בַּתָּה
𐤁𐤕𐤄
battâh
H1327 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Noun denoting a state of devastation or ruin, particularly of land or settlements having been laid waste. Refers to places that have been rendered uninhabited or in a ruined condition, typically as the result of conquest, disaster, or abandonment.
Semantic Range
ruined place, devastated area, site of desolation, land laid waste, abandoned ruin
Root / Etymology
Root/Etymology: Uncertain. Traditionally derived from an unused root possibly meaning 'to break apart' or 'to demolish,' though direct evidence for such a root in Hebrew is lacking. The form is grammatically feminine and parallels similar formations for land and habitation terms.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Historical & Contextual Notes: בַּתָּה appears rarely in the Hebrew Bible and is found only in poetic or prophetic contexts (e.g., Isaiah). It is used to describe land that has been thoroughly devastated, emphasizing total abandonment and the undoing of human settlement. The term functions as a descriptor of what was once cultivated or inhabited becoming completely ruined—distinguished from related terms like שְׁמָמָה (shemmâmâh) or חָרְבָּה (ḥorbah), both conveying notions of waste or desolation but used in wider or slightly different contexts. English translations often render בַּתָּה as 'desolation' or 'desolate place,' but these terms may not capture the particular Hebrew emphasis on the absolute, comprehensive extent of the devastation. There is no evidence to suggest that this noun ever referred to the people of the land or its religious identity; it purely describes physical condition. The form and sense of the word do not seem to have developed or shifted significantly over time.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
feminine from an unused root (meaning to break in pieces); desolation; desolate.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
בתה (b-t-h) — break, demolish, ruin
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1326 | בָּתָה | desolated place |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1327-01 |
הַ/בַּתּ֔וֹת | habatot | HTd/Ncfpa |
the-cliffs | the ruined places | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1327-01 |
Isaiah 7:19 | הַ/בַּתּ֔וֹת | habatot | HTd/Ncfpa |
the-cliffs | the ruined places |