Bible Word Study
בֵּית הָעֵמֶק
Bêyth hâ-ʻÊmeq · Beth-ha-Emek, a place in Palestine
בֵּית הָעֵמֶק
Beth-ha-Emek, a place in Palestine
Definition
בֵּית הָעֵמֶק (Beth-ha-Emek) is a proper noun identifying a specific location in the territory of the tribe of Asher. The name translates directly to 'house of the valley' or 'place of the valley,' indicating its geographical setting. It is mentioned only once in the Hebrew Bible, in Joshua 19:27, as part of the detailed description of Asher's tribal boundaries. This single reference marks it as a border town, helping to define the extent of the land allotment given to the Israelites after the conquest of Canaan.
Biblical Usage
This place name is used exclusively in Joshua 19:27 within the context of a detailed geographical survey. It appears in a list of towns and landmarks that delineated the territory inherited by the tribe of Asher. The usage is purely locative, serving to specify a point on the tribal border, with no narrative or descriptive action associated with the site itself.
Etymology
The name is a compound of two common Hebrew words: בַּיִת (bayith, H1004), meaning 'house' but often used for a 'household,' 'dynasty,' or 'place,' and עֵמֶק (ʿemeq, H6010), meaning 'valley' or 'deep place.' The definite article הָ (ha-) is interposed, yielding the specific meaning 'the house of the valley.' This construction is typical for Hebrew place names, which often describe a location's physical characteristic or notable feature.
Semantic Range
Place names in ancient Israel often functioned as practical geographical descriptors. A name like 'House of the Valley' would have immediately communicated the settlement's setting to anyone familiar with the region, aiding in navigation and territorial identification. Its inclusion in a tribal boundary list (Joshua 19:27) underscores the importance of clearly defined land inheritances as a fulfillment of God's promise to the patriarchs, a core aspect of Israelite identity and covenant theology. עֵמֶק (ʿEmeq, H6010) — The root word for 'valley,' a broad geographical term. בַּיִת (Bayith, H1004) — The root word for 'house' or 'place,' used in countless compound names.
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]