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בֶּטַח

𐤁𐤈𐤇

beṭach

H983 noun

SILEX Entry

Root בטח to trust, to feel secure, to rely

Definition

State or condition of security, safety, or confidence; the experience of being free from danger or fear, and the feeling or expectation of well-being and trust, especially under divine or dependable protection. The word can refer either to objective safety (freedom from harm or threat) or the subjective sense of trust, confidence, or assurance—whether placed in a person, divinity, or circumstance.

Semantic Range

safety, security, the state of being free from danger, trust, confidence, assurance, hopefulness, boldness

Root / Etymology

בָּטַח (bāṭaḥ) is the root, meaning 'to trust, rely upon, feel secure.' בֶּטַח (beṭach) is a noun formation from this root, denoting the result or state that comes from that action: 'security, safety, confidence.' Although the root meaning emphasizes 'trust,' the noun often focuses on the state or environment resulting from that trust—namely, safety or confidence.

Historical & Contextual Notes

בֶּטַח is generally used to denote a state of being in which there is a sense of security or absence of fear, whether due to actual safety or internal trust. It occurs both in concrete descriptions (such as living or dwelling securely in the land without fear, Lev 25:18-19, Ps 4:9/8) and in more abstract or psychological contexts (such as confidence or assurance, Prov 3:23, Isa 32:17). The word may be used syntactically either as a noun ('in security'), adverbially ('securely,' 'safely'), or abstractly ('security, confidence'). Throughout the Hebrew Bible, בֶּטַח does not inherently reference the object or basis of trust—it might be security under divine protection, political stability, military strength, or a more generic absence of threat. In exilic and later texts, it can be used in contrasts between false and authentic security (Isa 32:9-20). English translations often simplify בֶּטַח as 'safety' or 'confidence,' but the term spans both objective safety and subjective confidence, sometimes in tension or even contradiction within the text (cf. Ezek 30:9 vs. Mic 2:8). The related noun מִבְטָח (mivtaḥ) overlaps but more explicitly denotes the object or basis of trust, not just the state. The later English term 'Jew' is not relevant to the semantic field of this word; in historical contexts, the word addresses Israelites' or Judahites' relationship to safety and trust, often in the context of their covenantal or political reality.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from בָּטַח; properly, a place of refuge; abstract, safety, both the fact (security) and the feeling (trust); often (adverb with or without preposition) safely; assurance, boldly, (without) care(-less), confidence, hope, safe(-ly, -ty), secure, surely.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

בטח (b-ṭ-ḥ) — trust, security, reliance

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4009 מִבְטָח in your refuges
H982 בָּטַח he trusted
H984 בֶּטַח and from Betach
H985 בִּטְחָה and in confidence
H986 בִּטָּחוֹן confident security

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H983-02 לָ/בֶֽטַח lavetach HR/Ncmsa securely security 32
H983-01 בֶּ֑טַח betach HNcmsa securely secure confidence 8
H983-03 וָ/בֶ֖טַח vavetach HC/Ncmsa and confidence and security 1
H983-04 בֶֽטַח vetach HNcmsa secure security 1

Occurrences in Scripture

42 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H983-01 Genesis 34:25 בֶּ֑טַח betach HNcmsa securely secure confidence
H983-02 Leviticus 25:18 לָ/בֶֽטַח lavetach HR/Ncmsa in safety security
H983-02 Leviticus 25:19 לָ/בֶ֖טַח lavetach HR/Ncmsa in safety security
H983-02 Leviticus 26:5 לָ/בֶ֖טַח lavetach HR/Ncmsa in safety security
H983-01 Deuteronomy 12:10 בֶּֽטַח betach HNcmsa securely secure confidence
H983-02 Deuteronomy 33:12 לָ/בֶ֖טַח lavetach HR/Ncmsa in safety security
H983-01 Deuteronomy 33:28 בֶּ֤טַח betach HNcmsa in safety secure confidence
H983-04 Judges 8:11 בֶֽטַח vetach HNcmsa secure security
H983-02 Judges 18:7 לָ֠/בֶטַח lavetach HR/Ncmsa securely security
H983-01 1 Samuel 12:11 בֶּֽטַח betach HNcmsa in safety secure confidence
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