בֵּית נִמְרָה

𐤁𐤉𐤕 𐤍𐤌𐤓𐤄

Bêyth Nimrâh

H1039 noun

SILEX Entry

Root בית, נמר to build, to dwell, leopard, to be spotted

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

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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

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