bara · create

What it means

bara (בָּרָא) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “create”.

Make something new exist. In its basic form this verb is used in the Hebrew Bible only when God is the one acting. In other forms it means "clear, cut down" (a forest) or "fatten".

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. To bring something new into being; only God does this.
2. To fell trees, open up a forest.
3. Another word spelled the same: to grow fat.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

Word study

To create: to make something new exist. In its basic form the subject is always God; it is never said of a human being. BDB records other forms of the verb with the sense of ‘cut, clear’ (a forest), and ‘fatten’.

• Elohim creates the heavens, the earth and the living beings Genesis 1:21Deuteronomy 4:32Isaiah 40:28
• The creation of the human being Genesis 1:27Genesis 5:2Malachi 2:10
• Creating something new: heavens, heart, people Isaiah 65:17Psalms 51:10Isaiah 43:1
• YHWH creates light and darkness Isaiah 45:7Amos 4:13
• Clearing a forest; carving Joshua 17:15Ezekiel 21:19

How we translate it

The verb ‘create’ in all its forms: “created” 32 times, “create” 6, “creates” 6; the participle is rendered “Creator” (3: “Creator of the ends of the earth”, Isaiah 40:28). בָּרָא is always ‘create’, while יָצַר is ‘form’ and עָשָׂה ‘make’; in Isaiah 45:7 they go together (“who forms light and creates darkness, who makes peace”). In the other forms the sense is followed: “clear {ground}” (Joshua 17:15), “carve” (Ezekiel 21:19), “fattening yourselves” (1 Samuel 2:29).

How it is translated

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

• created ×32
• create ×6
• creates ×6
• Creator ×3
• carve ×2
• clear ground ×1
• creating ×1
• cut them down ×1
• fattening yourselves ×1
• you will clear it ×1

Related words

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

Where it appears

• Genesis×11
• Exodus×1
• Numbers×1
• Deuteronomy×1
• Joshua×2
• 1 Samuel×1
• Psalms×6
• Ecclesiastes×1
• Isaiah×21
• Jeremiah×1
• Ezekiel×6
• Amos×1
• Malachi×1

• Genesis 1:1

  In the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the earth.

• Genesis 1:21

  And Elohim created the great sea monsters and every living being that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And Elohim saw that it was good.

• Genesis 1:27

  And Elohim created the human being in his image; in the image of Elohim he created him; male and female he created them.

• Genesis 2:3

  And Elohim blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he ceased from all his work that Elohim had created to make.

• Genesis 2:4

  These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that YHWH Elohim made earth and heavens.

• Genesis 5:1

  This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that Elohim created the human being, in the likeness of Elohim he made him.

• Genesis 5:2

  Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and called their name “Human Being” in the day they were created.

• Genesis 6:7

  And YHWH said, “I will wipe out the human being whom I have created from the face of the ground, from human being to livestock, to creeping things and to the birds of the sky, for I am sorry that I made them.”

• Exodus 34:10

  And he said, “Look, I am making a covenant. Before all your people I will do wonders that have not been created in all the earth or in any nation; and all the people among whom you are shall see the work of YHWH, for it is fearsome, what I am doing with you.

• Numbers 16:30

  But if YHWH creates something new, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them and all that is theirs, and they go down alive to Sheol, then you shall know that these men have spurned YHWH.”

• Deuteronomy 4:32

  For ask now about the former days that were before you, since the day that Elohim created human beings on the earth, and from one end of the heavens to the other end of the heavens: has anything happened like this great thing, or has anything been heard like it?

• Joshua 17:15

  And Joshua said to them, “If you are a numerous people, go up to the forest and clear ground for yourself there in the land of the Perizzite and the Rephaim, since the hill country of Ephraim is too narrow for you.”

• Joshua 17:18

  but the hill country shall be yours; for it is forest, and you will clear it, and its ends shall be yours; for you will dispossess the Canaanite, though he has iron chariots, though he is strong.”

• 1 Samuel 2:29

  Why do you kick at my sacrifice and at my offering that I commanded for the dwelling place, and honor your sons more than me, fattening yourselves with the first part of every offering of Israel my people?

• Psalms 51:10

  A clean heart create for me, Elohim, and a firm spirit renew within me.

• Psalms 89:12

  The north and the south, you created them; Tabor and Hermon shout for joy in your name.

• Psalms 89:47

  Remember what my lifespan is; for what vanity have you created all human beings?

• Psalms 102:18

  This will be written for a generation to come, and a people created will praise Yah.

• Psalms 104:30

  You send forth your spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground.

• Psalms 148:5

  Let them praise the name of YHWH, for he commanded, and they were created.

• Ecclesiastes 12:1

  And remember your Creator in the days of your young manhood, before the days of evil come and years arrive of which you will say, “I have no delight in them”;

• Isaiah 4:5

  And YHWH will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her convocations a cloud by day and smoke and the brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there will be a canopy.

• Isaiah 40:26

  Lift up on high your eyes and see: who created these? He who brings out by number their army, calls them all by name; by the greatness of his vigor, and being mighty in strength, not one is missing.

• Isaiah 40:28

  Do you not know, or have you not heard? The eternal Elohim is YHWH, Creator of the ends of the earth; he does not grow tired nor weary; there is no searching of his understanding.

• Isaiah 41:20

  so that they may see and know, and consider and understand together, that the hand of YHWH has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it.

• Isaiah 42:5

  Thus says El, YHWH, who creates the heavens and stretches them out, who spreads out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it:

• Isaiah 43:1

  And now, thus says YHWH, who created you, Jacob, and who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are mine.

• Isaiah 43:7

  everyone who is called by my name, and for my glory I have created him, I have formed him, also I have made him.’”

• Isaiah 43:15

  I am YHWH, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.”

• Isaiah 45:7

  who forms light and creates darkness, who makes peace and creates evil; I, YHWH, do all these things.

• Isaiah 45:8

  Drip, heavens, from above, and let the clouds pour down righteousness; let the earth open, and let them bear the fruit of salvation, and let it make righteousness sprout together; I, YHWH, have created it.”

• Isaiah 45:12

  I made the earth, and human beings on it I created; I, my hands stretched out the heavens, and all their army I commanded.

• Isaiah 45:18

  For thus says YHWH, who creates the heavens —he is the Elohim—, who formed the earth and made it —he established it; not as formless did he create it; to be inhabited he formed it—: “I am YHWH, and there is no other.

• Isaiah 48:7

  Now they have been created, and not long ago; and before today you had not heard them, lest you should say, ‘Look, I knew them.’

• Isaiah 54:16

  Look, I have created the craftsman who blows the coals in the fire and brings out a tool for his work; and I have created the destroyer to ruin.

• Isaiah 57:19

  creating the fruit of the lips: ‘Peace, peace, to the far and to the near,’ says YHWH; and I will heal him.”

• Isaiah 65:17

  For look, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things will not be remembered, nor rise in the heart.

• Isaiah 65:18

  But rather rejoice and exult forever in what I create; for look, I create Jerusalem as exultation, and her people as rejoicing.

• Jeremiah 31:22

  How long will you wander here and there, faithless daughter? For YHWH has created a new thing in the land: a woman will surround a man.”

• Ezekiel 21:19

  “And you, son of man, set for yourself two roads for the sword of the king of Babylon to come; from one land the two of them will go out; and carve a signpost, at the head of the road to the city carve it.

And 14 more times.