Hebrew · Strong's H1004
בַּיִת
(BAH-yith)
noun, masculine
A multi-purpose word, most often referring to a literal house or dwelling, but also to a household, family, or even a temple.
The Hebrew word בַּיִת (bayith) possesses a wide semantic range, encompassing a variety of meanings from a physical structure to an abstract concept. Most commonly, it refers to a literal house or dwelling place, a building constructed for habitation. This can include personal homes, palaces, or even fortified structures. However, its usage extends beyond a mere edifice, often denoting the inhabitants of a house, that is, a household or family. In this sense, it can refer to an entire lineage or tribe, emphasizing the interconnectedness of individuals within a family unit.
Beyond domestic applications, בַּיִת frequently designates a place of worship, particularly the temple in Jerusalem, which is repeatedly called “the house of the LORD.” This usage highlights the sacredness and significance of the temple as God’s dwelling place among his people. It can also function in a more metaphorical sense, referring to a dynasty or a kingdom, as in "the house of David." The specific nuance of בַּיִת is almost always determined by its immediate context.
The theological weight of בַּיִת is considerable, especially in its association with God’s presence and covenant with Israel. The concept of God dwelling in a "house" (the Tabernacle or Temple) emphasizes his desire for intimacy with his people. Similarly, the "house" of Israel or Judah signifies God's chosen people, through whom his redemptive plan unfolds. The term also carries social and cultural importance, as the family "house" was the fundamental unit of Israelite society, responsible for transmitting faith and heritage across generations.
Common English renderings
- house
- household
- family
- temple
- home
Key verses
"And Hezekiah was glad of them, and showed them the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious oil, and all the house of his armor, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah showed them not."
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"Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holy unto Jehovah of hosts; and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and boil therein: and in that day there shall be no more a Canaanite in the house of Jehovah of hosts."
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"And if the priest shall come in, and look, and, behold, the plague hath not spread in the house, after the house was plastered; then the priest shall pronounce the house clean, because the plague is healed."
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"And Jehoiada appointed the officers of the house of Jehovah under the hand of the priests the Levites, whom David had distributed in the house of Jehovah, to offer the burnt-offerings of Jehovah, as it is written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, according to the order of David."
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"Of the children of Joseph, namely, of the children of Ephraim, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;"
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"and come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered; that ye may do all these abominations?"
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