בֵּית חׇגְלָה

𐤁𐤉𐤕 𐤇𐤂𐤋𐤄

Bêyth Choglâh

H1031 noun

SILEX Entry

Root בּית ; חגלה to house, to dwell, to reside; partridge, Hoglah (proper name)

Definition

A proper place name referring to the settlement of Beth-Hoglah, meaning 'the house of Hoglah' or possibly 'partridge house'. The term is employed in biblical geographical lists to denote a boundary site near the border of tribal allotments in the lower Jordan Valley. Contextually, the name references a specific location rather than functioning as a common noun, with the meaning varying between a literal reading ('house of the partridge') and a patronymic ('house/settlement of Hoglah', with Hoglah being a personal name).

Semantic Range

Beth-Hoglah (place name); settlement of Hoglah; partridge house (rare or etymological); boundary marker or town in Jordan Valley; proper name only

Root / Etymology

Compound formation of בַּיִת (bayit, 'house, dwelling, settlement') and חָגְלָה (Choglah/Hoglah, a proper personal name, also used as a designation for a bird, perhaps a partridge; etymology of this element is uncertain, but it may relate to the Hebrew noun for partridge or similar birds). Thus, בֵּית־חָגְלָה is either 'house of Hoglah' (linking to an individual's name) or 'partridge house' (if the bird meaning is intended).

Historical & Contextual Notes

Beth-Hoglah appears in the lists of border towns marking the southern boundary of the tribal allotment for the tribe of Benjamin (Joshua 15:6; 18:19,21). It is also mentioned in the context of allotments in the narrative of the book of Joshua. In usage, the name functions solely as a toponym rather than an appellative, with no evident cultic, symbolic, or broader semantic value beyond its role in marking specific geography. The element 'Hoglah' is most commonly interpreted as a personal name, linking to one of the five daughters of Zelophehad (Numbers 26:33), though in later Hebrew חוגלָה also designates a partridge; the connection between the personal name and the bird remains debated. English Bible translations routinely transliterate rather than translate, yielding 'Beth-hoglah' and not attempting ''Partridge House''. The toponym’s significance is limited to its local geographic context in the narratives of the Land of Israel's territorial division during the early monarchy and pre-monarchic settlement period. There is no evidence the population was strictly Israelite in every period; the site is not referenced in later biblical history or extrabiblical sources. This name should not be confused with later geographic or religious terms (such as Judea or 'Jew').

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from בַּיִת and the same as חׇגְלָה; house of a partridge; Beth-Choglah, a place in Palestine; Beth-hoglah.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

בנה (b-n-h) — 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

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1031-02 חָגְלָ֔ה chagelah HNp hoglah House of Hoglah 3
H1031-01 בֵּ֣ית beyt HNp Beth house of 2
H1031-03 וּ/בֵית uveyt HC/Np and Beth and house-of 1

Occurrences in Scripture

6 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1031-01 Joshua 15:6 בֵּ֣ית beyt HNp Beth house of
H1031-02 Joshua 15:6 חָגְלָ֔ה chagelah HNp hoglah House of Hoglah
H1031-01 Joshua 18:19 בֵּית beyt HNp Beth house of
H1031-02 Joshua 18:19 חָגְלָה֮ chagelah HNp hoglah House of Hoglah
H1031-03 Joshua 18:21 וּ/בֵית uveyt HC/Np and Beth and house-of
H1031-02 Joshua 18:21 חָגְלָ֖ה chagelah HNp hoglah House of Hoglah