Lexical Definition
בְּאֵרוֹת Bᵉʼêrôwth (be-ay-rohth') Beeroth N:N--L
feminine plural of בְּאֵר; wells
Beeroth.
- § Beeroth = "wells"
- Beeroth, a place in Palestine
1) a Gibeonite city allotted to Benjamin
| Form | Translated As | In Verse(s) |
|---|---|---|
| וּבְאֵרֽוֹת | and Beeroth | Josh.18.25 |
| וּבְאֵר֖וֹת | and Beeroth | Josh.9.17 |
| וּבְאֵר֔וֹת | and Beeroth | Ezra.2.25 • Neh.7.29 |
| בְּאֵר֔וֹת | Beeroth | 2Sam.4.2 |
Brown-Driver-Briggs
בְאֵרוֺת proper name, of a location (but only 2Sam 4:2 according to Masora, see BDEzra 2:23 elsewhere בְּאֵרֹת), city of the Gibeonites Josh 9:17 assigned to Benjamin 2Sam 4:2; Josh 18:25 compare also Ezra 2:25; Neh 7:29 modern el-Bîreh RobBR i. 452 BdPal 214 Surveyiii. 88.
Brown-Driver-Briggs References
| Book | Refs |
|---|---|
| Joshua | 9:17 · 18:25 |
| 2 Samuel | 4:2 |
| Ezra | 2:23 · 2:25 |
| Nehemiah | 7:29 |
Profile
Beeroth • Hivite city, later allotted to Benjamin.
Beeroth (or Beer) was a Hivite city that later became part of the territory allotted to the tribe of Benjamin. (Joshua 9:17, 18:25; 2 Samuel 4:2-3, 5, 9; 23:37; Nehemiah 7:29; Ezra 2:25; 1 Chronicles 11:39; Judges 9:21)
- A location first mentioned at Jos.9.17;
- referred to as Beeroth or Beeroth (NIV= -) בְּאֵרוֹת, or Beeroth בֵּרֹתִי, or Beer בְּאֵר, or Beerothite בְּאֵרֹתִי.
Beeroth, also known as Beer, was a city originally inhabited by the Hivites, one of the Canaanite tribes. During the Israelite conquest of Canaan, the people of Beeroth, along with those of Gibeon, Chephirah, and Kiriath-jearim, deceived Joshua and the Israelites into making a peace treaty with them by pretending to be from a distant land (Joshua 9:17).
After the treaty was made, Beeroth was allotted to the tribe of Benjamin as part of their inheritance in the Promised Land (Joshua 18:25). The city was located in the region north of Jerusalem, near Gibeon and Kiriath-jearim.
Beeroth is mentioned in connection with several events in the Bible. It was the hometown of two of David's mighty men, Naharai (2 Samuel 23:37; 1 Chronicles 11:39) and Rechab and Baanah, who murdered Ish-bosheth, Saul's son (2 Samuel 4:2-3, 5, 9). After the Babylonian exile, some of the people of Beeroth returned to Judah (Ezra 2:25; Nehemiah 7:29).
In Judges 9:21, Jotham, the youngest son of Gideon, fled to Beer (possibly another name for Beeroth) for safety after confronting the people of Shechem about their support for his half-brother Abimelech, who had killed Jotham's brothers.
The city of Beeroth played a role in the early history of Israel, first as a Canaanite city that deceived the Israelites, then as part of the tribe of Benjamin's inheritance, and later as the hometown of some of David's mighty men and a place of refuge for Jotham.
All entries for Beeroth or Beer: בְּאֵרוֹת ☩ בֵּרֹתִי ☩ בְּאֵר ☩ בְּאֵרֹתִי