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פִּי־בֶסֶת

𐤐𐤉־𐤁𐤎𐤕

Pi Veset

H6364 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain not applicable (Egyptian toponym)

Definition

Pi-Beseth is a toponym referring to an Egyptian city mentioned in biblical texts, most notably in Ezekiel 30:17, rendered as the name of a specific urban center. In context, it designates a city within Egypt's Nile Delta region, probably corresponding to the well-known city called Bubastis in Greek sources, famed as a religious center dedicated to the Egyptian goddess Bastet. The word itself functions exclusively as a proper name for this Egyptian location.

Semantic Range

proper name of an Egyptian city (Bubastis), used as a toponym only in reference to this location

Root / Etymology

The name פִּי־בֶסֶת (Pîy-Beṣet) is of Egyptian origin, not native Semitic/Hebrew. The initial פִּי (pi or p3 in Egyptian transcription) is an Egyptian definite article meaning 'the house of' or 'the domain of.' בֶסֶת (Beset or Baset) is the Egyptian goddess Bastet. The name thus means 'House of Bastet.' The form has been adapted into biblical Hebrew transliteration. The root is non-Semitic; etymology is Egyptian: 'p3-Bȝstt.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

Pi-Beseth appears in the Hebrew Bible only in Ezekiel 30:17, within an oracle against Egypt. The reference is to a significant Egyptian city, famous in antiquity as Bubastis, situated in the eastern Nile Delta. This city was a major religious center for the cult of Bastet, the feline goddess, which explains the name's Egyptian derivation. Unlike many biblical place names, this one is not derived from a Hebrew root but rather is a direct transliteration of an Egyptian toponym, hence it does not follow Hebrew morphological patterns and lacks typical root associations. The Septuagint and other Greek sources render the name as Bubastos. Later English versions sometimes use 'Pi-beseth,' but older versions might use Greek-based forms such as Bubastis. The use of this Egyptian proper name underscores the biblical authors' awareness of significant Egyptian urban centers during the exilic period, especially as targets in oracles of judgment. The term does not carry a broader semantic range in Hebrew outside this context, nor does it imply ethnic or religious identity beyond its function as a city name. It is distinct from other Egyptian toponyms in the Hebrew Bible that have undergone further Hebraization.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of Egyptian origin; Pi-Beseth, a place in Egypt; Pi-beseth.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

פיבסת (p-y-b-s-t) — Egyptian toponym, House of Bastet

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6364-01 וּ/פִי ufi HC/Np and Pi- and Pi-Beseth 1
H6364-02 בֶ֖סֶת veset HNp beseth House-of-Bastet 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6364-01 Ezekiel 30:17 וּ/פִי ufi HC/Np and Pi- and Pi-Beseth
H6364-02 Ezekiel 30:17 בֶ֖סֶת veset HNp beseth House-of-Bastet
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