973. bachal
Lexical Summary
bachal: To be troubled, to be dismayed

Original Word: בָּחל
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: bachal
Pronunciation: bä-khäl'
Phonetic Spelling: (baw-khal')
KJV: abhor, get hastily (from the margin for H0926)
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to loath

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
abhor,

A primitive root; to loath -- abhor, get hastily (from the margin for bahal).

see HEBREW bahal

Brown-Driver-Briggs
I. [בָּחֵל] verb feel loathing (compare Syriac **ZAW xvii {1897}, 188 disproves Syriac , and adopts the view of GeiUrschrift 270 (בחל euphemism for a √ II. בעל = loathe, with בְּ, assumed (Thes Buhl) for Jeremiah 3:14; Jeremiah 31:32; see below) (so in lexicons) nauseated (yet see GeiUrschrift, 270); NSyriac envy compare StoddardGram. 12, 57) —

Qal Perfect3feminine singular בָּֽחֲלָה Zechariah 11:8 וַתִּקְצַר נַפְשִׁי בָּהֶם וְגַם נַפְשָׁם בִי ׳בּ felt a loathing against me.

II. [בָּחֵל] verb (Arabic be avaricious); only

Pu`al Participle נַחֲלָה מְבֹחֶלֶת an inheritance gotten by greed Proverbs 20:21 Kt; < Qr Vrss מְבֹהֶלֶת ׳נ, see בהל.

Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Conceptual Field

The verb conveys the idea of inward revulsion that leads to hasty, impulsive action. It joins two notions—disgust and impatience—so that the subject both loathes something and refuses to wait for it. Scripture employs the word when hearts recoil from covenant responsibilities and rush toward self-serving choices.

Occurrences in Scripture

1. Proverbs 20:21 – “An inheritance gained quickly at the beginning will not be blessed in the end.”
2. Zechariah 11:8 – “In one month I dismissed three shepherds. My soul grew impatient with them, and their souls also loathed me.”

Wisdom Literature: Proverbs 20:21

• The proverb warns against grasping for wealth apart from God’s timing. The haste implied by the verb reveals a heart unwilling to trust the Lord of the inheritance (Numbers 27:8–11).
• The outcome—“not blessed in the end”—echoes Ecclesiastes 7:8, underscoring that true prosperity is measured by how something finishes, not how fast it begins.
• Pastoral application: Instill in emerging leaders the discipline of waiting on the Lord; ill-gotten or premature gains fracture families and ministries.

Prophetic Literature: Zechariah 11:8

• Context: Zechariah enacts a sign oracle portraying the rejection of the Good Shepherd. Israel’s shepherds (civil and religious leaders) are removed, yet the flock detests the very One who rescues them.
• The prophet reveals a double estrangement—God’s “soul grew impatient with them,” and “their souls also loathed Me.” The verb highlights how covenant contempt is reciprocal; human revulsion toward God invites righteous displeasure from Him (Psalm 78:56–64).
• Redemptive trajectory: The Good Shepherd motif (Zechariah 11; John 10:11) anticipates Christ, whose rejection by His own (John 1:11) climaxes in the crucifixion. Even so, His steadfast love overcomes human impatience and loathing.

Historical and Cultural Context

• Inheritance law safeguarded family land (Leviticus 25:23–28). A son who schemed to secure the estate early despised both his father’s authority and God’s provision—an attitude mirrored in the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:12).
• Ancient Near Eastern vassal treaties warned that disdain for a suzerain would incur swift judgment. Zechariah’s flock imagery borrows this political language: Israel’s recoil from the divine Shepherd parallels rebels spurning their king.

Theological Reflections

1. Covenant Faithfulness: The verb exposes the heart’s capacity to become weary of God’s ways (Malachi 1:13). Scripture answers with the Lord’s unwavering patience (2 Peter 3:9).
2. Divine Reciprocity: As people treat the Lord, so He responds (Psalm 18:25-26). Loathing Him invites discipline designed to restore, not annihilate (Hebrews 12:5-11).
3. Eschatological Warning: Final judgment falls on those whose impatience hardens into permanent disdain (Revelation 16:11). Proverbs 20:21 thus foreshadows the ultimate unblessed “end.”

Ministry and Discipleship Applications

• Character Formation: Teach believers to discern between godly zeal and rash impulse (Proverbs 19:2). Spiritual maturity waits on God’s timing even when opportunities appear advantageous.
• Shepherding the Flock: Leaders must guard against reciprocal contempt—both their own frustration with stubborn sheep and the flock’s weariness of faithful oversight (1 Thessalonians 5:12-14).
• Counseling: When counselees express disgust with God or His commands, address the underlying impatience. Redirect their gaze to the longsuffering of Christ (Hebrews 12:2-3).

Related Biblical Themes

• Impatience versus Endurance – contrast with Isaiah 40:31; James 5:7-11.
• Despising the Birthright – Genesis 25:34; Hebrews 12:16.
• Rejecting the Shepherd – Ezekiel 34; John 10:26-27.
• Hasty Wealth – Proverbs 13:11; 28:20.

Christological Perspective

Jesus embodies the antithesis of בָּחל. He “endured the cross, despising its shame” (Hebrews 12:2), not loathing but loving those who loathed Him (Romans 5:8). His patient obedience secures an inheritance for the saints “that will never perish” (1 Peter 1:4), reversing the curse of an inheritance “not blessed in the end.”

Homiletical Snapshot

Sermon Title: “When Impatience Turns into Loathing”

Text: Proverbs 20:21; Zechariah 11:8

Outline:

1. The Lure of Quick Gain
2. The Danger of Despising the Giver
3. The Good Shepherd’s Patient Pursuit

Application: Cultivate a heart that waits, worships, and receives blessing in God’s time.

Summary

בָּחל surfaces rarely yet pierces deeply, unveiling a heart that both detests and rushes. In Proverbs it cautions against impatient acquisition; in Zechariah it describes covenant treachery. For the disciple, the word is a mirror—warning against impulses that spurn God, and inviting patient trust in the Shepherd who never grows weary of His flock.

Forms and Transliterations
בָּחֲלָ֥ה בחלה מְבֹהֶ֣לֶת מבהלת bā·ḥă·lāh bachaLah bāḥălāh mə·ḇō·he·leṯ məḇōheleṯ mevoHelet
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Proverbs 20:21
HEB: [מְבֻחֶלֶת כ] (מְבֹהֶ֣לֶת ק) בָּרִאשֹׁנָ֑ה
NAS: An inheritance gained hurriedly
INT: an inheritance abhor the beginning the end

Zechariah 11:8
HEB: וְגַם־ נַפְשָׁ֖ם בָּחֲלָ֥ה בִֽי׃
NAS: also was weary of me.
KJV: them, and their soul also abhorred me.
INT: also and their soul was weary

2 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 973
2 Occurrences


bā·ḥă·lāh — 1 Occ.
mə·ḇō·he·leṯ — 1 Occ.

972
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