בעי, בָּעָה (b. h.; √בע, akin to בה, בו, v. בו א, a) to enter into, split; b) to be empty, bare). Part. בּוֹעֶה, v. infra.
Hif. - הִבְעָה to lay bare, destroy the crop. B. Kam. I, 1 המַבְעֶה damaging the crop (ref. to Ex. XXII, 4). Ib. 3ᵇ Rab says מבעה זה אדם the damaging force in the Mishnah means that of a human being (ransacking, searching); for we read (Is. XXI, 12) אם תבעיון בעיו if ye desire to enter &c. (where בעה refers to human action); Samuel says, מבעה זה השן the mabeh of the Mishnah refers to the tooth, i.e. to an animal’s eating up the crop, for it says (Ob. I, 6) נבעו מצפניו its hidden treasures were laid bare (made empty,—which refers to eating up). Ib. (argument against Samuel) מי קתני נִבְעָה the Mishnah does not use the Nifal (which may mean eaten up); (argument against Rab) מי קתני בּוֹעֶה the Mishnah does not use the Kal (which may refer to human action) but the Hifil “to cause damage”—through the animal.—Tosef. ib. IX, 1.