themselves) open, of wine-skins Joshua 9:13; cleave asunder, of valleys Micah 1:4.
Topical Lexicon
בָּקַע (Strong’s Hebrew 1234)
The Act of Divinely-Directed Cleaving
The verb consistently depicts a sudden, decisive rupture—waters, earth, rock, mountain, wood, even human defenses—in every case brought about or overseen by the Lord. It reveals His sovereign ability to open what was shut, provide a way where none existed, or execute judgment no one can withstand.
Creation and World-Wide Cataclysm
• Genesis 7:11 – “All the springs of the great deep burst forth”. The primeval fountains do not gently overflow; they split apart at God’s command, underscoring His mastery over the created order from the very beginning.
• Proverbs 3:20 echoes the same creative dynamic: “By His knowledge the deeps were broken open.” The earliest occurrences therefore tie בָּקַע to both creation and uncreation—God forms by dividing and can unform by the same power.
Miraculous Deliverance through Parted Waters
1. Exodus 14:16, 21 – Moses lifts his staff; the sea “split apart,” granting Israel safe passage and bringing destruction on Egypt.
2. Joshua 3:13-17; 4:18 – The Jordan “was cut off and rose up in a heap” when the priests’ feet touched it, reaffirming that the God who saved from Egypt still guides into inheritance.
3. 2 Kings 2:8, 14 – Elijah, then Elisha, strike the Jordan, “and it was divided to the one side and to the other,” marking prophetic succession and confirming heaven’s approval.
These scenes of cleaving water repeatedly stress that salvation is not a mere escape route but a manifest act of the covenant-keeping God who Himself opens the path.
Provision from Split Rock
• Exodus 17:6; Psalm 78:15; Isaiah 48:21 – “He split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink as abundant as the seas” (Psalm 78:15). The same power that divides seas can divide granite. The apostle Paul later identifies that rock with Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4), linking בָּקַע to the gospel’s life-giving flow.
• Judges 15:19 – The hollow place at Lehi “split open” for Samson, foreshadowing God’s pattern of refreshing His servants when strength is spent.
Judgment Executed by a Rending Earth
• Numbers 16:31 – At Korah’s rebellion, “the ground under them split open,” swallowing the rebels alive.
• Zechariah 14:4 – When the Messiah’s feet stand on the Mount of Olives, “the mountain will be split in two,” providing refuge for survivors yet simultaneously heralding final judgment. בָּקַע thus frames both historical and eschatological reckonings.
Everyday Human Activity
The verb can describe ordinary acts—Abraham “split wood” for sacrifice (Genesis 22:3); craftsmen break pots (Jeremiah 19:10-11). Even here, any human cleaving serves larger redemptive purposes: Abraham readies wood for the substitutionary ram; Jeremiah’s shattered jar dramatizes impending exile. Human hands may wield the axe or hammer, yet Scripture’s narrative keeps the decisive initiative with God.
Spiritual and Pastoral Implications
1. God Makes a Way – Whenever the path forward seems barred, He can cleave seas, rivers, rocks, or hearts (compare Psalm 51:17) to accomplish His plans.
2. Provision from Hard Places – Congregations facing drought—spiritual or material—find hope in the God who opens stone to gush water.
3. Warning against Rebellion – The ground that split beneath Korah counsels holy fear; divine patience has a threshold.
4. Hope of Final Deliverance – Zechariah’s splitting mountain points believers toward the return of Christ, when every obstacle will yield to His presence.
Selected References by Emphasis
Deliverance: Exodus 14:16, 21; Joshua 3:13-17; 4:18; 2 Kings 2:8, 14
Provision: Exodus 17:6; Judges 15:19; Psalm 78:15; Isaiah 48:21
Judgment: Numbers 16:31; Jeremiah 19:10-11; Zechariah 14:4
Creation/Cosmic: Genesis 7:11; Proverbs 3:20; Psalm 74:15
Everyday Acts: Genesis 22:3; 2 Samuel 23:2 (LXX tradition); 2 Chronicles 34:4
Summary
Whether opening primeval waters, carving a corridor of salvation, cracking rock to sustain life, or rending earth and mountain in judgment, בָּקַע portrays the decisive inbreaking of God’s will. Each occurrence challenges the reader to trust the Lord who alone can cleave every barrier, satisfy every thirst, and finally divide the righteous from the wicked at the consummation of all things.
Forms and Transliterations
בִּקְעָם֙ בִּקֵּ֑עַ בִּקֵּ֔עוּ בִּקֵּֽעַ׃ בָ֭קַעְתָּ בָּ֣קַע בָּקַ֣עְתָּ בּ֤וֹקֵֽעַ בּוֹקֵ֥עַ בוקע בקע בקע׃ בקעו בקעם בקעת הִתְבַּקָּ֑עוּ הָבְקְעָ֖ה הבקעה התבקעו וְנִבְקַע֩ וְנַבְקִעֶ֖נָּה וַֽיְבַקְּעוּ֙ וַיְבַקַּע֙ וַיִּ֨בְקַע־ וַיִּבְקְע֨וּ וַיִּבְקְעוּ֩ וַיִּבְקַ֨ע וַיִּבְקָע֔וּהָ וַיִּבָּקְע֖וּ וַתְּבַקַּ֣עְנָה וַתִּבָּקַ֣ע וַתִּבָּקַ֥ע וּבְקָעֵ֑הוּ וּבִקַּעְתִּ֥י וּבָקְעָ֖ה וּבָקַעְתָּ֥ וּבֹקֵ֣עַ וּמְבֻקָּעִ֖ים ובקע ובקעה ובקעהו ובקעת ובקעתי ויבקע ויבקע־ ויבקעו ויבקעוה ומבקעים ונבקע ונבקענה ותבקע ותבקענה יְבַקַּ֣ע יְבֻקָּֽעוּ׃ יִבָּקֵֽעַ׃ יִבָּקַ֤ע יִתְבַּקָּ֑עוּ יבקע יבקע׃ יבקעו׃ יתבקעו לְבִקְעָ֥ם לְהִבָּקֵ֑עַ לְהַבְקִ֛יעַ לבקעם להבקיע להבקע מְבֻקָּעָֽה׃ מבקעה׃ נִבְקְע֤וּ נִבְקְעוּ֙ נִבְקַ֖ע נִבְקָ֑עוּ נִבְקָֽעוּ׃ נבקע נבקעו נבקעו׃ תְּבַקְּעֵֽם׃ תְּבַקֵּֽעַ׃ תְּבַקַּע־ תִּבָּקַ֥ע תבקע תבקע־ תבקע׃ תבקעם׃ bā·qa‘ bā·qa‘·tā ḇā·qa‘·tā Baka baKata bāqa‘ bāqa‘tā ḇāqa‘tā bikAm bikKea bikKeu biq‘ām biq·‘ām biq·qê·‘ū biq·qê·a‘ biqqê‘ū biqqêa‘ bō·w·qê·a‘ boKea bōwqêa‘ hā·ḇə·qə·‘āh hāḇəqə‘āh havekeAh hiṯ·baq·qā·‘ū hitbakKau hiṯbaqqā‘ū lə·ḇiq·‘ām lə·haḇ·qî·a‘ lə·hib·bā·qê·a‘ ləḇiq‘ām ləhaḇqîa‘ lehavKia lehibbaKea ləhibbāqêa‘ levikAm mə·ḇuq·qā·‘āh məḇuqqā‘āh mevukkaAh niḇ·qa‘ niḇ·qā·‘ū niḇ·qə·‘ū niḇqa‘ niḇqā‘ū niḇqə‘ū nivKa nivKau nivkeU tə·ḇaq·qa‘- tə·ḇaq·qə·‘êm tə·ḇaq·qê·a‘ təḇaqqa‘- təḇaqqə‘êm təḇaqqêa‘ tevakka tevakKea tevakkeEm tib·bā·qa‘ tibbaKa tibbāqa‘ ū·ḇā·qa‘·tā ū·ḇā·qə·‘āh ū·ḇə·qā·‘ê·hū ū·ḇiq·qa‘·tî ū·ḇō·qê·a‘ ū·mə·ḇuq·qā·‘îm ūḇāqa‘tā ūḇāqə‘āh ūḇəqā‘êhū ūḇiqqa‘tî ūḇōqêa‘ ūməḇuqqā‘îm umevukkaIm uvakaTa uvakeAh uvekaEhu uvikkaTi uvoKea vaiyibbakeU vaiyivKa vaiyivkaUha vaiyivkeU Vakata vattevakKanah vattibbaKa vayvakKa vayvakkeU venavkiEnnah venivKa wat·tə·ḇaq·qa‘·nāh wat·tib·bā·qa‘ wattəḇaqqa‘nāh wattibbāqa‘ way·ḇaq·qa‘ way·ḇaq·qə·‘ū way·yib·bā·qə·‘ū way·yiḇ·qa‘ way·yiḇ·qa‘- way·yiḇ·qā·‘ū·hā way·yiḇ·qə·‘ū wayḇaqqa‘ wayḇaqqə‘ū wayyibbāqə‘ū wayyiḇqa‘ wayyiḇqa‘- wayyiḇqā‘ūhā wayyiḇqə‘ū wə·naḇ·qi·‘en·nāh wə·niḇ·qa‘ wənaḇqi‘ennāh wəniḇqa‘ yə·ḇaq·qa‘ yə·ḇuq·qā·‘ū yəḇaqqa‘ yəḇuqqā‘ū yevakKa yevukKau yib·bā·qa‘ yib·bā·qê·a‘ yibbaKa yibbaKea yibbāqa‘ yibbāqêa‘ yiṯ·baq·qā·‘ū yitbakKau yiṯbaqqā‘ū
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