Bible Word Study
בְּעֶשְׁתְּרָה
Bᵉʻeshtᵉrâh · Beeshterah, a place East of the Jordan
בְּעֶשְׁתְּרָה
Beeshterah, a place East of the Jordan
Definition
Beeshterah is a proper noun referring to a specific location east of the Jordan River, within the territory allotted to the tribe of Gad. It is identified as a city given to the Levites from the tribe of Gad, specifically to the Gershonite clan, as recorded in Joshua 21:27. The name appears only once in the biblical text, and its significance is primarily geographical, marking a point in the distribution of the Promised Land to the Israelite tribes and the priestly class.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in Joshua 21:27, within a list of cities given to the Levites. The context is administrative and geographical, detailing the fulfillment of God's command to provide cities for the Levites who received no tribal inheritance. The usage is straightforward and confined to this historical record.
Etymology
The name בְּעֶשְׁתְּרָה (Bᵉʻeshtᵉrâh) is derived from the singular form of the Canaanite goddess name עַשְׁתָּרוֹת (Ashtaroth, H6252), with the prepositional prefix 'בְּ' (in, with). It literally means 'in/with Ashtoreth' or 'house/temple of Ashtoreth.' This suggests the location was originally a site of Canaanite worship dedicated to the goddess Ashtoreth (Astarte), which was later incorporated into Israelite territory.
Semantic Range
The name Beeshterah serves as a subtle theological reminder of the religious context the Israelites entered upon conquering Canaan. Its etymology, linked to a pagan deity, highlights the transformation of the land under Yahweh's sovereignty. The assignment of this city to the Levites, the priestly tribe, symbolizes the reclaiming and rededicating of places formerly associated with idolatry for the service of the one true God, illustrating themes of holiness and conquest in Joshua. In its original setting, the name would have immediately signaled a connection to Canaanite religion, specifically the worship of Ashtoreth, a goddess of fertility, love, and war. For the ancient Israelite reader, the name marked a location that had been transferred from pagan control to become part of the Levitical inheritance, reflecting the cultural and religious shift imposed by the Israelite conquest. עַשְׁתָּרוֹת (Ashtaroth, H6252) — The plural form, referring to the goddess herself or to a different, more prominent city east of the Jordan also associated with her worship (e.g., Deuteronomy 1:4, Joshua 9:10).
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]