בֵּית נִמְרָה
𐤁𐤉𐤕 𐤍𐤌𐤓𐤄
Bêyth Nimrâh
H1039 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Bêyth Nimrâh is a proper name designating a settlement east of the Jordan River, understood to mean 'House of Nimrah' or 'House of the Leopard.' In biblical contexts, it refers specifically to a locality in the territory allotted to the tribe of Gad, situated in the northern part of the plains of Moab. The semantic range centers primarily on its role as a geographic toponym but also semantically contains the sense of a place characterized by or associated with the leopard or, possibly, abundant wildlife.
Semantic Range
name of a settlement, house or settlement associated with a leopard or with Nimrah, possible clan or family association, refers to topography or notable fauna
Root / Etymology
Compound of בֵּית (bayit, 'house, dwelling') + נִמְרָה (nimrâh, feminine of נָמֵר, 'leopard'), hence 'house/settlement of Nimrah' or 'house/settlement of the (female) leopard.' The root for 'house' is ב-י-ת (בּית), whose core meaning is 'to build, to dwell,' and for 'leopard' the root is נ-מ-ר (נמר), meaning 'to spot, to be spotted,' referring to the animal's markings. The presence of the feminine ending in נִמְרָה either personifies the place or reflects local naming conventions.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Bêyth Nimrâh occurs in the biblical record (e.g., Numbers 32:36; Joshua 13:27) as a town in the territory across the eastern side of the Jordan, designated as part of the inheritance of the tribal group of Gadites. It is one of several 'Beth-' toponyms where 'house' (בֵּית) indicates either a settlement or an associated patron deity, animal, or characteristic. The association with 'leopard' (נִמְרָה) could refer to the fauna of the region or may be derived from a personal or clan name (see also the shorter form, נִמְרָה, Nimrah). Over time, the place is referenced to reflect settlement continuity from Iron Age through later periods. English translation often simply transcribes the Hebrew as 'Beth-Nimrah,' but the semantic nuance of 'house of the (female) leopard' is typically not made explicit. There is a post-biblical identification with Tell Nimrin, east of the Jordan, near the Wadi Nimrin valley. No theological significance is inherent in the name.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from בַּיִת and the feminine of נָמֵר; house of (the) leopard; Beth-Nimrah, a place east of the Jordan; Beth-Nimrah. Compare נִמְרָה.
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 (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1039-02 |
נִמְרָ֖ה | nimerah | HNp |
nimrah | Leopard-Settlement | 2 |
H1039-01 |
בֵּ֥ית | beyt | HNp |
Beth | house of | 1 |
H1039-03 |
וּ/בֵ֨ית | uveyt | HC/Np |
and Beth | and house-of | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1039-01 |
Numbers 32:36 | בֵּ֥ית | beyt | HNp |
Beth | house of |
H1039-02 |
Numbers 32:36 | נִמְרָ֖ה | nimerah | HNp |
nimrah | Leopard-Settlement |
H1039-03 |
Joshua 13:27 | וּ/בֵ֨ית | uveyt | HC/Np |
and Beth | and house-of |
H1039-02 |
Joshua 13:27 | נִמְרָ֜ה | nimerah | HNp |
nimrah | Leopard-Settlement |