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בֵּית־אֵל

𐤁𐤉𐤕־𐤀𐤋

Beyt El

H1008 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A proper noun designating a significant place in ancient Israelite tradition, meaning 'house of El (God).' The word denotes a sanctuary or settlement, commonly associated with an important cultic site north of Jerusalem. It can refer to the site itself, the city that developed there, or, in some periods, the religious establishment integral to Israelite ritual practice. The semantic range includes both the literal sense of a physical location and the symbolic association as a center of religious activity.

Semantic Range

sanctuary, place of worship, settlement/town named Beth-El, religious center, house associated with (the deity) El

Root / Etymology

Compound derived from בַּיִת (bayit, 'house') and אֵל (El, a divine title or the chief god in Northwest Semitic, frequently used as a theonym in personal and place names). The construction בֵּית־ ('house of...') is a common toponymic prefix in Hebrew, indicating a location dedicated to or associated with a deity, notable person, or function.

Historical & Contextual Notes

בֵּית־אֵל is a toponym recorded as early as the patriarchal narratives (Genesis), where it is associated with Jacob's theophany (Gen 28, 35). The site is later mentioned as a prominent cultic center during the divided monarchy (1 Kings 12), where Jeroboam I established a sanctuary with a golden calf. Over time, בֵּית־אֵל became emblematic of both a settlement and a locus of Israelite religious practice. In late biblical and post-biblical periods, its identity remained significant in tradition but the actual location fell into obscurity. Contrast with בֵּית־יְהוָה (house of YHWH), which refers specifically to the Jerusalem Temple and not a localized sanctuary. English translations such as 'Bethel' often obscure the original connotation of a divine dwelling or cultic space, instead functioning as a geographic label. Later traditions and translations sometimes retroject non-historical meanings or associate the name 'Bethel' with broader concepts of sacred space, but in biblical usage the emphasis is on a particular sanctuary and the cultic-political role it played in Israelite religion.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from בַּיִת and אֵל; house of God; Beth-El, a place in Palestine; Beth-el.

Bantu Hebrew

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

Root Family

בית, אל (Beyt El) — to house, dwell, contain; to be strong, powerful, a deity

Root בית, אל to house, dwell, contain; to be strong, powerful, a deity

Word Forms

7 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H1008-03 אֵ֖ל el HNp Bethel toward Beyt El 72
H1008-02 בֵּֽית beyt HNp Bethel House of El Beyt El 38
H1008-01 בְּ/בֵֽית beveyt HR/Np in Bethel in house of in Beyt El 13
H1008-07 בֵֽית veyt HNp Bethel House of El Beyt El 7
H1008-04 לְ/בֵֽית leveyt HR/Np to Bethel to House of El to Beyt El 5
H1008-06 וּ/בֵֽית uveyt HC/Np and Beth and house-of and Beyt El 5
H1008-05 מִ/בֵּ֣ית mibeyt HR/Np from Bethel from House-of-El from Beyt El 4

Occurrences in Scripture

144 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H1008-04 Genesis 12:8 לְ/בֵֽית leveyt HR/Np of Bethel to House of El to Beyt El
H1008-03 Genesis 12:8 אֵ֖ל el HNp Bethel toward Beyt El
H1008-02 Genesis 12:8 בֵּֽית beyt HNp Bethel House of El Beyt El
H1008-03 Genesis 12:8 אֵ֤ל el-2 HNp Bethel toward Beyt El
H1008-02 Genesis 13:3 בֵּֽית beyt HNp Bethel House of El Beyt El
H1008-03 Genesis 13:3 אֵ֑ל el HNp toward Beyt El
H1008-02 Genesis 13:3 בֵּֽית beyt-2 HNp Bethel House of El Beyt El
H1008-03 Genesis 13:3 אֵ֖ל el-2 HNp toward Beyt El
H1008-02 Genesis 28:19 בֵּֽית beyt HNp house House of El Beyt El
H1008-03 Genesis 28:19 אֵ֑ל el HNp of God toward Beyt El
H1008-02 Genesis 31:13 בֵּֽית beyt HNp of house House of El Beyt El
H1008-03 Genesis 31:13 אֵ֔ל el HNp of God toward Beyt El
H1008-07 Genesis 35:1 בֵֽית veyt HNp Bethel House of El Beyt El
H1008-03 Genesis 35:1 אֵ֖ל el-2 HNp toward Beyt El
H1008-02 Genesis 35:3 בֵּֽית beyt HNp to Bethel House of El Beyt El
H1008-03 Genesis 35:3 אֵ֑ל el HNp to Bethel toward Beyt El
H1008-02 Genesis 35:6 בֵּֽית beyt HNp Bethel House of El Beyt El
H1008-03 Genesis 35:6 אֵ֑ל el HNp (part of Bethel) toward Beyt El
H1008-02 Genesis 35:7 בֵּֽית beyt HNp Bethel House of El Beyt El
H1008-03 Genesis 35:7 אֵ֑ל el-2 HNp El toward Beyt El
H1008-04 Genesis 35:8 לְ/בֵֽית leveyt HR/Np to Bethel to House of El to Beyt El
H1008-03 Genesis 35:8 אֵ֖ל el HNp El toward Beyt El
H1008-02 Genesis 35:15 בֵּֽית beyt HNp house House of El Beyt El
H1008-03 Genesis 35:15 אֵֽל el HNp of God toward Beyt El
H1008-05 Genesis 35:16 מִ/בֵּ֣ית mibeyt HR/Np from Bethel from House-of-El from Beyt El
H1008-03 Genesis 35:16 אֵ֔ל el HNp Bethel (proper noun) toward Beyt El
H1008-04 Joshua 7:2 לְ/בֵֽית leveyt HR/Np of Beth to House of El to Beyt El
H1008-03 Joshua 7:2 אֵ֔ל el HNp el toward Beyt El
H1008-02 Joshua 8:9 בֵּֽית beyt HNp Bethel House of El Beyt El
H1008-03 Joshua 8:9 אֵ֛ל el-2 HNp and Ai toward Beyt El
H1008-02 Joshua 8:12 בֵּֽית beyt HNp Bethel House of El Beyt El
H1008-03 Joshua 8:12 אֵ֛ל el HNp and Ai toward Beyt El
H1008-06 Joshua 8:17 וּ/בֵ֣ית uveyt HC/Np and-in-Bethel and house-of and Beyt El
H1008-03 Joshua 8:17 אֵ֔ל el HNp El toward Beyt El
H1008-02 Joshua 12:9 בֵּֽית beyt HNp Beth House of El Beyt El
H1008-03 Joshua 12:9 אֵ֖ל el HNp el toward Beyt El
H1008-02 Joshua 12:16 בֵּֽית beyt HNp of Beth House of El Beyt El
H1008-03 Joshua 12:16 אֵ֖ל el HNp el toward Beyt El
H1008-02 Joshua 16:1 בֵּֽית beyt HNp house of House of El Beyt El
H1008-03 Joshua 16:1 אֵֽל el HNp Bethel toward Beyt El
H1008-05 Joshua 16:2 מִ/בֵּֽית mibeyt HR/Np from Bethel from House-of-El from Beyt El
H1008-03 Joshua 16:2 אֵ֖ל el HNp El toward Beyt El
H1008-02 Joshua 18:13 בֵּֽית beyt HNp Bethel House of El Beyt El
H1008-03 Joshua 18:13 אֵ֑ל el-2 HNp toward Beyt El
H1008-06 Joshua 18:22 וּ/בֵֽית uveyt-2 HC/Np and Beth and house-of and Beyt El
H1008-03 Joshua 18:22 אֵֽל el HNp el toward Beyt El
H1008-02 Judges 1:22 בֵּֽית beyt HNp house House of El Beyt El
H1008-03 Judges 1:22 אֵ֑ל el HNp El toward Beyt El
H1008-01 Judges 1:23 בְּ/בֵֽית beveyt HR/Np in in house of in Beyt El
H1008-03 Judges 1:23 אֵ֑ל el HNp Bethel toward Beyt El
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