Original Word: בּוּר
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: buwr
Pronunciation: boor
Phonetic Spelling: (boor)
KJV: declare
NASB: explain
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to bore
2. (figuratively) examine

declare

A primitive root; to bore, i.e. (figuratively) examine -- declare.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to make clear, clear up, explain
NASB Translation
explain (1).

בּוּר verb Qal Infinitive construct לָבוּר Ecclesiastes 9:1 (with accusative); probably (si vera lectio) make clear, clear up, explain (VB; so sometimes, in Late Hebrew, ברר q. v.) but read perhaps וְלִבִּי רָאָה ᵐ5 ᵑ6 Bi; or לָתוּר Gr, compare Ecclesiastes 1:13; Ecclesiastes 2:13; Ecclesiastes 7:25.

Semantic Range

Strong’s Hebrew 952 (bur) derives from the root idea of clarifying, purifying, separating what is pure from what is mixed. The noun or infinitive concept therefore carries overtones of scrutiny, testing, choice selection, and moral or ritual purity. Although the form appears only once, its semantic family is reflected in verbs and adjectives that speak of refining metals, winnowing grain, or proving character (for example, Daniel 11:35; 12:10; Psalm 18:30).

Usage in Ecclesiastes 9:1

“I took all this to heart and concluded (לָבוּר) that the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God” (Ecclesiastes 9:1).

Here Solomon records an intensive process of investigation. He has sifted experience, data, and observation the way a farmer separates wheat from chaff. The single occurrence captures the idea of:

1. Discernment—carefully distinguishing reality from appearance.
2. Purity of conclusion—the argument has been cleansed of error.
3. Selection—setting forward what truly matters (the righteous, the wise, their deeds) and leaving the rest behind.

Thus bur frames the whole chapter’s meditation on life’s uncertainties in the larger certainty of God’s sovereign hand.

Historical Context

Ecclesiastes belongs to Israel’s wisdom tradition, a setting in which teachers often employed vocabulary of refining and testing (Proverbs 17:3). Solomon, writing in the late-monarchy period, uses marketplace and agricultural imagery familiar to ancient hearers—melting silver, winnowing grain, clarifying oil—not merely for economic illustration but as moral metaphor. Bur sits naturally in that cultural milieu, inviting readers to picture the threshing floor or the smith’s furnace whenever life is evaluated.

Theological Implications

1. Sovereignty of God: After every human attempt to “purify” the data, the ultimate verdict still lies with God (“in the hand of God”).
2. Human Limitations: Even the most rigorous examination cannot reveal future love or hate (Ecclesiastes 9:1b); only God possesses exhaustive knowledge.
3. Call to Holiness: The same root family later depicts the end-time purifying of the saints (Daniel 12:10). The believer’s present self-scrutiny anticipates that final divine refining.

Related Biblical Themes

• Testing of Faith—Job 23:10; 1 Peter 1:7.
• Self-Examination—Lamentations 3:40; 2 Corinthians 13:5.
• Purity of Heart—Psalm 24:4; Matthew 5:8.
• Refining Fire—Zechariah 13:9; Malachi 3:3.

Ministry Applications

• Preaching and Teaching: Bur encourages expositors to handle Scripture with the same careful sifting Solomon modeled—distinguishing central truths from peripheral debate.
• Spiritual Formation: Encourage believers to invite the Spirit’s searching (Psalm 139:23-24), practicing regular reflection, confession, and alignment with God’s revealed standards.
• Leadership Discernment: Church elders may apply the principle of bur when examining doctrine, evaluating candidates for ministry, or navigating cultural issues—choosing what is excellent (Philippians 1:10).
• Pastoral Counseling: Remind those overwhelmed by life’s ambiguities that, after every human attempt to analyze a situation, the outcome rests securely “in the hand of God.” This both humbles and comforts.

Conclusion

Though Strong’s 952 appears only once, its concept permeates Scripture: God refines, believers examine, and ultimate clarity belongs to the Lord. Bur therefore stands as a subtle yet significant witness to the call for purity of thought, life, and worship before the God who alone knows and governs all.

וְלָב֣וּר ולבור velaVur wə·lā·ḇūr wəlāḇūrInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts