Biblica Analytica

בְּאֻשִׁים

be.u.shim (H0891)

sour grapes

2 verses 1 books OT 2 / NT 0
AI Word Study

# The Hebrew Term for Sour Grapes (H0891) The Hebrew word *be'ushim* denotes sour or unripe grapes—grapes that are acidic and unpleasant to taste. Based on its limited biblical attestation, appearing only twice in the scriptural record, this term carries a straightforward agricultural meaning referring to a specific category of fruit characterized by its bitter or acidic quality rather than sweetness. The rarity of this word's occurrence suggests it held particular significance in specific contexts within biblical literature, though the provided data does not detail those contexts. With only two documented uses, *be'ushim* appears to have served a specialized function in Hebrew vocabulary—likely employed when the specific quality of sourness or immaturity of grapes needed to be communicated rather than using more general terms for grapes. This limited usage may indicate the word was reserved for particular situations or literary purposes where this distinction mattered. The term represents the practical vocabulary of an agricultural society familiar with viticulture and the various conditions and qualities of grape crops. Its existence as a distinct lexical item underscores how biblical Hebrew maintained precise terminology for everyday agricultural realities, allowing speakers and writers to distinguish between different states and qualities of crops that formed part of their economic and dietary life.

AI synthesis uses only provided lexicon data -- never training knowledge.

Isaiah 5:2

He dug it up, gathered out its stones, planted it with the choicest vine, built a tower in the middle of it, and also cut out a wine press in it. He looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes.

Isaiah 5:4

What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? Why, when I looked for it to yield grapes, did it yield wild grapes?