בֶּתֶר
𐤁𐤕𐤓
Bether
H1336 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper name referring to a geographical location, likely meaning 'cleft,' 'crag,' or 'division,' based on its root sense. The word denotes a mountainous region characterized by rugged, split, or sharply divided terrain. Appears specifically in poetic usage, as in Song of Songs 2:17, suggesting a locale with prominent, separated peaks or ravines.
Semantic Range
mountain range, crag, cleft, divided or separated terrain, proper place name (Bether)
Root / Etymology
From the Hebrew root בָּתַר (b-t-r), meaning 'to cut' or 'to divide.' As a toponym, Bether is interpreted as a place defined by divided or cleft terrain. The form is likely derived from the same root as the noun בֶּתֶר ('piece,' 'section'), though employed here as a proper noun indicating a locale.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Bether is attested singularly in the Hebrew Bible, in Song of Songs 2:17, in a poetic description evoking steep or cleft mountains. The precise historical location of Bether remains uncertain, but it likely refers to a region in the highlands, possibly in the central hill country. In later Jewish traditions—including rabbinic literature—Bether becomes associated with the site of a significant battle in the Bar Kochba revolt (132–135 CE), though this identification is post-biblical and unrelated to the Song of Songs reference. Unlike other names, Bether is not otherwise used as an ethnonym or general descriptor. English translation as 'Bether' preserves the uncertainty of the location; rendering it as 'mountains of separation' or 'divided peaks' reflects its root meaning but may lose the toponymic nuance present in the text. The term should not be anachronistically linked with later sites or the broader term 'Palestine' beyond the scope of biblical geography.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
the same as בֶּתֶר; Bether, a (craggy) place in Palestine; Bether.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
בתר (b-t-r) — cut, divide, sever
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1334 | בָּתַר | he cut in two |
| H1335 | בֶּתֶר | his severed pieces |
| H1338 | בִּתְרוֹן | the Split-Gorge |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1336-01 |
בָֽתֶר | vater | HNcmpa |
of Bether | cleft crags | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1336-01 |
Song of Songs 2:17 | בָֽתֶר | vater | HNcmpa |
of Bether | cleft crags |