בֵּית עֲנוֹת
𐤁𐤉𐤕 𐤏𐤍𐤅𐤕
Bêyth ʻĂnôwth
H1042 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A toponym meaning 'House of Anoth' or perhaps 'House of Answers/Responses,' designating a specific settlement in the ancient southern hill country, mentioned in the list of Judahite towns. The lexical meaning reflects both its compositional elements and possible local cultic or social function.
Semantic Range
toponym, house or place associated with answering or responses, possible cultic or communal site, descriptive place-name; designation of a Judahite settlement
Root / Etymology
Compound formed from בֵּית (bêt, 'house') and the plural construct form of עָנָה (‘anot). בֵּית derives from the root בנה 'to build, establish,' but as a noun means 'house, household, building, place.' עָנָה, as a root, primarily means 'to answer, respond,' but place-names often feature local deities or otherwise obscure elements, so the connection may be semantic ('house of answers') or onomastic (preserving a local name).
Historical & Contextual Notes
בֵּית עֲנוֹת appears in Joshua 15:59 among Judahite towns in the Judean hill country. The term follows a frequent Israelite pattern of toponyms beginning with בֵּית ('house of...'), often referencing a location, local sanctuary, or a notable individual or deity. The interpretation 'house of answers/responses' comes from the root ענה ('to answer'), but the precise significance is unclear; it may indicate a place of oracular or cultic activity, though this is not explicit in the text. The standard English translation as 'Beth-anoth' transliterates the Hebrew but does not convey any semantic detail. No evidence exists that the site continued to hold significance into later Judean or Hellenistic periods, and its location remains uncertain. Other biblical place-names use the house+name formula, sometimes referencing minor deities or geographic features.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from בַּיִת and a plural from עָנָה; house of replies; Beth-Anoth, a place in Palestine; Beth-anoth.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
ענה (ʿ-n-h) — to answer, respond, reply
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1195 | בַּעֲנָא | Son of Affliction |
| H1196 | בַּעֲנָה | In Affliction |
| H2057 | וַנְיָה | Yah Answers |
| H3283 | יָעֵן | ostriches |
| H3284 | יַעֲנָה | the female ostrich |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1042-02 |
וּ/בֵית | uveyt | HC/Np |
and Beth- | and house of | 1 |
H1042-01 |
עֲנ֖וֹת | anot | HNp |
anoth | answering of | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1042-02 |
Joshua 15:59 | וּ/בֵית | uveyt | HC/Np |
and Beth- | and house of |
H1042-01 |
Joshua 15:59 | עֲנ֖וֹת | anot | HNp |
anoth | answering of |