בֵּית תַּפּוּחַ
Beth-Tappuach, a place in Palestine
Definition
Beth-Tappuach is a proper noun referring to a town in the hill country of Judah, mentioned in the allotment of the Promised Land to the tribes of Israel. Its name, meaning 'house of the apple,' likely describes a location known for its apple orchards or a specific landmark. The town is listed among the cities given to the tribe of Judah in Joshua 15:53, placing it within the territory of the inheritance. As a place name, it signifies a specific geographical location within the biblical narrative of conquest and settlement.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in Joshua 15:53, within a list of cities allotted to the tribe of Judah. Its usage is purely geographical, serving to identify a specific town in the administrative and territorial records of the conquest. There are no patterns of usage beyond this singular, descriptive occurrence in a historical context.
Etymology
The name Beth-Tappuach is a compound Hebrew word derived from בַּיִת (bayith, H1004), meaning 'house' or 'household,' and תַּפּוּחַ (tappûach, H8598), meaning 'apple' or possibly a general term for a fragrant fruit tree. It is a construct phrase literally meaning 'house of the apple,' a common naming convention for places associated with a particular feature, likely indicating an orchard or settlement known for apple production.
Semantic Range
In its original cultural setting, place names like Beth-Tappuach were descriptive and functional, often derived from local geography, agriculture, or notable landmarks. An 'apple' (tappuach) in the ancient Near East could refer to what we know as an apple or possibly another fragrant fruit like quince or apricot. The name reflects an agrarian society where settlements were identified by their economic or natural resources, embedding daily life into the landscape of the biblical narrative.
בַּיִת (bayith, H1004) — The root word for 'house,' used in countless place names (e.g., Bethel, Bethlehem). תַּפּוּחַ (tappûach, H8598) — The root word for 'apple,' also used as a proper name for a person (Tappuah) and another town (Joshua 12:17).
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
Full methodology & sources →