בֵּית עֲנָת

𐤁𐤉𐤕 𐤏𐤍𐤕

Bêyth ʻĂnâth

H1043 noun

SILEX Entry

Root בנה, uncertain (for ענת) to build, construct, establish (בנה); Anat (proper name, uncertain or from Canaanite)

Definition

A toponymic designation meaning 'house of Anat,' referring to a settlement named after the West Semitic goddess Anat. The term primarily identifies a specific town located in the territory allotted to the tribe of Naphtali in the Hebrew Bible. The expression combines the word for 'house' or 'dwelling' with a proper name used for a Canaanite/Levantine deity, indicating the foundation and/or continued naming of the site in relation to Anat.

Semantic Range

place name (designating a settlement), house or sanctuary dedicated to Anat, marking a geographic location associated historically with both Canaanite and later Israelite populations

Root / Etymology

Compound of two elements: בֵּית (bêt), meaning 'house' or 'dwelling', from the root בנה (to build), and עֲנָת (Anat), a theophoric element representing the name of a prominent West Semitic/Canaanite goddess. The formation follows a common naming convention for ancient Levantine settlements, designating location as the 'house' or sanctuary of a deity.

Historical & Contextual Notes

בֵּית עֲנָת (Bêyth ʻĂnâth) appears in Joshua 19:38 as an Israelite settlement in Naphtaliite territory, and is later recalled in Judges 1:33. The name preserves evidence of the persistence or legacy of pre-Israelite religious traditions within local toponymy, as Anat was a Canaanite goddess of war and fertility. The town itself is listed as a Naphtaliite possession even though it is described, in the period of the Judges, as a place where resident Canaanites remained. The addition of a theophoric element in place-naming was common in the ancient Levant. Later translations might render the name as 'Beth-anath' or similar anglicizations, but these fail to convey the original reference to the deity Anat. Notably, the presence of a goddess name in a northern Israelite context provides insight into the religious complexity of Iron Age Canaan and Israelite settlement patterns. The orthographical variation observed ('עֲנָת' for 'עֲנוֹת') reflects slight manuscript traditions with no significant change in pronunciation or meaning. Modern identifications tentatively locate Beth-Anath with sites in upper Galilee.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

an orthographical variation for בֵּית עֲנוֹת; Beth-Anath, a place in Palestine; Beth-anath.

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
H1043-01 עֲנָ֖ת anat HNp Anath House of Anat 3
H1043-02 וּ/בֵית uveyt HC/Np and Beth and house-of 2
H1043-03 בֵית veyt HNp Beth house-of 1

Occurrences in Scripture

6 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1043-02 Joshua 19:38 וּ/בֵית uveyt HC/Np and Beth and house-of
H1043-01 Joshua 19:38 עֲנָ֖ת anat HNp anath House of Anat
H1043-03 Judges 1:33 בֵית veyt-2 HNp Beth house-of
H1043-01 Judges 1:33 עֲנָ֔ת anat HNp Anath House of Anat
H1043-02 Judges 1:33 וּ/בֵ֣ית uveyt HC/Np and Beth and house-of
H1043-01 Judges 1:33 עֲנָ֔ת anat-2 HNp Anath House of Anat