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בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע

𐤁𐤀𐤓 𐤔𐤁𐤏

Beer Sheva

H884 noun

SILEX Entry

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

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

באר, שבע (Beer Sheva) — to dig a well, to be seven/to swear an oath

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

Word Forms

8 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H884-05 שָׁ֑בַע shava HNp Beersheba Well-of-the-Oath Beer Sheva 19
H884-01 בְּאֵ֣ר beer HNp Beersheba Well-of-the-Oath Beer Sheva 17
H884-06 שֶׁ֥בַע sheva HAcfsa sheba seven seven 15
H884-04 מִ/בְּאֵ֥ר mibeer HR/Np from Beersheba from Well-of-the-Oath from Beer Sheva 8
H884-03 בִּ/בְאֵֽר biveer HR/Np at Beer in Well-of-the-Oath in Beer Sheva 5
H884-07 וּ/בְאֵ֥ר uveer HC/Np and Beer and Well-of-the-Oath and Beer Sheva 2
H884-02 בְּאֵ֣רָ/ה beerah HNp/Sd to Beersheba toward Well-of-the-Oath in Beer Sheva 1
H884-08 וּ/בִ/בְאֵ֥ר uviveer HC/R/Np and in Beer and in Well-of-the-Oath and in Beer Sheva 1

Occurrences in Scripture

68 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H884-07 Amos 5:5 וּ/בְאֵ֥ר uveer HC/Np and to Beersheba and Well-of-the-Oath and Beer Sheva
H884-06 Amos 5:5 שֶׁ֖בַע sheva HAcfsa of seven seven seven
H884-01 Amos 8:14 בְּאֵֽר beer HNp Beersheba Well-of-the-Oath Beer Sheva
H884-05 Amos 8:14 שָׁ֑בַע shava HNp Beersheba Well-of-the-Oath Beer Sheva
H884-08 Nehemiah 11:27 וּ/בִ/בְאֵ֥ר uviveer HC/R/Np and in Beer and in Well-of-the-Oath and in Beer Sheva
H884-06 Nehemiah 11:27 שֶׁ֖בַע sheva HAcfsa sheba seven Sheva
H884-04 Nehemiah 11:30 מִ/בְּאֵֽר mibeer HR/Np from Beer- from Well-of-the-Oath from Beer Sheva
H884-06 Nehemiah 11:30 שֶׁ֖בַע sheva HAcfsa sheba seven sheba
H884-03 1 Chronicles 4:28 בִּ/בְאֵֽר biveer HR/Np in Beer in Well-of-the-Oath in Beer Sheva
H884-06 1 Chronicles 4:28 שֶׁ֥בַע sheva HAcfsa sheba seven Sheva
H884-04 1 Chronicles 21:2 מִ/בְּאֵ֥ר mibeer HR/Np from Beersheba from Well-of-the-Oath from Beer Sheva
H884-06 1 Chronicles 21:2 שֶׁ֖בַע sheva HAcfsa seven seven
H884-04 2 Chronicles 19:4 מִ/בְּאֵ֥ר mibeer HR/Np from Beersheba from Well-of-the-Oath from Beer Sheva
H884-06 2 Chronicles 19:4 שֶׁ֨בַע֙ sheva HAcfsa Sheba seven Sheba
H884-04 2 Chronicles 24:1 מִ/בְּאֵ֥ר mibeer HR/Np from Beer- from Well-of-the-Oath from Beer Sheva
H884-05 2 Chronicles 24:1 שָֽׁבַע shava HNp sheba Well-of-the-Oath Beer Sheva
H884-04 2 Chronicles 30:5 מִ/בְּאֵֽר mibeer HR/Np from Beer- from Well-of-the-Oath from Beer Sheva
H884-06 2 Chronicles 30:5 שֶׁ֣בַע sheva HAcfsa sheba seven Sheva
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