בֵּית הָאֵצֶל

𐤁𐤉𐤕 𐤄𐤀𐤑𐤋

Bêyth hâʼêtsel

H1018 noun

SILEX Entry

Root בנה, אצל to build, to be beside, be adjacent

Definition

Proper name designating a specific locality: 'house (or place) near the side' or 'adjacent house.' The phrase functions as a toponym, likely denoting a village or settlement characterized by its proximity to another feature or settlement, possibly rooted in a descriptive or situational naming convention. The elements combine to form a name rather than functioning as a routine phrase in Hebrew.

Semantic Range

house/place beside (something), place characterized by adjacency, proper name for a specific locality in Judah

Root / Etymology

Compound name formed from בֵּית ('house, place, dwelling') and אֵצֶל ('side, proximity, near'), with the definite article ה interposed before the second element. The root for בֵּית is בנה ('to build'), and for אֵצֶל it is אצל ('to be adjacent, beside'). The phrase thus means 'the house by (the) side' or 'the place beside (something).','root':'בנה, אצל'

Historical & Contextual Notes

Appears in Micah 1:11 as the name of a specific locality mentioned in a context of lamentation over towns in the Kingdom of Judah during the monarchic period. The precise location is uncertain and not attested archeologically. The compounded phrase follows a common Hebrew toponymic pattern - בית- ('house/place of') plus a descriptive or possessive element. The use of ha- (the) is unusual in biblical place names and may emphasize specificity: not just 'a house near,' but 'the place by the side.' Standard English translations often render the name as 'Beth-ezel' but this elides the internal structure of the phrase. It is unknown what particular feature or 'side' is referenced, whether a neighboring town, geographical marker, or another entity. Later tradition did not preserve the site's significance.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from בַּיִת and אֵצֶל with the article interposed; house of the side; Beth-ha-Etsel, a place in Palestine; Beth-ezel.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

בנה (b-n-h) — to build, construct, establish (family)

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1004 בַּיִת in the houses
H1005 בַּיִת the built-house
H1006 בַּיִת the house
H1007 בֵּית אָוֶן house-of
H1008 בֵּית־אֵל in house of

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1018-01 בֵּ֣ית beyt HNcmsc house house of 1
H1018-02 הָאֵ֔צֶל haetsel HNp of Ezel House Beside 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1018-01 Micah 1:11 בֵּ֣ית beyt HNcmsc house house of
H1018-02 Micah 1:11 הָאֵ֔צֶל haetsel HNp of Ezel House Beside