בָּזָק

# Biblical Hebrew Lexeme: בָּזָק (bazaq) The Hebrew word *bazaq* carries the straightforward meaning of "lightning"—the natural phenomenon of electrical discharge that accompanies thunderstorms. This term appears only once in the biblical text, making it a hapax legomenon (a word occurring just a single time in an ancient text). The single occurrence of *bazaq* provides limited context for understanding how the term functioned in biblical Hebrew vocabulary. With only one attestation, scholars cannot establish broader patterns of usage, determine whether the word had metaphorical applications, or assess whether it was common or rare in everyday speech. The term may have been a standard word for this natural phenomenon, or it may have represented a specialized or poetic designation for lightning that fell out of regular usage or appeared predominantly in texts not preserved in the biblical corpus. For readers of the English Bible, *bazaq* represents one of several Hebrew terms available to describe meteorological and celestial phenomena. Its singular appearance underscores how biblical texts often employ different vocabulary choices for similar concepts, and highlights the gaps in our knowledge about the complete range of ancient Hebrew expression.