Lexical Summary biqqoreth: Inquiry, investigation, examination Original Word: בִּקּרֶת Strong's Exhaustive Concordance scourged From baqar; properly, examination, i.e. (by implication) punishment -- scourged. see HEBREW baqar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom baqar Definition punishment NASB Translation punishment (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs בִּקֹּ֫רֶת noun feminine punishment after examination (inquisition) Leviticus 19:20; (scourging ᵑ9 AV after Jewish tradition Kerith11a Sifra Saad AE Ki compare MalbimSifra JastrDict. 165.) Topical Lexicon Meaning and Context In Leviticus 19:20 the term describes the judicial response required when a free man has unlawful sexual relations with a female slave who is betrothed to another, yet not legally emancipated. While adultery involving free persons was a capital offense (Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22), here “there must be punishment” (Leviticus 19:20) of a lesser, non-capital nature, acknowledging both the violation of covenant morality and the complicating social status of the woman. Covenantal Ethics Regarding Slaves This statute safeguards the dignity of the enslaved woman by refusing to treat her merely as property and by shielding her from the death penalty otherwise mandated for adultery. At the same time, it upholds the sanctity of betrothal by demanding accountability of the man who exploited her. The single occurrence of the word underscores Scripture’s concern for nuanced justice: neither laxity toward sin nor disproportionate severity. Restorative Rather Than Retributive Justice The surrounding verses detail that the offender “must bring a ram as his guilt offering to the LORD… and he will be forgiven” (Leviticus 19:21-22). The prescribed offering transfers the focus from vengeance to reconciliation—first with God, then with the offended human parties. The woman’s future is implicitly protected; her master retains the right to set terms for her redemption, but the law prevents her death and thus preserves her potential freedom. Atonement and Sacrificial Implications The required guilt offering (asham) points forward to the ultimate provision of atonement in Jesus Christ, “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Just as the ram bore the offender’s guilt, Christ bore “our sins in His body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24), securing forgiveness that the Levitical ritual only foreshadowed. Comparative Insights with Other Pentateuchal Laws • Adultery with a free, betrothed woman: death penalty for both parties (Deuteronomy 22:23-24). The gradation demonstrates the law’s calibrated approach—balancing protection of covenant fidelity, personal dignity, and property rights. Prophetic and New Testament Resonances Prophets regularly denounce exploitation of the vulnerable (Amos 2:6-7; Malachi 3:5). James echoes the same ethic by condemning those who “have withheld wages from the workers” (James 5:4). The principle embodied in Leviticus 19:20 anticipates the New Testament affirmation that “in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith” and therefore “there is neither slave nor free” (Galatians 3:26-28). Practical Ministry Applications • Sexual sin always requires accountable, restorative response; leaders must ensure justice tempered by mercy. Theological Reflection Though the term appears only once, it embodies key biblical themes: God’s holiness demands redress for sin; His compassion mitigates penalties when circumstances limit culpability; His provision of atonement opens a path to forgiveness. The law’s balance of justice and mercy reveals the consistent character of God culminating in the Gospel. Forms and Transliterations בִּקֹּ֧רֶת בקרת bikKoret biq·qō·reṯ biqqōreṯLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Leviticus 19:20 HEB: נִתַּן־ לָ֑הּ בִּקֹּ֧רֶת תִּהְיֶ֛ה לֹ֥א NAS: her freedom, there shall be punishment; they shall not, [however], be put to death, KJV: given her; she shall be scourged; they shall not be put to death, INT: nor given shall be punishment become nor 1 Occurrence |
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