בֵּית אָוֶן
𐤁𐤉𐤕 𐤀𐤅𐤍
Beyt Aven
H1007 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Beth-Aven is a toponym meaning 'house of iniquity,' 'house of wickedness,' or 'house of deceit.' Used in the Hebrew Bible as both a proper place name and, on occasion, a derogatory re-naming for a site associated with apostasy or wrongful worship. The semantic range includes literal identification of a location and figurative application to disparage another site.
Semantic Range
proper place name; literal location (Beth-Aven, a site in Benjamin); pejorative or polemical renaming of Bethel; 'house of iniquity,' 'house of trouble,' 'house of wickedness'; site of illicit worship
Root / Etymology
Compound from the Hebrew noun בַּיִת (bayit, 'house') and אָוֶן ('awen, 'trouble, iniquity, vanity, wickedness,' or 'deceit'), thus literally 'house of iniquity.' The root for בַּיִת is בנה (b-n-h, 'to build'), and for אָוֶן is א-ו-ן ('to act unjustly, lead astray, trouble, iniquity'), but within the compound the elements are in their nominal forms, functioning as a toponym. The name is likely a deliberate polemic or wordplay rather than a neutral toponym.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In biblical usage, Beth-Aven occurs as a proper name for a location east of Bethel in the territory of Benjamin (Joshua 7:2). However, in prophetic texts (notably Hosea 4:15; 5:8; 10:5), the term is used pejoratively for Bethel, the cultic center of the northern kingdom of Israel, to emphasize its association with idolatry and wrongdoing. This derogatory use demonstrates how the toponym developed a negative rhetorical function, especially in exilic and post-exilic critiques of earlier Israelite practices. The use of 'vanity' or 'wickedness' in English traditions often narrows the original semantic field; the term encompasses general wrongdoing or falsehood, not merely moral vanity. The use of 'Beth-aven' in early translation traditions may sometimes be conflated with 'Bethel' when used polemically. Distinct from בֵּית-אֵל (Bethel, 'house of God'), 'Beth-Aven' is employed to contrast sites of legitimate and illegitimate worship.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from בַּיִת and אָוֶן; house of vanity; Beth-Aven, a place in Palestine; Beth-aven.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
בנה, און (Beyt Aven) — to build, establish; to be strong, to commit wrongdoing, act unjustly, bring trouble
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1007-01 |
אָֽוֶן | aven | HNp |
aven | worthless wickedness | Beyt Aven | 7 |
H1007-02 |
בֵּ֥ית | beyt | HNp |
Beth | house-of | Beyt Aven | 7 |
Occurrences in Scripture
14 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1007-02 |
Joshua 7:2 | בֵּ֥ית | beyt | HNp |
Beth | house-of | Beyt Aven |
H1007-01 |
Joshua 7:2 | אָ֨וֶן֙ | aven | HNp |
aven | worthless wickedness | Beyt Aven |
H1007-02 |
Joshua 18:12 | בֵּ֥ית | beyt | HNp |
Beth | house-of | Beyt Aven |
H1007-01 |
Joshua 18:12 | אָֽוֶן | aven | HNp |
Aven | worthless wickedness | Beyt Aven |
H1007-02 |
1 Samuel 13:5 | בֵּ֥ית | beyt | HNp |
Beth | house-of | Beyt Aven |
H1007-01 |
1 Samuel 13:5 | אָֽוֶן | aven | HNp |
Aven | worthless wickedness | Beyt Aven |
H1007-02 |
1 Samuel 14:23 | בֵּ֥ית | beyt | HNp |
house-of | house-of | Beyt Aven |
H1007-01 |
1 Samuel 14:23 | אָֽוֶן | aven | HNp |
Aven | worthless wickedness | Beyt Aven |
H1007-02 |
Hosea 4:15 | בֵּ֣ית | beyt | HNp |
house | house-of | Beyt Aven |
H1007-01 |
Hosea 4:15 | אָ֔וֶן | aven | HNp |
of Aven | worthless wickedness | Beyt Aven |
H1007-02 |
Hosea 5:8 | בֵּ֣ית | beyt | HNp |
at Beth | house-of | Beyt Aven |
H1007-01 |
Hosea 5:8 | אָ֔וֶן | aven | HNp |
aven | worthless wickedness | Beyt Aven |
H1007-02 |
Hosea 10:5 | בֵּ֣ית | beyt | HNp |
of Beth | house-of | Beyt Aven |
H1007-01 |
Hosea 10:5 | אָ֔וֶן | aven | HNp |
aven | worthless wickedness | Beyt Aven |