בֵּית הַשִּׁמְשִׁי
𐤁𐤉𐤕 𐤄𐤔𐤌𐤔𐤉
Bêyth hash-Shimshîy
H1030 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Demonymic term denoting an inhabitant of Beth-shemesh, a specific town referenced in the Hebrew Bible. Refers to a person originating from or residing in Beth-shemesh; can also be used collectively to mean the people of Beth-shemesh. The semantic range includes both individuals and groups from this locality, functioning as a gentilic term.
Semantic Range
inhabitant of Beth-shemesh, collective inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, person originating from Beth-shemesh, Bethshemite
Root / Etymology
Formed from the noun בֵּית שֶׁמֶשׁ (Beth-shemesh, meaning 'house of the sun'), with the addition of the definite article (ה) and a gentilic ending (ִי, -i), indicating origin or affiliation with a place. The phrase כֵּית הַשִּׁמְשִׁי directly translates as 'the (person) of Beth-shemesh.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
Beth-shemesh was an important Levitical town in the territory allotted to Judah, located on the border between the territories of the Israelite tribes of Judah and Dan, and sometimes attributed to Naphtali as well. The term בֵּית הַשִּׁמְשִׁי occurs specifically in contexts describing the inhabitants of this town, such as in 1 Samuel 6:9–20, which records the episode of the return of the Ark and the response of the local population. Unlike some other gentilics in Hebrew, this form preserves the definite article, a feature that may reflect its specific local and narrative usage. English translations often render this word as 'Bethshemite'; however, 'an inhabitant of Beth-shemesh' more accurately conveys the term's referential nature. 'Beth-shemesh' itself means 'house of the sun,' suggesting possible historical connections to a solar cult or local topography, but the gentilical term בֵּית הַשִּׁמְשִׁי itself does not denote such associations — it purely refers to place of origin or residence. The term is distinct from standard Israelite gentilic forms, as it includes the article and attaches the masculine singular gentilic ending.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
patrial from בֵּית שֶׁמֶשׁ with the article inserted; a Beth-shimshite, or inhabitant of Bethshemesh; Bethshemite.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
בנה (b-n-h) — to build, construct, establish, found (a 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1030-01 |
בֵּֽית | beyt | HNgmsa |
Beth | house-of | 2 |
H1030-02 |
הַשִּׁמְשִׁי֙ | hashimeshi | HNgmsa |
shemesh | Beth-shemeshite | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1030-01 |
1 Samuel 6:14 | בֵּֽית | beyt | HNgmsa |
Beth | house-of |
H1030-02 |
1 Samuel 6:14 | הַשִּׁמְשִׁי֙ | hashimeshi | HNgmsa |
Shemite | Beth-shemeshite |
H1030-01 |
1 Samuel 6:18 | בֵּֽית | beyt | HNgmsa |
Beth- | house-of |
H1030-02 |
1 Samuel 6:18 | הַשִּׁמְשִֽׁי | hashimeshi | HNgmsa |
shemesh | Beth-shemeshite |