בְּאֵרֹתִי
𐤁𐤀𐤓𐤕𐤉
Bᵉʼêrôthîy
H886 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Demonym referring to an inhabitant or native of Beeroth, a town historically located in the territory allotted to the tribe of Benjamin. Used as an ethnogeographic designation identifying a person by their origin from Beeroth. The term is most often encountered in genealogical or narrative contexts to specify the provenance of individuals.
Semantic Range
inhabitant of Beeroth, native of Beeroth, person from Beeroth; demonym applied as identifier in genealogy or narrative
Root / Etymology
Formed from the name of the town בְּאֵרוֹת (Beeroth), itself derived from the root בְּאֵר (be'er, "well, spring"), with the gentilic suffix ־ִי (־î), indicating a person or inhabitant of a place. Thus, בְּאֵרוֹתִי (Beerothite) means one from Beeroth.
Historical & Contextual Notes
בְּאֵרֹתִי functions as a gentilic, consistently marking geographic and social identity tied to the town of Beeroth. In biblical narratives, notable individuals such as Baanah and Rechab (2 Samuel 4:2, 5) are identified by this term, indicating their origin from Beeroth in Benjaminite territory. This demonym serves primarily a geographic or tribal-administrative role, helping trace kinship or loyalty networks, without necessarily implying Judahite or Israelite religious identity in later periods. English translations typically render the term as 'Beerothite,' but contextually it marks local origin rather than ethnic or religious identity. There is limited evidence for significant semantic shift over time; the term remains a straightforward toponymic gentilic throughout its biblical attestations.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
patrial from בְּאֵרוֹת; a Beerothite or inhabitant of Beeroth; Beerothite.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
באר (b-ʾ-r) — to dig, to search out, to well up (of water)
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H874 | בָּאַר | clearly explain |
| H875 | בְּאֵר | dug well |
| H876 | בְּאֵר | toward Well-place |
| H877 | בֹּאר | excavated cisterns |
| H878 | בְּאֵרָא | Beera |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H886-01 |
הַ/בְּאֶֽרֹתִ֖י | habeeroti | HTd/Ngmsa |
the Beerothite | the Beerothite man | 4 |
H886-02 |
הַ/בְּאֵרֹתִ֖ים | habeerotim | HTd/Ngmpa |
the Beerothites | the Beerothites | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
5 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H886-01 |
2 Samuel 4:2 | הַ/בְּאֶֽרֹתִ֖י | habeeroti | HTd/Ngmsa |
the Beerothite | the Beerothite man |
H886-02 |
2 Samuel 4:3 | הַ/בְּאֵרֹתִ֖ים | habeerotim | HTd/Ngmpa |
the Beerothites | the Beerothites |
H886-01 |
2 Samuel 4:5 | הַ/בְּאֵֽרֹתִי֙ | habeeroti | HTd/Ngmsa |
the Beerothite | the Beerothite man |
H886-01 |
2 Samuel 4:9 | הַ/בְּאֵֽרֹתִ֖י | habeeroti | HTd/Ngmsa |
the Beerothite | the Beerothite man |
H886-01 |
2 Samuel 23:37 | הַ/בְּאֵ֣רֹתִ֔י | habeeroti | HTd/Ngmsa |
the Beerothite | the Beerothite man |