Hebrew word · H3574

כּוֹשָׁרָה

bakosharot

prosperity

This word occurs only here, so its meaning is uncertain.

Appears once in the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

1) prosperity

2) (TWOT) singing

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Psalm 68:6

Range of meaning

This word occurs only here, so its meaning is uncertain. The main options are: (1) 'prosperity, success', from the root kshr ('to be fit, succeed', as in Eccl 10:10 and 11:6 and the later word 'kosher'); (2) 'songs, singing', supported by Ugaritic ktrt, the name of skilled female singer-goddesses connected with joy and childbirth; (3) 'courage, strength' (Septuagint andreia, Vulgate fortitudo); (4) 'chains', which the KJV apparently took from a guessed link with a root meaning 'to bind'.

Against the English

ESV, NASB, BSB and YLT have 'to/into prosperity'. NIV and WEB have 'with singing'. NLT has 'gives them joy'. KJV has 'bound with chains', which moves the word from the destination to the prisoners' condition.

Used elsewhere in the period

Rashi, the medieval Jewish commentator, following earlier rabbinic interpretation, read it as 'in a fitting month', meaning the mild season of the Exodus. The Ugaritic link is put forward by scholars such as Albright and Dahood. Most standard lexicons (BDB, HALOT) favour 'prosperity'.

Where it appears

Psalms · 1

  1. Psalm 68:6 בַּכּוֹשָׁר֑וֹת in <the> prosperiti<es>

    God settles the lonely in families; He leads the prisoners out to prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a sun-scorched land.

    Here: 'Into' or 'with' kosharot. The word appears nowhere else in the Bible. It most likely means a state of well-being and success (from the root behind 'kosher', fit or proper), or possibly 'with songs of joy'. In either case the prisoners go out to a good outcome, not just out of a cell.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.