בָּנָה

𐤁𐤍𐤄

bânâh

H1129 verb

SILEX Entry

Root בנה to build, to construct, to establish

Definition

To build, to construct, especially in relation to physical structures or settlements; by extension, to establish or found (such as a house, dynasty, city, or altar). Figuratively, to establish or produce offspring, particularly sons (with emphasis on founding a family line or household). The word can also denote repairing or restoring what has been broken or ruined, as well as setting up, making ready, or preparing something for use. The notion of building is often employed idiomatically in relational or social contexts, such as 'building a house' referring to establishing a household or lineage.

Semantic Range

to build physical structures (houses, cities, altars), to establish or found a household or dynasty, to repair or restore, to produce or obtain children (especially sons), to prepare or set up, to increase or make prosperous (figurative), idiomatically to establish lineage

Root / Etymology

Root בנה, meaning 'to build.' The verb בָּנָה derives directly from this root, embodying the core concept of constructing or erecting something material or institutional. The root is productive in forming related nouns (בֵּן 'son', בַּיִת 'house', בִּנְיָן 'structure').

Historical & Contextual Notes

Across the Hebrew Bible, בָּנָה is most commonly used for the literal construction of dwellings, cities, altars, and fortifications (e.g., Genesis 4:17, Exodus 1:11, 1 Kings 6:1). It is also frequently employed in the figurative sense of founding a house or lineage, particularly in patriarchal and monarchic contexts where 'building a house' is a metonym for establishing a family, a royal dynasty, or perpetuating one's line (e.g., Ruth 4:11; 2 Samuel 7:27). In poetic and prophetic literature, the verb extends to meanings like repairing Jerusalem or establishing the nation of Israel anew after disaster (e.g., Isaiah 58:12, Jeremiah 24:6). Later, post-exilic literature broadens 'building' to the restoration of the community and temple (e.g., Ezra, Nehemiah). Distinct from related roots such as עשׂה ('to make, do'), בנה emphasizes the process of assembling or raising up, especially with respect to permanence and institutional establishment. English translations often render בָּנָה as 'build' or 'repair', but sometimes obscure its extended sense as 'establishing a family' or 'producing children.' The idiom 'to build the house of someone' specifically refers to ensuring or increasing the posterity of a family line, especially in the context of the Israelite system of inheritance and kinship. In earlier translations, 'build' could be rendered figuratively as 'obtain children.'

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to build (literally and figuratively); (begin to) build(-er), obtain children, make, repair, set (up), [idiom] surely.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

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

86 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1129-60 וַ/יִּבֶן֩ vayiven HC/Vqw3ms and built and he built 59
H1129-30 לִ/בְנֹ֥ת livenot HR/Vqc to build to build 49
H1129-01 בָּנָ֤ה banah HVqp3ms he built he built 39
H1129-63 וַ/יִּבְנ֣וּ vayivenu HC/Vqw3mp and they built and they built 15
H1129-82 יִבְנֶ֖ה yiveneh HVqi3ms shall build he will build 15
H1129-05 בָּנִֽיתִי baniti HVqp1cs I have built I built 13
H1129-38 תִבְנֶ֥ה tiveneh HVqi2ms you shall build you will build 12
H1129-44 וּ/בָנ֤וּ uvanu HC/Vqq3cp and they will build and we built 10
H1129-07 בָּנ֖וּ banu HVqp3cp built they built 9
H1129-33 נִבְנֶה niveneh HVqh1cp we will build let us build 7

Occurrences in Scripture

377 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1129-60 Genesis 2:22 וַ/יִּבֶן֩ vayiven HC/Vqw3ms and built and he built
H1129-18 Genesis 4:17 בֹּ֣נֶה boneh HVqrmsa building the one who builds
H1129-60 Genesis 8:20 וַ/יִּ֥בֶן vayiven HC/Vqw3ms and built and he built
H1129-60 Genesis 10:11 וַ/יִּ֨בֶן֙ vayiven HC/Vqw3ms and he built and he built
H1129-33 Genesis 11:4 נִבְנֶה niveneh HVqh1cp let us build let us build
H1129-07 Genesis 11:5 בָּנ֖וּ banu HVqp3cp they had built they built
H1129-30 Genesis 11:8 לִ/בְנֹ֥ת livenot HR/Vqc building to build
H1129-60 Genesis 12:7 וַ/יִּ֤בֶן vayiven HC/Vqw3ms and built and he built
H1129-60 Genesis 12:8 וַ/יִּֽבֶן vayiven HC/Vqw3ms he built and he built
H1129-60 Genesis 13:18 וַ/יִּֽבֶן vayiven HC/Vqw3ms and built and he built