bechora · birthright, firstborn

What it means

bechora (בְּכוֹרָה) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “birthright, firstborn”.

The firstborn of the flock; also the right of the eldest son, the birthright.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. The rights of the eldest son in the family.
2. The earliest young of the livestock.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• birthright ×8
• firstborn ×6

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Genesis×7
• Deuteronomy×4
• 1 Chronicles×3

• Genesis 4:4

  And Abel also brought, he too, from the firstborn of his flock and from their fat. And YHWH regarded Abel and his offering,

• Genesis 25:31

  Jacob said, “Sell me today your birthright.”

• Genesis 25:32

  Esau said, “Look, I am going to die; what good is a birthright to me?”

• Genesis 25:33

  Jacob said, “Swear to me today.” So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob.

• Genesis 25:34

  Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank, rose, and went away. So Esau despised the birthright.

• Genesis 27:36

  He said, “Was he not rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times: my birthright he took, and look, now he has taken my blessing.” And he said, “Have you not reserved for me a blessing?”

• Genesis 43:33

  They sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked in amazement at one another.

• Deuteronomy 12:6

  There you shall bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution of your hand, your vows and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock.

• Deuteronomy 12:17

  You may not eat within your gates the tithe of your grain or of your new wine or of your oil, or the firstborn of your herd or of your flock, or any of your vows that you vow, or your freewill offerings, or the contribution of your hand;

• Deuteronomy 14:23

  And you shall eat before YHWH your Elohim, in the place that he chooses to make his name dwell there, the tithe of your grain, your new wine, and your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and your flock, so that you may learn to fear YHWH your Elohim all the days.

• Deuteronomy 21:17

  But the firstborn, the son of the hated one, he shall acknowledge by giving him a double portion of all that is found to be his, for he is the firstfruits of his vigor; to him belongs the right of the firstborn.

• 1 Chronicles 5:1

  And the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel (for he was the firstborn; but when he defiled his father’s couch, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel, and he is not enrolled in the genealogy as firstborn;

• 1 Chronicles 5:2

  for Judah prevailed among his brothers, and from him came a leader, but the birthright was Joseph’s):

And 1 more times.