H0884 H0884
Beer-sheba; a city in the Negev marking Israel's traditional southern boundary, associated with Abraham and Isaac
The ancient city in the northern Negev whose name means 'well of seven' or 'well of the oath,' explained by the covenant between Abraham and Abimelech involving seven ewe lambs (Gen 21:30–31) and later reaffirmed by Isaac (Gen 26:33). Beer-sheba anchors the formulaic expression 'from Dan to Beer-sheba' (Judg 20:1; 1 Sam 3:20; 2 Sam 17:11), defining the full extent of the promised land from north to south. Abraham planted a tamarisk tree there and called on the name of the LORD (Gen 21:33). Transliterations across languages remain remarkably stable — Spanish 'Beer-Seba,' French 'Beer-Schéba,' German 'Beer-Scheba' — preserving the Hebrew toponymy.
Senses
1. Beer-sheba (city) — The proper name of a city in the Negev desert, traditionally marking Israel's southern border. Founded in the patriarchal period through Abraham's well-digging and oath with Abimelech (Gen 21:14, 31–33), and reaffirmed by Isaac (Gen 26:23, 33). Appears in the phrase 'from Dan to Beer-sheba' (Judg 20:1; 2 Sam 17:11) denoting the whole land. Also significant as the departure point for Elijah's flight to Horeb (1 Kgs 19:3) and Jacob's journey to Egypt (Gen 46:1, 5). 34×
AR["بئْرَ-سَبَع", "بِئْرُ-سَبْعَ", "بِئْرِ-سَبَعَ", "بِئْرِ-سَبْعٍ", "بِئْرِ-سَبْعَ", "فِي-بِئْرَ سَبْعَ", "فِي-بِئْرِ-سَبْعٍ", "مِنْ-بئْرِ-سَبَعَ", "مِنْ-بِئْرِ سَبَعَ", "مِنْ-بِئْرِ-سَبَعَ"]·ben["-বের-শেবায়", "বের-শেবা", "বের-শেবা-থেকে", "বের-শেবায়", "বেরশেবা", "বেরশেবাতে", "বের্-শেবা-হইতে", "বের্শেবা", "বের্শেবা-থেকে"]·DE["Beer-Scheba", "Beer-Sheva", "Beer-sheba", "Beersheva", "[מבאר שבע]", "[מבארשבע]", "in-Beer-Scheba", "in-Beerscheba"]·EN["Beer-Sheva", "Beer-sheba", "Beersheba", "Beersheva", "at-Beersheba", "from-Beer-Sheva", "from-Beer-sheva", "from-Beersheba", "in-Beersheba"]·FR["Beer-Schéba", "Beer-Sheva", "Beer-sheba", "Beersheva", "dans-Beer-Schéba", "à-Beer-Schéba"]·heb["ב-בארשבע", "באר שבע", "באר-שבע", "בארשבע", "בבאר שבע", "מבאר שבע", "מבארשבע"]·HI["बेएर-शेवा", "बेर-शेबा", "बेरशेबा-से", "बेरशेबासे", "बेर्शेबा", "बेर्शेबा-", "बेर्शेबा-में", "बेर्शेबा-से", "में-बेर्शेबा"]·ID["Bersyeba", "dari-Bersyeba", "di-Bersyeba"]·IT["Beer-Sceba", "Beer-Sheba", "Beer-Sheva", "Beer-sheba", "Beersheva", "a-Beer-Sceba", "in-Beer-Sceba"]·jav["Bersyeba", "Bèr-Syéba", "Bèrsyeba", "Bèrsyéba", "Bèèr-Syeba", "Bèèrseba", "Béèr-Syeba", "Béèrseba", "dhateng-Bèr-Syéba", "ing-Bèrsyeba", "saking-Beer-Seba", "saking-Bèer-Seba", "saking-Bèèrsyeba", "saking-Béèr-Syeba", "wonten-ing-Bèerseba"]·KO["베에르세바", "베에르셰바", "베에르셰바로", "브에르-세바", "브에르-세바에서", "브에르셰바-에서", "브엔-세바", "브엔세바에서", "브엘세바", "브엘세바-에", "브엘세바-에서", "브엘세바의", "에서-브에르세바", "에서-브엘세바"]·PT["Be'er-Sheva", "Be'er-Sheva'", "Beer-Sheva", "de-Beer-Sheva", "desde-Beer-Sheva", "em-Be'er-Sheva'"]·RU["Беер-Шева", "Беер-Шевы", "Беэр-Шевы", "в-Беер-Шеву", "в-Беэр-Шеве", "из-Беэр-Шевы", "от-Беер-Шевы", "от-Беэр-Шевы"]·ES["Beer-Seba", "Beer-Sheba", "Beer-Sheva", "Beerseba", "de-Beerseba", "desde-Beer-", "desde-Beerseba", "desde-Beersheba", "en-Beer-Sheva"]·SW["Beeari", "Beer-Sheba", "Beer-sheba", "Beeri-Sheba", "katika-Beer-Sheba", "katika-Beer-sheba", "kutoka-Beer-Sheba", "kutoka-Beer-sheba", "kutoka-Beersheba", "mibּer-sheba", "mti"]·TR["-Beer-Şeva-da", "Beer-Şeva", "Beer-Şeva'dan", "Beer-Şeva'ya", "Beerşeva", "Beerşeva'da", "Beerşeva'dan", "Beerşeva'nın"]·urd["بئر-سبع", "بئر-سبع-سے", "بئر-سبع-میں", "بئر-شبع-سے", "بئرسبع", "بئرشبع-سے", "بئرشبع-میں", "بئیر-سبع-میں", "بئیر-سبع-کے", "بیئرشبع-سے", "بیر-سبع", "بیر-شبع", "بیر-شبع۔", "بیرشبع"]
Related Senses
G3588 1. definite article (18298×)H0853 1. definite direct object marker (10915×)G2532 1. (8312×)H3068 1. YHWH (the divine name) (6522×)H0834a 1. relative pronoun (who/which/that) (4839×)H3588a 1. causal: because, for (3498×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)G3739 1. relative pronoun who/which/that (1149×)H1732 1. David (proper name) (1075×)H2088 1. this, this one (demonstrative) (1059×)G1063 1. (1047×)G3778 1. this thing, these things (1003×)H???? 2. (1002×)G2424 1. (924×)G3754 1. that (content clause) (881×)H2009 1. presentative particle: behold, look (881×)H0589 1. I (first person singular pronoun) (874×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† בְּאֵר שֶׁ֫בַע n.pr.loc. Beersheba (well of seven, explained Gn 21:30, 31 as place of swearing by seven lambs, or, well of oath, v. שְׁבֻעָה; cf. same meaning otherwise derived 26:33)—בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע Gn 26:33 + 13 times, בְּאֵר־שֶׁבַע Jos 19:2; בְּאֵר שָׁ֑בַע Gn 21:14 + 18 times; בְּאֵ֫רָה שֶׁבַע (ָה loc.) Gn 46:1—south from Hebron, according to Onom. c. 20 miles LagOnom. 103, 234, 2nd ed. 138,…