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בַּיִת

𐤁𐤉𐤕

bayith

H1005 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A structure or dwelling place for humans or animals; by extension, a household or family unit (often multigenerational); a lineage or clan; a building used for specific purposes (such as a temple, palace, or sanctuary); in poetic and metaphorical usage, a reference to a group, organization, or domain. The word can refer concretely to a physical building, or abstractly to the members and legacy associated with that building.

Semantic Range

physical house or dwelling, household or family, clan or lineage, palace, temple or sanctuary, animal shelter, social group, metaphorical domain or group, homeland or territory, place of residence, organization or institution

Root / Etymology

From the root בנה (b-n-h), 'to build, construct.' While the root denotes the act of building, the noun בית (bayith) refers to the finished object — a constructed edifice — and, by extension, its inhabitants or those associated with it. The semantic development from 'what is built' to 'the household or family residing therein' is found already in early Northwest Semitic usage.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, בית is used across eras: as a residence (patriarchal period), as both private dwellings and institutional buildings (monarchic period: royal palace, temple, house of specific deity), and as a term for dynastic lineage ('house of David,' etc.). The term is also applied figuratively to collectives (e.g., 'house of Israel'), household units, and even as a designation for places of worship (בית יהוה, 'house of Yahweh'), without the theological nuances that later English 'church' or 'temple' might bear. In exilic and post-exilic periods, בית can carry a sense more closely tied to communal or liturgical identity. The shift from concrete dwelling to abstract family or clan was not unique to Hebrew but was common in Semitic languages. English translations such as 'house' or 'household' sometimes obscure these nuances, especially where the term denotes a lineage or social unit beyond the physical structure.

Translation Consistency

primary "house" 38 occurrences

'House' is the most natural, common English equivalent and matches the dominant usage in the data (40 of 44 occurrences). It covers the full semantic range of בַּיִת — physical dwelling, household/family or lineage (e.g. 'house of David'), and institutional uses (temple, palace, 'house of God') — while remaining concise and idiomatic for literal and metaphorical contexts.

Alternatives (6 occurrences):
"house-of" (4x) "built-house" (2x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Aramaic) corresponding to בַּיִת; {a house (in the greatest variation of applications, especially family, etc.)}; house.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

בנה (Bayit) — to build, construct, establish

Root בנה to build, construct
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1004 בַּיִת in the houses
H1121 בֵּן sons
H1122 בֵּן son
H1123 בֵּן sons of
H1124 בְּנָא the ones building

Word Forms

14 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H1005-06 בֵּית beyt ANcmsc house house of house of 17
H1005-08 לְ/בֵ֣ית leveyt AR/Ncmsc as house to a house to the house 5
H1005-01 בַּיְתָ֤/א bayeta ANcmsd/Td this house the built-house the house 4
H1005-14 בֵ֥ית veyt ANcmsc house house-of house of 4
H1005-04 בְּ/בֵ֨ית beveyt AR/Ncmsc in the house in house-of in house-of 3
H1005-07 לְ/בַיְתֵ֣/הּ levayeteh AR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms to his house to his built-house to his house 2
H1005-11 וּ/בַיְתֵ֖/הּ uvayeteh AC/Ncmsc/Sp3ms and his house and his house and his house 2
H1005-02 בַּיְתָ֣/ה bayetah ANcmsd/Td the-house house the house 1
H1005-03 בַּיְתֵ֔/הּ bayeteh ANcmsc/Sp3ms his house his built-house his house 1
H1005-05 בְּ/בֵיתִ֔/י beveyti AR/Ncmsc/Sp1cs in my house in my built-house in my house 1

Occurrences in Scripture

44 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H1005-09 Daniel 2:5 וּ/בָתֵּי/כ֖וֹן uvateykhon AC/Ncmpc/Sp2mp and houses-your and your houses and your houses
H1005-07 Daniel 2:17 לְ/בַיְתֵ֣/הּ levayeteh AR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms to his house to his built-house to his house
H1005-11 Daniel 3:29 וּ/בַיְתֵ֖/הּ uvayeteh AC/Ncmsc/Sp3ms and-their-house and his house and his house
H1005-05 Daniel 4:1 בְּ/בֵיתִ֔/י beveyti AR/Ncmsc/Sp1cs in my house in my built-house in my house
H1005-08 Daniel 4:27 לְ/בֵ֣ית leveyt AR/Ncmsc as house to a house to a house
H1005-14 Daniel 5:3 בֵ֥ית veyt ANcmsc house house-of house of
H1005-08 Daniel 5:10 לְ/בֵ֥ית leveyt AR/Ncmsc to the house to a house to the house
H1005-13 Daniel 5:23 בַיְתֵ֜/הּ vayeteh ANcmsc/Sp3ms His house his built-house his house
H1005-07 Daniel 6:11 לְ/בַיְתֵ֔/הּ levayeteh AR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms to his house to his built-house to his house
H1005-06 Ezra 4:24 בֵּית beyt ANcmsc of the house house of house of
H1005-06 Ezra 5:2 בֵּ֥ית beyt ANcmsc the house house of the house of
H1005-01 Ezra 5:3 בַּיְתָ֤/א bayeta ANcmsd/Td this house the built-house the built-house
H1005-08 Ezra 5:8 לְ/בֵית֙ leveyt AR/Ncmsc to house-of to a house to a house
H1005-01 Ezra 5:9 בַּיְתָ֤/א bayeta ANcmsd/Td this-house the built-house the house
H1005-01 Ezra 5:11 בַּיְתָ/א֙ bayeta ANcmsd/Td house-the the built-house the house
H1005-10 Ezra 5:12 וּ/בַיְתָ֤/ה uvayetah AC/Ncmsd/Td and this house the built-house the house
H1005-06 Ezra 5:13 בֵּית beyt ANcmsc house house of house of
H1005-14 Ezra 5:14 בֵית veyt ANcmsc house house-of house of
H1005-12 Ezra 5:15 וּ/בֵ֥ית uveyt AC/Ncmsc and house and house-of and house-of
H1005-14 Ezra 5:16 בֵ֥ית veyt ANcmsc house house-of house of
H1005-04 Ezra 5:17 בְּ/בֵ֨ית beveyt AR/Ncmsc in the house of in house-of in house-of
H1005-06 Ezra 5:17 בֵּית beyt ANcmsc the house of house of the house of
H1005-04 Ezra 6:1 בְּ/בֵ֣ית beveyt AR/Ncmsc in the house in house-of in house-of
H1005-06 Ezra 6:3 בֵּית beyt ANcmsc house house of house of
H1005-01 Ezra 6:3 בַּיְתָ֣/א bayeta ANcmsd/Td the house the built-house the built-house
H1005-06 Ezra 6:4 בֵּ֥ית beyt ANcmsc house house of house of
H1005-14 Ezra 6:5 בֵית veyt ANcmsc house house-of house of
H1005-04 Ezra 6:5 בְּ/בֵ֥ית beveyt AR/Ncmsc in the house in house-of in house-of
H1005-06 Ezra 6:7 בֵּית beyt ANcmsc house of house of house of
H1005-06 Ezra 6:7 בֵּית beyt-2 ANcmsc house of house of house of
H1005-06 Ezra 6:8 בֵּית beyt ANcmsc house house of house of
H1005-03 Ezra 6:11 בַּיְתֵ֔/הּ bayeteh ANcmsc/Sp3ms his house his built-house his house
H1005-11 Ezra 6:11 וּ/בַיְתֵ֛/הּ uvayeteh AC/Ncmsc/Sp3ms and his house and his house and his house
H1005-06 Ezra 6:12 בֵּית beyt ANcmsc house house of house of
H1005-02 Ezra 6:15 בַּיְתָ֣/ה bayetah ANcmsd/Td the-house house the house
H1005-06 Ezra 6:16 בֵּית beyt ANcmsc house house of house of
H1005-06 Ezra 6:17 בֵּית beyt ANcmsc of house house of house of
H1005-08 Ezra 7:16 לְ/בֵ֥ית leveyt AR/Ncmsc for the house to a house to the house
H1005-06 Ezra 7:17 בֵּ֥ית beyt ANcmsc house-of house of house of
H1005-06 Ezra 7:19 בֵּ֣ית beyt ANcmsc of the house house of the house of
H1005-06 Ezra 7:20 בֵּ֣ית beyt ANcmsc for the house house of house of
H1005-06 Ezra 7:20 בֵּ֖ית beyt-2 ANcmsc the house house of house of
H1005-08 Ezra 7:23 לְ/בֵ֖ית leveyt AR/Ncmsc to house to a house to the house
H1005-06 Ezra 7:24 בֵּ֖ית beyt ANcmsc house house of house of
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