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בֵּית כַּר

𐤁𐤉𐤕 𐤊𐤓

Bêyth Kar

H1033 noun

SILEX Entry

Root בית כר to house, to dwell, to be a field, to pasture

Definition

A proper noun referring to a specific locality, most likely meaning 'house of the field' or 'house of the plain,' functioning as a place-name. In biblical usage, it designates the site called Bêyth Kar, mentioned as a geographic marker but with no further narrative detail attached. The term combines two nouns to create a compound toponym.

Semantic Range

house of the field, house of the plain, house of pasture; proper noun, place-name, location of battle

Root / Etymology

Constructed from בַּיִת ('house') and כַּר ('field,' 'pasture,' 'plain'), thus conveying 'house of the field' or 'house of the plain.' Both components derive from well-attested Hebrew roots; בַּיִת (byt) indicating a dwelling, structure, or household, and כַּר (kr) signifying a cultivated field, large open space, or pasture.

Historical & Contextual Notes

בֵּית כַּר appears only once in the Hebrew Bible (1 Samuel 7:11) as the name of a location to which the Israelite pursuit of Philistines extended after the battle at Mizpah. The definite article is not present, supporting interpretation as an established place-name rather than a descriptive term. Compound names with בֵּית ('house of') are frequent in biblical toponymy, typically indicating a principal establishment, temple, family, or prominent feature associated with the site or its founder. The precise location and significance of בֵּית כַּר are uncertain. Later translations and traditions (e.g., LXX, Vulgate) attempt to preserve the form as 'Beth-char,' but the meaning is frequently obscured in English versions. There is no evidence the site became identified with later Judean or Israelite settlements documented in extrabiblical sources. Strong's rendering as 'house of pasture' is based on an assumption that כַּר primarily means 'pasture,' but this word can broadly indicate 'open field' or 'plain.'

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from בַּיִת and כַּר; house of pasture; Beth-Car, a place in Palestine; Beth-car.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

בית כר (byt-kr) — house, dwelling; field, pasture, plain

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1033-02 לְ/בֵ֥ית leveyt HR/Np Beth to the built-house of 1
H1033-01 כָּֽר kar HNp car House-of-the-Field 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1033-02 1 Samuel 7:11 לְ/בֵ֥ית leveyt HR/Np Beth to the built-house of
H1033-01 1 Samuel 7:11 כָּֽר kar HNp car House-of-the-Field
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