בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע (H884) — Hebrew Lexicon

בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע

𐤁𐤀𐤓 𐤔𐤁𐤏

Shava

H884 noun

SILEX Entry

Root באר, שבע to dig a well, to be seven/to swear an oath

Definition

Beer-Sheba is a proper noun denoting a settlement in the southern region of ancient Israelite territory, frequently mentioned as an endpoint of the phrase 'from Dan to Beer-Sheba,' indicating the traditional northern and southern boundaries of Israelite habitation. The lexical meaning is derived as 'well of the oath' or 'well of seven,' referring to a landmark well associated with an oath or agreement, particularly in Genesis narratives. In broader context, Beer-Sheba denotes the site itself, its surrounding region, or sometimes an administrative district, depending on period and context.

Semantic Range

proper name of a city, well associated with an oath/agreement, southern border location, administrative center, symbolic location representing the southern extent of Israelite settlement

Root / Etymology

בְּאֵר (well, pit, cistern) + שֶׁבַע (seven); cf. שָׁבַע (to swear, make an oath; related by wordplay or association). The compound indicates either 'well of seven' (perhaps referencing seven wells or seven lambs in the Genesis episode) or 'well of the oath' (after the oath made between Abraham/Isaac and Abimelech); the lexical ambiguity is exploited in biblical narrative.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Beer-Sheba figures prominently in Genesis as the place where Abraham and later Isaac made a covenantal oath with local rulers, sealing the naming of the site (Gen 21, 26). The name encapsulates two possible interpretations—'well of seven' and 'well of the oath'—with biblical narrative making use of the ambiguity for theological and literary effect. In the monarchy period, Beer-Sheba was a key administrative city for the southern region and often marked the southernmost extent of settled Israelite territory, as in the formula 'from Dan to Beer-Sheba.' In later periods, its significance as a border landmark remained. English translations typically render the name with 'Beer-Sheba,' preserving the Hebrew form, but often fail to capture nuances of the original etymological wordplay and its connection to both the well itself and the act of swearing or the number seven.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from בְּאֵר and שֶׁבַע (in the sense of שָׁבַע); well of an oath; Beer-Sheba, a place in Palestine; Beer-shebah.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

באר, שבע (b-ʾ-r; š-b-ʿ) — well, pit, water-source; seven, oath, sworn agreement

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H1192	בַּעֲלַת בְּאֵר	Well of the Oath
H1339	בַּת־שֶׁבַע	Well-of-the-Oath
H874	בָּאַר	Well-of-the-Oath

Word Forms

8 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`H884-05`	שָֽׁבַע	shava	`HNp`	Beersheba	Well-of-the-Oath	19
`H884-01`	בְּאֵ֥ר	beer	`HNp`	Beersheba	Well-of-the-Oath	17
`H884-06`	שֶׁ֔בַע	sheva	`HAcfsa`	sheba	seven	15
`H884-04`	מִ/בְּאֵ֣ר	mibeer	`HR/Np`	from Beersheba	from Well-of-the-Oath	8
`H884-03`	בִּ/בְאֵ֣ר	biveer	`HR/Np`	at Beer	in Well-of-the-Oath	5
`H884-07`	וּ/בְאֵ֥ר	uveer	`HC/Np`	and Beer	and Well-of-the-Oath	2
`H884-08`	וּ/בִ/בְאֵ֥ר	uviveer	`HC/R/Np`	and in Beer	and in Well-of-the-Oath	1
`H884-02`	בְּאֵ֣רָ/ה	beerah	`HNp/Sd`	to Beersheba	toward Well-of-the-Oath	1

Occurrences in Scripture

68 total occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`H884-01`	Genesis 21:14	בְּאֵ֥ר	beer	`HNp`	of Beersheba	Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-05`	Genesis 21:14	שָֽׁבַע	shava	`HNp`	of Beersheba	Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-01`	Genesis 21:31	בְּאֵ֣ר	beer	`HNp`	Beer	Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-05`	Genesis 21:31	שָׁ֑בַע	shava	`HNp`	Sheba	Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-03`	Genesis 21:32	בִּ/בְאֵ֣ר	biveer	`HR/Np`	at Beer	in Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-05`	Genesis 21:32	שָׁ֑בַע	shava	`HNp`	Sheba	Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-03`	Genesis 21:33	בִּ/בְאֵ֣ר	biveer	`HR/Np`	in Beersheba	in Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-05`	Genesis 21:33	שָׁ֑בַע	shava	`HNp`	of seven	Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-01`	Genesis 22:19	בְּאֵ֣ר	beer	`HNp`	Beersheba	Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-05`	Genesis 22:19	שָׁ֑בַע	shava	`HNp`	Sheba	Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-03`	Genesis 22:19	בִּ/בְאֵ֥ר	biveer	`HR/Np`	at Beersheba	in Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-05`	Genesis 22:19	שָֽׁבַע	shava-2	`HNp`	Sheba	Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-01`	Genesis 26:23	בְּאֵ֥ר	beer	`HNp`	Beersheba	Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-05`	Genesis 26:23	שָֽׁבַע	shava	`HNp`		Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-01`	Genesis 26:33	בְּאֵ֣ר	beer	`HNp`	Beersheba	Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-06`	Genesis 26:33	שֶׁ֔בַע	sheva	`HAcfsa`	Beersheba	seven
`H884-04`	Genesis 28:10	מִ/בְּאֵ֣ר	mibeer	`HR/Np`	from Beersheba	from Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-05`	Genesis 28:10	שָׁ֑בַע	shava	`HNp`		Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-02`	Genesis 46:1	בְּאֵ֣רָ/ה	beerah	`HNp/Sd`	to Beersheba	toward Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-05`	Genesis 46:1	שָּׁ֑בַע	shava	`HNp`	Beersheba	Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-04`	Genesis 46:5	מִ/בְּאֵ֣ר	mibeer	`HR/Np`	from Beersheba	from Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-05`	Genesis 46:5	שָׁ֑בַע	shava	`HNp`	Beersheba	Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-07`	Joshua 15:28	וּ/בְאֵ֥ר	uveer	`HC/Np`	and Beer	and Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-06`	Joshua 15:28	שֶׁ֖בַע	sheva	`HAcfsa`	sheba	seven
`H884-01`	Joshua 19:2	בְּאֵֽר	beer	`HNp`	Beersheba	Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-06`	Joshua 19:2	שֶׁ֥בַע	sheva	`HAcfsa`	Sheba	seven
`H884-01`	Judges 20:1	בְּאֵ֣ר	beer	`HNp`	Beersheba	Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-06`	Judges 20:1	שֶׁ֔בַע	sheva	`HAcfsa`	of seven	seven
`H884-01`	1 Samuel 3:20	בְּאֵ֣ר	beer	`HNp`	Beersheba	Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-05`	1 Samuel 3:20	שָׁ֑בַע	shava	`HNp`	Beersheba	Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-03`	1 Samuel 8:2	בִּ/בְאֵ֥ר	biveer	`HR/Np`	in Beer-	in Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-05`	1 Samuel 8:2	שָֽׁבַע	shava	`HNp`	sheba	Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-01`	2 Samuel 3:10	בְּאֵ֥ר	beer	`HNp`	Beersheba	Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-05`	2 Samuel 3:10	שָֽׁבַע	shava	`HNp`	of Sheba	Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-01`	2 Samuel 17:11	בְּאֵ֣ר	beer	`HNp`	Beersheba	Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-06`	2 Samuel 17:11	שֶׁ֔בַע	sheva	`HAcfsa`	of Sheba	seven
`H884-01`	2 Samuel 24:2	בְּאֵ֣ר	beer	`HNp`	Beersheba	Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-06`	2 Samuel 24:2	שֶׁ֔בַע	sheva	`HAcfsa`		seven
`H884-01`	2 Samuel 24:7	בְּאֵ֥ר	beer	`HNp`	Beersheba	Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-05`	2 Samuel 24:7	שָֽׁבַע	shava	`HNp`	Beersheba	Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-01`	2 Samuel 24:15	בְּאֵ֣ר	beer	`HNp`	Beersheba	Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-06`	2 Samuel 24:15	שֶׁ֔בַע	sheva	`HAcfsa`	sheba	seven
`H884-01`	1 Kings 5:5	בְּאֵ֣ר	beer	`HNp`	Beersheba	Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-05`	1 Kings 5:5	שָׁ֑בַע	shava	`HNp`	Sheba	Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-01`	1 Kings 19:3	בְּאֵ֥ר	beer	`HNp`	Beersheba	Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-06`	1 Kings 19:3	שֶׁ֖בַע	sheva	`HAcfsa`	of seven	seven
`H884-04`	2 Kings 12:2	מִ/בְּאֵ֥ר	mibeer	`HR/Np`	from Beer	from Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-05`	2 Kings 12:2	שָֽׁבַע	shava	`HNp`	sheba	Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-01`	2 Kings 23:8	בְּאֵ֣ר	beer	`HNp`	Beersheba	Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-05`	2 Kings 23:8	שָׁ֑בַע	shava	`HNp`	Beersheba	Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-07`	Amos 5:5	וּ/בְאֵ֥ר	uveer	`HC/Np`	and to Beersheba	and Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-06`	Amos 5:5	שֶׁ֖בַע	sheva	`HAcfsa`	of seven	seven
`H884-01`	Amos 8:14	בְּאֵֽר	beer	`HNp`	Beersheba	Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-05`	Amos 8:14	שָׁ֑בַע	shava	`HNp`	Beersheba	Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-08`	Nehemiah 11:27	וּ/בִ/בְאֵ֥ר	uviveer	`HC/R/Np`	and in Beer	and in Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-06`	Nehemiah 11:27	שֶׁ֖בַע	sheva	`HAcfsa`	sheba	seven
`H884-04`	Nehemiah 11:30	מִ/בְּאֵֽר	mibeer	`HR/Np`	from Beer-	from Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-06`	Nehemiah 11:30	שֶׁ֖בַע	sheva	`HAcfsa`	sheba	seven
`H884-03`	1 Chronicles 4:28	בִּ/בְאֵֽר	biveer	`HR/Np`	in Beer	in Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-06`	1 Chronicles 4:28	שֶׁ֥בַע	sheva	`HAcfsa`	sheba	seven
`H884-04`	1 Chronicles 21:2	מִ/בְּאֵ֥ר	mibeer	`HR/Np`	from Beersheba	from Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-06`	1 Chronicles 21:2	שֶׁ֖בַע	sheva	`HAcfsa`		seven
`H884-04`	2 Chronicles 19:4	מִ/בְּאֵ֥ר	mibeer	`HR/Np`	from Beersheba	from Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-06`	2 Chronicles 19:4	שֶׁ֨בַע֙	sheva	`HAcfsa`	Sheba	seven
`H884-04`	2 Chronicles 24:1	מִ/בְּאֵ֥ר	mibeer	`HR/Np`	from Beer-	from Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-05`	2 Chronicles 24:1	שָֽׁבַע	shava	`HNp`	sheba	Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-04`	2 Chronicles 30:5	מִ/בְּאֵֽר	mibeer	`HR/Np`	from Beer-	from Well-of-the-Oath
`H884-06`	2 Chronicles 30:5	שֶׁ֣בַע	sheva	`HAcfsa`	sheba	seven

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