How to Pronounce
Bahurimbah-HOOR-ihm
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Meaning
choice; warlike; valiant
Historical Context
Bahurim: The Village That Witnessed David's Darkest Hour
Knowing how to pronounce Bahurim—buh-HYOO-rim—helps readers track a site that appears at three distinct dramatic moments in the narrative of David's reign. Bahurim's location on the road between Jerusalem and the Jordan Valley made it a recurring backdrop for encounters that shaped Israelite history.
Etymology and Meaning
The name Bahurim (בַּחֻרִים) derives from a Hebrew root related to young men—"bachurim" (בַּחוּרִים) is the standard Hebrew word for "young men" or "young warriors." The place name likely means "place of young men," possibly reflecting a historical connection to military service. The site is identified in modern scholarship with Ras et-Tmim on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, near the road to Jericho.
Biblical Context
Bahurim appears three times in the David narratives, each time during political or personal crisis. The first mention concerns Michal, David's wife: when Michal was returned to David after the breach with Saul's house, her second husband Paltiel followed weeping all the way to Bahurim, where Abner ordered him to turn back (2 Samuel 3:16).
The second and most famous episode occurs during Absalom's rebellion. As David fled Jerusalem, he passed through Bahurim, where Shimei son of Gera—a member of Saul's clan—came out cursing him, throwing stones and dirt, calling David a "man of blood" (2 Samuel 16:5–13). David refused to have his soldiers kill Shimei, saying the cursing might be from God. The episode marks the nadir of David's public humiliation. The third appearance also occurs during the same rebellion: Jonathan and Ahimaaz, serving as intelligence couriers for David, were spotted and pursued. A woman in Bahurim hid them in a well and covered it with grain, misdirecting Absalom's men and preserving David's intelligence network at a critical moment (2 Samuel 17:18–20).
Pronunciation Guide
Bahurim has three syllables with stress on the second: buh-HYOO-rim. The first syllable is an unstressed "buh," the second is the stressed "HYOO" (rhyming with "hue"), and the third is a short "rim." The correct pronunciation is buh-HYOO-rim. Many readers stress the first syllable (BAH-hyoo-rim) or lose the middle vowel. The "h" before the long U should be lightly voiced.