be.qar denotes searching records and, in a commission, inquiring concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

Its dominant attested use concerns a search of records, archives, or documents connected with royal decisions; a single occurrence describes inquiry concerning Judah and Jerusalem in relation to God's law.

1. Searching records and archives · dominant

   The Piel forms in Ezra 4:15 and Ezra 4:19 occur in requests for and reports of examining ancestral records about a city's past; the APB renders the clauses "search in the book of the records" and "they searched and found." In Ezra 5:17 the Poal imperfect calls for a search in the king's archives, while Ezra 6:1 reports that they searched in the house of documents.

   Ezra 4:15Ezra 4:19Ezra 5:17Ezra 6:1
2. Inquiring into a matter · occasional

   In Ezra 7:14, the Piel infinitive construct occurs in the king's commission concerning Judah and Jerusalem and the law of God; the APB renders the clause "to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem."

   Ezra 7:14

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB presents the archival uses with "search" and "searched," including the passive wording "let a search be made," while Ezra 7:14 uses "inquire." These renderings confirm the clauses' overall actions rather than establish separate English equivalents.