בְּעָתָה
𐤁𐤏𐤕𐤄
bᵉʻâthâh
H1205 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A state or condition of dread, fear, or terror; also denotes being afflicted with anxiety or trouble, especially one rooted in overwhelming fearfulness or panic in threatening circumstances. In poetic and wisdom literature, it can also convey the sense of terror that leads to distress or calamity.
Semantic Range
dread, terror, panic, overwhelming fear, state of alarm, panic-induced trouble, calamity caused by fear
Root / Etymology
From the root בעת (b-'-t), which has the core meaning of 'to terrify, startle, be in dread'. בְּעָתָה is a feminine noun formation from this root, denoting the state or experience resulting from being terrified or startled.
Historical & Contextual Notes
בְּעָתָה occurs only five times in the Hebrew Bible, all in poetic or wisdom contexts (Job and Proverbs). It is often parallel with nouns for 'trouble,' 'anguish,' or 'fear,' indicating the emotional state under duress or threat. In Job, it describes the fear or panic that comes upon a person in crisis. Later English translations variably render it as 'trouble,' 'terror,' or 'dread,' but none fully capture the nuance of abrupt, overwhelming fear. The word is less common than related terms like פחד (pachad, 'dread') or יראה (yir'ah, 'fear/awe'), and emphasizes the sudden, often paralyzing experience of fear. It is used without specific reference to religious fear (i.e., not fear of deity), but rather human psychological states in response to threatening events.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from בָּעַת; fear; trouble.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
עתה (ʿ-t-h) — now, present time, this time
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H5844 | עָטָה | and now |
| H6258 | עַתָּה | from this time onward |
| H857 | אָתָה | and at this time |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1205-01 |
בְעָתָֽה | veatah | HNcfsa |
terror | and now | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1205-01 |
Jeremiah 8:15 | בְעָתָֽה | veatah | HNcfsa |
terror | and now |
H1205-01 |
Jeremiah 14:19 | בְעָתָֽה | veatah | HNcfsa |
terror | and now |