Quick Definition
to choose
Strong's Definition
properly, to try, i.e. (by implication) select
Derivation: a primitive root;
KJV Usage: acceptable, appoint, choose (choice), excellent, join, be rather, require.
TWOT Reference: 231
Outline of Biblical Usage
Septuagint (LXX) Greek Equivalents
This Hebrew word is translated by the following Greek words in the Septuagint:
STEPBible — Tyndale Abridged Hebrew Lexicon
בָּחַר (ba.char) — to choose. 1) to choose, elect, decide for 1a) (Qal) to choose 1b) (Niphal) to be chosen 1c) (Pual) to be chosen, selected
UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew
verb · בָּחוּר · בְּחוּרִים · בָּחִיר · מִבְחֹור · מִבְחָר · בְּחוּרֹות
Willing | verb qal, verb nif, verb pu'al | ≠ מאס
to choose, to prefer = action by which someone makes a selection among several options, which include humans, divine beings, animals, other objects, or events
GEN 6:2 · GEN 13:11 · EXO 17:9 · EXO 18:25 · NUM 16:5 · NUM 16:7 · NUM 17:20 · DEU 4:37 · DEU 7:6 · DEU 7:7 · DEU 10:15 · DEU 12:5 · DEU 12:11 · DEU 12:14 · DEU 12:18 · DEU 12:21 · DEU 12:26 · DEU 14:2 · DEU 14:23 · DEU 14:24 · DEU 14:25 · DEU 15:20 · DEU 16:2 · DEU 16:6 · DEU 16:7 · DEU 16:11 · DEU 16:15 · DEU 16:16 · DEU 17:8 · DEU 17:10 · DEU 17:15 · DEU 18:5 · DEU 18:6 · DEU 21:5 · DEU 23:17 · DEU 26:2 · DEU 30:19 · DEU 31:11 · JOS 8:3 · JOS 9:27 · JOS 24:15 · JOS 24:22 · JDG 5:8 · JDG 10:14 · 1SA 2:28 · 1SA 8:18 · 1SA 10:24 · 1SA 12:13 · 1SA 13:2 · 1SA 16:8 · 1SA 16:9 · 1SA 16:10 · 1SA 17:40 · 1SA 20:30 · 2SA 6:21 · 2SA 10:9 · 2SA 15:15 · 2SA 16:18 · 2SA 17:1 · 2SA 19:39 · 2SA 24:12 · 1KI 3:8 · 1KI 8:16 · 1KI 8:16 · 1KI 8:44 · 1KI 8:48 · 1KI 11:13 · 1KI 11:32 · 1KI 11:34 · 1KI 11:36 · 1KI 14:21 · 1KI 18:23 · 1KI 18:25 · 2KI 21:7 · 2KI 23:27 · 1CH 15:2 · 1CH 19:10 · 1CH 21:10 · 1CH 28:4 · 1CH 28:4 · 1CH 28:5 · 1CH 28:6 · 1CH 28:10 · 1CH 29:1 · 2CH 6:5 · 2CH 6:5 · 2CH 6:6 · 2CH 6:6 · 2CH 6:34 · 2CH 6:38 · 2CH 7:12 · 2CH 7:16 · 2CH 12:13 · 2CH 29:11 · 2CH 33:7 · NEH 1:9 · NEH 9:7 · JOB 7:15 · JOB 9:14 · JOB 15:5 · JOB 29:25 · JOB 34:4 · JOB 34:33 · JOB 36:21 · PSA 25:12 · PSA 33:12 · PSA 47:5 · PSA 65:5 · PSA 78:67 · PSA 78:68 · PSA 78:70 · PSA 84:11 · PSA 89:20 · PSA 105:26 · PSA 119:30 · PSA 119:173 · PSA 132:13 · PSA 135:4 · PRO 1:29 · PRO 3:31 · ISA 1:29 · ISA 7:15 · ISA 7:16 · ISA 14:1 · ISA 40:20 · ISA 41:8 · ISA 41:9 · ISA 41:24 · ISA 43:10 · ISA 44:1 · ISA 44:2 · ISA 48:10 · ISA 48:10 · ISA 49:7 · ISA 56:4 · ISA 58:5 · ISA 58:6 · ISA 65:12 · ISA 66:3 · ISA 66:4 · ISA 66:4 · JER 8:3 · JER 33:24 · JER 49:19 · JER 50:44 · EZK 20:5 · HAG 2:23 · ZEC 1:17 · ZEC 2:16 · ZEC 3:2
Good | verb qal sg, verb nif ptc.act | ≈ טֹוב
choice, picked, to be preferred = state in which an object has been selected for its superior quality
EXO 14:7 · PRO 8:10 · PRO 8:19 · PRO 10:20 · PRO 16:16 · SNG 5:15
Well | verb nif ptc.act
to be preferred = state in which an event is considered superior in quality to other events
Soldiers | ≈ אִישׁ שֹׁלֵף חָרֶב · גִּבֹּור · גִּבֹּור חָיִל · גִּבֹּורֵי מִלְחָמָה · יֹוצֵא צָבָא אֹחֵז רֹמַח וְצִנָּה · עֹשֵׂה מִלְחָמָה
warrior, soldier = person selected from among the young men of a tribe or nation to join the army
JDG 20:15 · JDG 20:16 · JDG 20:34 · 1SA 24:3 · 1SA 26:2 · 2SA 6:1 · 2SA 10:9 · 1KI 12:21 · 1CH 19:10 · 2CH 11:1 · 2CH 13:3 · 2CH 13:3 · 2CH 13:17 · 2CH 25:5
verb
1 JOB 34:33 · JOB 34:4 RSV NRSV "choose" NJPS GNT CEV "decide" = [1] | NIV "discern" NJB "consider" REB "examine" = [2] 2 JOB 36:21 RSV Gordis "choose" NIV "prefer" = [1] | NJPS NRSV REB "to try" = pual form בֻּחַרְתָּ = [2] 3 ECC 9:4 MT-K יבּחר has been variously read (יְבֻחַר pual | יִבָּחֶר niphal) | MT-Q יְחֻבַּר from חבר "to join". Most English versions follow MT-Q (RSV NRSV "is joined with" | NJPS "is reckoned among" | NIV "is among" | REB "is counted among") as also most commentaries. Seouw takes the MT-K as qal, and reads the phrase as interrogative (rhetorical question) "Who is the one who chooses?". Murphy also takes it as interrogative, "who can be set apart?" (understanding בחר here as "to be set apart"). The existence of a pual form has been questioned (cf. Seouw, and Gordis, The Book of Job, 418, on JOB 36:21). 4 ISA 48:10 NJB "chosen" = [1] | RSV "tried" NIV NJPS NRSV GNT CEV "tested" REB "purified" = [2]
UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon
בָּחַר vb. choose Qal with בְּ, divine choice
man’s choice
with אֲשֶׁר: divine choice
man’s choice
with acc. & לְ, choose some one or something for
with acc. and מִן, choose, select from
acc. divine choice
man’s choice
with עַל, for this hast thou chosen rather than affliction
with לְ of acc. chosen
test, try
Niph. to be chosen
Pu. chosen, selected
base