בֵּית שֶׁמֶשׁ (H1053) — Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּית שֶׁמֶשׁ

𐤁𐤉𐤕 𐤔𐤌𐤔

Bêyth Shemesh

H1053 noun

SILEX Entry

Root בנה, שמש to build, construct; sun

Definition

Toponym denoting various locations in the biblical landscape, literally meaning 'house of the sun.' It refers to towns or cities, most notably situated at the border between the territories of Judah and Dan, but also in Naphtali and Issachar, that were named for their association with the sun, potentially as former sites of solar worship or prominent high places. The term combines the noun for 'house' with the noun for 'sun,' creating a compound place-name indicating a sanctuary, temple, or settlement identified with the sun.

Semantic Range

Beth-Shemesh (as a place-name); settlement or town named 'house of the sun'; former sanctuary or cult site associated with the sun; Canaanite or Israelite city with a temple or special association to solar deities

Root / Etymology

A compound word from the root בֵּית (meaning 'house,' from the root בנה 'to build, construct') and שֶׁמֶשׁ ('sun'; root uncertain but widely attested in Semitic languages). The compound literally signifies 'house (or temple) of the sun.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

בֵּית שֶׁמֶשׁ appears as a prominent border town in the southern hill country (notably Joshua 15:10, 21:16), allocated to the tribe of Judah, and also as towns in the territories of Naphtali (Joshua 19:38) and Issachar (Joshua 19:22). The name likely preserves evidence of pre-Israelite Canaanite cultic practice associated with solar worship. Archaeological and textual evidence suggests that the sun was a significant aspect of local deity worship in the region during the Late Bronze and Iron Ages, and site-names like בֵּית שֶׁמֶשׁ were not unique to Israelite settlement patterns. References to בֵּית שֶׁמֶשׁ in narrative often appear in contexts of border disputes, cultic incidents (e.g., the ark narrative in 1 Samuel 6), or as Levitical cities. The Septuagint and later translations render the name directly as a place-name without attempt to translate its meaning, while English versions often preserve the transliteration 'Beth-shemesh.' 'Palestine' in older translations refers broadly to the territory of the biblical world; the actual towns bearing this name reflect different historical realities depending on the period and context. The meaning does not imply persistent Israelite solar worship but preserves the memory of Canaanite-named or purposed sites.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from בַּיִת and שֶׁמֶשׁ; house of (the) sun; Beth-Shemesh, a place in Palestine; Beth-shemesh.

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Root Family

בנה (b-n-h) — 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
H1009	בֵּית אַרְבֵּאל	house of
H1010	בֵּית בַּעַל מְעוֹן	house-of
H1011	בֵּית בִּרְאִי	and in the house of
H1012	בֵּית בָּרָה	house of
H1013	בֵּית־גָּדֵר	house-of
H1014	בֵּית גָּמוּל	house of
H1015	בֵּית דִּבְלָתַיִם	house-of
H1016	בֵּית־דָּגוֹן	house-of
H1017	בֵּית הָאֱלִי	house of
H1018	בֵּית הָאֵצֶל	house of
H1020	בֵּית הַיְשִׁימוֹת	house-of
H1021	בֵּית הַכֶּרֶם	house-of
H1022	בֵּית הַלַּחְמִי	house of
H1023	בֵּית הַמֶּרְחָק	house-of
H1024	בֵּית הַמַּרְכָּבוֹת	and house of
H1025	בֵּית הָעֵמֶק	house of
H1026	בֵּית הָעֲרָבָה	house-of
H1027	בֵּית הָרָם	house-of
H1028	בֵּית הָרָן	house of
H1029	בֵּית הַשִּׁטָּה	house-of
H1030	בֵּית הַשִּׁמְשִׁי	house-of
H1031	בֵּית חׇגְלָה	house of
H1032	בֵּית חוֹרוֹן	house-of
H1033	בֵּית כַּר	to the built-house of
H1034	בֵּית לְבָאוֹת	and house-of
H1035	בֵּית לֶחֶם	in the house of
H1036	בֵּית לְעַפְרָה	in the built-house of
H1038	בֵּית מַעֲכָה	house of
H1039	בֵּית נִמְרָה	house of
H1041	בֵּית עַזְמָוֶת	house of
H1042	בֵּית עֲנוֹת	and house of
H1043	בֵּית עֲנָת	and house-of
H1044	בֵּית עֵקֶד	house-of
H1046	בֵּית פֶּלֶט	and house of
H1047	בֵּית פְּעוֹר	house of
H1048	בֵּית פַּצֵּץ	and house-of
H1049	בֵּית צוּר	house of
H1050	בֵּית רְחוֹב	house-of
H1051	בֵּית רָפָא	house of
H1052	בֵּית שְׁאָן	in the built-house of
H1054	בֵּית תַּפּוּחַ	and house of
H1121	בֵּן	sons
H1122	בֵּן	son
H1123	בֵּן	sons of
H1124	בְּנָא	the ones building
H1125	בֶּן־אֲבִינָדָב	son
H1126	בֶּן־אוֹנִי	son
H1127	בֶּן־גֶּבֶר	son
H1128	בֶּן־דֶּקֶר	son
H1129	בָּנָה	he built
H1130	בֶּן־הֲדַד	son
H1131	בִּנּוּי	Built-Up One
H1132	בֶּן־זוֹחֵת	and son of
H1133	בֶּן־חוּר	son
H1134	בֶּן־חַיִל	to a son of
H1135	בֶּן־חָנָן	son
H1136	בֶּן־חֶסֶד	son
H1137	בָּנִי	Built-one
H1138	בֻּנִּי	Built One
H1139	בְּנֵי־בְּרַק	and sons of
H1140	בִּנְיָה	and the built-structure
H1141	בְּנָיָה	Yahweh has built
H1142	בְּנֵי יַעֲקָן	among sons of
H1145	בֶּן־יְמִינִי	son
H1146	בִּנְיָן	constructed structure
H1147	בִּנְיָן	the built structure
H1151	בֶּן־עַמִּי	son
H1323	בַּת	daughters
H1324	בַּת	daughter of
H1337	בַּת רַבִּים	daughter of
H1339	בַּת־שֶׁבַע	daughter of
H1340	בַּת־שׁוּעַ	to a daughter of
H205	אָוֶן	and building-stone
H2995	יַבְנְאֵל	and God-Builds
H2996	יַבְנֶה	Yabneh, Building-place
H2997	יִבְנְיָה	Yah Has Built
H2998	יִבְנִיָּה	Yah Builds
H358	אֵילוֹן בֵּית חָנָן	house of
H3845	לִבְנִי	to my son
H4011	מִבְנֶה	like the built-structure of
H4012	מְבֻנַּי	Built-Up One
H4996	נֹא	his son
H5524	סֻכּוֹת בְּנוֹת	daughters of
H5854	עַטְרוֹת בֵּית יוֹאָב	house of
H62	אָבֵל בֵּית־מֲעַכָה	house of
H68	אֶבֶן	your building-stones
H69	אֶבֶן	building-stone of
H72	אֶבֶן הָעֵזֶר	building-stone of
H8401	תֶּבֶן	the straw residue
H8403	תַּבְנִית	in building-pattern of
H885	בְּאֵרֹת בְּנֵי־יַעֲקַן	sons of
H935	בּוֹא	daughter of
H956	בּוּת	and daughter of
H995	בִּין	son of
H996	בֵּין	son

Word Forms

6 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`H1053-04`	שֶׁ֖מֶשׁ	shemesh	`HNp`	shemesh	House of the Sun	16
`H1053-02`	בֵּֽית	beyt	`HNp`	Beth	house of	8
`H1053-03`	שָׁ֑מֶשׁ	shamesh	`HNp`	Shemesh	sun	5
`H1053-06`	בֵֽית	veyt	`HNp`	Beth	house-of	5
`H1053-01`	בְּ/בֵ֥ית	beveyt	`HR/Np`	at Beth	in the built-house of	4
`H1053-05`	וּ/בֵ֣ית	uveyt	`HC/Np`	and Beth	and house-of	4

Occurrences in Scripture

42 total occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`H1053-02`	Joshua 15:10	בֵּֽית	beyt	`HNp`	house-of	house of
`H1053-04`	Joshua 15:10	שֶׁ֖מֶשׁ	shemesh	`HNp`	Shemesh	House of the Sun
`H1053-05`	Joshua 19:22	וּ/בֵ֣ית	uveyt	`HC/Np`	and Beth	and house-of
`H1053-04`	Joshua 19:22	שֶׁ֔מֶשׁ	shemesh	`HNp`	shemesh	House of the Sun
`H1053-05`	Joshua 19:38	וּ/בֵ֣ית	uveyt-2	`HC/Np`	and Beth	and house-of
`H1053-03`	Joshua 19:38	שָׁ֑מֶשׁ	shamesh	`HNp`	shemesh	sun
`H1053-02`	Joshua 21:16	בֵּ֥ית	beyt	`HNp`	Beth	house of
`H1053-04`	Joshua 21:16	שֶׁ֖מֶשׁ	shemesh	`HNp`	shemesh	House of the Sun
`H1053-06`	Judges 1:33	בֵֽית	veyt	`HNp`	Beth	house-of
`H1053-04`	Judges 1:33	שֶׁ֨מֶשׁ֙	shemesh	`HNp`	Shemesh	House of the Sun
`H1053-06`	Judges 1:33	בֵֽית	veyt-3	`HNp`	Beth	house-of
`H1053-04`	Judges 1:33	שֶׁ֨מֶשׁ֙	shemesh-2	`HNp`	Shemesh	House of the Sun
`H1053-02`	1 Samuel 6:9	בֵּ֣ית	beyt	`HNp`	to Beth	house of
`H1053-04`	1 Samuel 6:9	שֶׁ֔מֶשׁ	shemesh	`HNp`	-shemesh	House of the Sun
`H1053-02`	1 Samuel 6:12	בֵּ֣ית	beyt	`HNp`	Beth	house of
`H1053-04`	1 Samuel 6:12	שֶׁ֔מֶשׁ	shemesh	`HNp`	-shemesh	House of the Sun
`H1053-02`	1 Samuel 6:12	בֵּ֥ית	beyt-2	`HNp`	of Beth	house of
`H1053-03`	1 Samuel 6:12	שָֽׁמֶשׁ	shamesh	`HNp`	-shemesh	sun
`H1053-05`	1 Samuel 6:13	וּ/בֵ֣ית	uveyt	`HC/Np`	and Beth	and house-of
`H1053-04`	1 Samuel 6:13	שֶׁ֔מֶשׁ	shemesh	`HNp`	shemesh	House of the Sun
`H1053-06`	1 Samuel 6:15	בֵֽית	veyt	`HNp`	of Beth	house-of
`H1053-04`	1 Samuel 6:15	שֶׁ֗מֶשׁ	shemesh	`HNp`	shemesh	House of the Sun
`H1053-06`	1 Samuel 6:19	בֵֽית	veyt	`HNp`	Beth-	house-of
`H1053-04`	1 Samuel 6:19	שֶׁ֗מֶשׁ	shemesh	`HNp`	shemesh	House of the Sun
`H1053-06`	1 Samuel 6:20	בֵֽית	veyt	`HNp`	house of	house-of
`H1053-04`	1 Samuel 6:20	שֶׁ֔מֶשׁ	shemesh	`HNp`	Beth-shemesh	House of the Sun
`H1053-05`	1 Kings 4:9	וּ/בֵ֣ית	uveyt	`HC/Np`	and in Beth	and house-of
`H1053-03`	1 Kings 4:9	שָׁ֑מֶשׁ	shamesh	`HNp`	shemesh	sun
`H1053-01`	2 Kings 14:11	בְּ/בֵ֥ית	beveyt	`HR/Np`	at Beth	in the built-house of
`H1053-04`	2 Kings 14:11	שֶׁ֖מֶשׁ	shemesh	`HNp`	shemesh	House of the Sun
`H1053-01`	2 Kings 14:13	בְּ/בֵ֣ית	beveyt	`HR/Np`	at-Beth	in the built-house of
`H1053-03`	2 Kings 14:13	שָׁ֑מֶשׁ	shamesh	`HNp`	Shemesh	sun
`H1053-02`	Jeremiah 43:13	בֵּ֣ית	beyt	`HNp`	house	house of
`H1053-04`	Jeremiah 43:13	שֶׁ֔מֶשׁ	shemesh	`HNp`	of-the-sun	House of the Sun
`H1053-02`	1 Chronicles 6:44	בֵּ֥ית	beyt	`HNp`	Beth	house of
`H1053-04`	1 Chronicles 6:44	שֶׁ֖מֶשׁ	shemesh	`HNp`	shemesh	House of the Sun
`H1053-01`	2 Chronicles 25:21	בְּ/בֵ֥ית	beveyt	`HR/Np`	in Beth	in the built-house of
`H1053-04`	2 Chronicles 25:21	שֶׁ֖מֶשׁ	shemesh	`HNp`	Shemesh	House of the Sun
`H1053-01`	2 Chronicles 25:23	בְּ/בֵ֣ית	beveyt	`HR/Np`	in-[house]-of	in the built-house of
`H1053-03`	2 Chronicles 25:23	שָׁ֑מֶשׁ	shamesh	`HNp`	Shemesh	sun
`H1053-02`	2 Chronicles 28:18	בֵּֽית	beyt	`HNp`	Beth	house of
`H1053-04`	2 Chronicles 28:18	שֶׁ֨מֶשׁ	shemesh	`HNp`	shemesh	House of the Sun

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