Bible Dictionary

Classic 19th-century Bible dictionary entries — names, places, and terms explained from Scripture, drawn from Easton, Smith, Hastings, Hitchcock & Schaff. — 7,288 entries

Bethshean
(house of rest), or in Samuel, BETHSHAN, a city which belonged to Manasseh, (1 Chronicles 7:29) though within the limits of Issachar (Joshua 17:11) and therefore on the west of Jordan. Comp. 1 Macc. …
Bethshemesh
(house of the sun).
Bethshittah
(home of the acacia), one of the spots to which the flight of the host of the Midianites extended after their discomfiture by Gideon. (Judges 7:22)
Bethtappuah
(house of apples), one of the towns of Judah in the mountainous district, and near Hebron. (Joshua 15:53) comp. 1Chr 2:43 Here it has actually been discovered by Robinson under the modern name of Tef…
Bethuel
Man of God, or virgin of God, or house of God. (1.) The son of Nahor by Milcah; nephew of Abraham, and father of Rebekah (Gen. 22:22, 23; 24:15, 24, 47). He appears in person only once (24:50). (2.) …
Bethul
(dweller in God) a town of Simeon in the south named with Eltolad and Hormah, (Joshua 19:4) called also Chesil and Bethuel. (Joshua 15:30; 1 Chronicles 4:30)
Bethzur
House of rock, a town in the mountains of Judah (Josh. 15:58), about 4 miles to the north of Hebron. It was built by Rehoboam for the defence of his kingdom (2 Chr. 11:7). It stood near the modern ed…
Betonim,
BET'ONIM, a town in Gad. Josh 13:26.
Betroth
To promise “by one’s truth.” Men and women were betrothed when they were engaged to be married. This usually took place a year or more before marriage. From the time of betrothal the woman was regard…
Betrothing
[Marriage.1]
Beulah
Married, is used in Isa. 62:4 metaphorically as the name of Judea: “Thy land shall be married,” i.e., favoured and blessed of the Lord.
Bewray
To reveal or disclose; an old English word equivalent to “betray” (Prov. 27:16; 29:24, R.V., “uttereth;” Isa. 16:3; Matt. 26:73).
Beyond
When used with reference to Jordan, signifies in the writings of Moses the west side of the river, as he wrote on the east bank (Gen. 50:10, 11; Deut. 1:1, 5; 3:8, 20; 4:46); but in the writings of J…
Bezai
(conqueror). “Children of Bezai,” to the number of 328, returned from captivity with Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:17; Nehemiah 7:23; 10:18)
Bezaleel
In the shadow of God; i.e., “under his protection”, the artificer who executed the work of art in connection with the tabernacle in the wilderness (Ex. 31:2; 35:30). He was engaged principally in wor…
Bezek
Lightning. (1.) The residence of Adoni-bezek, in the lot of Judah (Judg. 1:5). It was in the mountains, not far from Jerusalem. Probably the modern Bezkah, 6 miles south-east of Lydda. (2.) The place…
Bezer
Ore of gold or silver. (1.) A city of the Reubenites; one of the three cities of refuge on the east of Jordan (Deut. 4: 43; Josh. 20:8). It has been identified with the modern ruined village of Buraz…
Bezer In The Wilderness,
BE'ZER IN THE WILDERNESS, a city of refuge east of the Jordan, Deut 4:43; Josh 20:8; Josh 21:36; 1 Chr 6:78; possibly Burazin, 12 miles north-east of Heshbon.
Bichri
(first-born), (2 Samuel 20:1) an ancestor of Sheba.
Bidkar
(son of stabbing, i.e, one who stabs), Jehu’s “captain,” originally his fellow officer, (2 Kings 9:25) who completed the sentence on Jehoram, son of Ahab.
Bier
The frame on which dead bodies were conveyed to the grave (Luke 7:14).
Bigtha
Garden, or gift of fortune, one of the seven eunuchs or chamberlains who had charge of the harem of Ahasuerus (Esther 1:10).
Bigthan
One of the eunuchs who “kept the door” in the court of Ahasuerus. With Teresh he conspired against the king’s life. Mordecai detected the conspiracy, and the culprits were hanged (Esther 2:21-23; 6:1…
Bigthan, Or Bigthana
(gift of God), a eunuch (chamberlain, Authorized Version) in the court of Ahasuerus, one of those “who kept the door,” and conspired with Teresh against the king’s life. (Esther 2:21) (B.C. 479.)
Bigvai
(happy).
Bildad
Son of contention, one of Job’s friends. He is called “the Shuhite,” probably as belonging to Shuah, a district in Arabia, in which Shuah, the sixth son of Abraham by Keturah, settled (Gen. 25:2). He…
Bileam
(foreigners), a town in the western half of the tribe of Manasseh, named only in (1 Chronicles 6:70) same as Ibleam and Gath-rimmon. (Joshua 17:11) and Josh 21:24
Bilgah
Cheerful. (1.) The head of the fifteenth sacerdotal course for the temple service (1 Chr. 24:14). (2.) A priest who returned from Babylon with Zerubbabel (Neh. 12:5, 18).
Bilgai
(Nehemiah 10:8) [Bilgah, 2]
Bilhah
Faltering; bashful, Rachel’s handmaid, whom she gave to Jacob (Gen. 29:29). She was the mother of Dan and Naphtali (Gen. 30:3-8). Reuben was cursed by his father for committing adultry with her (35:2…