בֵּית פַּצֵּץ
𐤁𐤉𐤕 𐤐𐤑𐤑
Bêyth Patstsêts
H1048 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A toponym denoting a location called 'house of dispersion' or 'house of scattering.' Used as a proper place name for a locality within the territorial allotment to the tribe of Issachar in the Hebrew Bible. The compound reflects a geographical or perhaps demographic characteristic (e.g., an area marked by dispersal, scattering, or spreading out, whether of people, objects, or terrain).
Semantic Range
proper place name, settlement characterized by dispersion or scattering, possible reference to a geographical feature or event associated with scattering; literal meaning 'house of dispersion'
Root / Etymology
From the noun בַּיִת ('house') and the root פּוּץ ('to scatter, disperse'). The second element, פַּצֵּץ (patsets), is a derivative implying something scattered, broken, or dispersed. Thus, בֵּית פַּצֵּץ literally means 'house of scattering/dispersion.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
בֵּית פַּצֵּץ appears only once in the Hebrew Bible (Joshua 19:21) as a site within the territory allotted to the tribe of Issachar. The name's etymology ('house of scattering') may refer to its physical environment (such as a dispersed settlement, or a landscape feature), or perhaps an event or function associated with dispersal. There is no evidence the place held broader cultural or religious significance beyond its geographic mention. Later English translations (including KJV: 'Bethpazzez') retain the transliterated form, concealing the original meaning. There is no reason to apply the English term 'Palestine' here, since the passage refers specifically to the pre-monarchic Israelite period, and the term 'Palestine' reflects much later Greco-Roman usage. The toponym's precise location remains uncertain, and it is not referenced elsewhere in the biblical text or subsequent extrabiblical sources. The underlying element פּוּץ primarily connotes physical scattering (literal or figurative) elsewhere in biblical Hebrew, which may illuminate the intended nuance in the place name.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from בַּיִת and a derivative from פּוּץ; house of dispersion; Beth-Patstsets, a place in Palestine; Beth-pazzez.
Bantu Hebrew
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בית, פוץ (b-y-t; p-w-ṣ) — house, dwelling; scatter, disperse, spread out
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1048-02 |
וּ/בֵ֥ית | uveyt | HC/Np |
and Beth | and house-of | 1 |
H1048-01 |
פַּצֵּֽץ | patsets | HNp |
pazzez | House of Dispersion | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1048-02 |
Joshua 19:21 | וּ/בֵ֥ית | uveyt | HC/Np |
and Beth | and house-of |
H1048-01 |
Joshua 19:21 | פַּצֵּֽץ | patsets | HNp |
pazzez | House of Dispersion |