בְּנָא

𐤁𐤍𐤀

bᵉnâʼ

H1124 verb

SILEX Entry

Root בנה to build, construct, establish

Definition

To build or construct, especially in reference to physical structures such as buildings, cities, or altars; by extension, to establish, restore, or rebuild something that has fallen into disrepair. The term is most commonly used for acts of construction or restoration in the context of the Aramaic portions of the Hebrew Bible.

Semantic Range

to build, construct, rebuild, restore, repair, establish (especially of cities, walls, temples, or public structures)

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root בנה meaning 'to build, construct.' The Aramaic form בְּנָא reflects the shift in pronunciation and orthography typical of Aramaic, distinguishing it from the Hebrew בָּנָה (banāh). This verb follows regular Aramaic verbal patterns but preserves the core semantic concept of 'building.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

בְּנָא appears in biblical Aramaic sections (primarily in Ezra and Daniel) and is used to describe both literal construction projects (such as the rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple or city walls under Persian rule) and broader processes of restoration (of cultic or civic structures). Unlike its Hebrew cognate בנה, which occurs throughout the Hebrew Bible, בְּנָא is distinctive to the Aramaic text and should not be confused with later forms or meanings that developed in post-biblical Jewish Aramaic. English translations usually render it as 'build' or 'rebuild,' but the term also encompasses the sense of restoring or reestablishing something previously ruined, especially in exilic and post-exilic contexts.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Aramaic) or בְּנָה; (Aramaic), corresponding to בָּנָה; to build; build, make.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

בנה (b-n-h) — to build, construct, establish

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

13 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1124-01 בָּנַ֔יִן banayin AVqrmpa they are building the ones building 3
H1124-03 לְ/מִבְנֵ֔א lemivene AR/Vqc for-building to build 3
H1124-07 תִּתְבְּנֵ֔א titebene AVui3fs is rebuilt she will be built 3
H1124-05 לִ/בְּנֵ֔א libene AR/Vqc to build to build 2
H1124-12 יִתְבְּנֵ֥א yitebene AVui3ms be built he will build himself 2
H1124-06 מִתְבְּנֵא֙ mitebene AVurmsa being-built being built 2
H1124-13 יִבְנ֥וֹן yivenon AVqi3mp let them build they will build 1
H1124-11 בְנֵ֜ה veneh AVqsmsa built built 1
H1124-08 וּ/בָנַ֤יִן uvanayin AC/Vqrmpa and building and builders 1
H1124-10 בֱנַיְתַ/הּ֙ venayetah AVqp1cs/Sp3fs have built I built her 1

Occurrences in Scripture

22 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1124-10 Daniel 4:27 בֱנַיְתַ/הּ֙ venayetah AVqp1cs/Sp3fs have built I built her
H1124-01 Ezra 4:12 בָּנַ֔יִן banayin AVqrmpa they are building the ones building
H1124-07 Ezra 4:13 תִּתְבְּנֵ֔א titebene AVui3fs is rebuilt she will be built
H1124-07 Ezra 4:16 תִּתְבְּנֵ֔א titebene AVui3fs is rebuilt she will be built
H1124-07 Ezra 4:21 תִתְבְּנֵ֔א titebene AVui3fs be rebuilt she will be built
H1124-03 Ezra 5:2 לְ/מִבְנֵ֔א lemivene AR/Vqc to rebuild to build
H1124-05 Ezra 5:3 לִ/בְּנֵ֔א libene AR/Vqc to build to build
H1124-01 Ezra 5:4 בָּנַֽיִן banayin AVqrmpa are building the ones building
H1124-06 Ezra 5:8 מִתְבְּנֵא֙ mitebene AVurmsa being-built being built
H1124-04 Ezra 5:9 לְ/מִבְנְיָ֔ה lemiveneyah AR/Vqc to-build to build