H1032 H1032
Beth-horon — a pair of cities (Upper and Lower) in Ephraim on a strategic mountain pass
The name of two strategically paired cities in the territory of Ephraim — Upper Beth-horon and Lower Beth-horon — controlling a critical pass on the route between the coastal plain and the central hill country. The name likely means 'house of the hollow' (from ḥōr), perhaps referring to the wadi between the two settlements. Joshua's pursuit of the Amorite coalition descended along the 'ascent of Beth-horon' (Josh 10:10-11), where God sent devastating hailstones. The cities were built by Sheerah daughter of Ephraim (1 Chr 7:24), fortified by Solomon (1 Kgs 9:17; 2 Chr 8:5), and allotted to the Kohathite Levites (Josh 21:22). The pass retained military significance through the Maccabean period.
Senses
1. Beth Choron — The proper place name Beth-horon (בֵּית חוֹרֹן, 'house of the hollow'), designating twin cities — Upper and Lower — on a strategic mountain pass in Ephraim. Transliteration traditions vary slightly (eng: Beth-horon, spa: Bet-Horón, fra: Beth-Horon, deu: Beth-Horon/Bet-Horon). The pass features in Joshua's great victory over the Amorite coalition (Josh 10:10-11), Solomon's fortification projects (1 Kgs 9:17; 2 Chr 8:5), Levitical city allotments (Josh 21:22; 1 Chr 6:53), and the Ephraimite raider attack in 2 Chr 25:13. All 14 occurrences refer to this same geographic location with no semantic subdivision. 14×
AR["بَيت-حورون","بَيتَ-حورونَ","بَيتِ-حورونَ","بَيْت-حُورُون","بَيْتَ-حُورُونَ","بَيْتِ حُورُونَ","بَيْتِ-حورونَ","لِ-بَيْتِ-حورونَ"]·ben["বেথ-হোরোণ","বেৎ-হোরোণ","বৈথ-হরোণের","বৈৎ-হোরোণ","বৈৎ-হোরোণের","বৈৎ-হোরোন","বৈৎ-হোরোনের"]·DE["Beit-Choron","Bet-Horon","Beth-Choron","Beth-horon","Beyth-Choron","von-Beyth-Choron"]·EN["Beit-Choron","Beit-Khoron","Beth-Choron","Beth-horon","Beyth-Choron","of-Beyth-Choron"]·FR["Beth-Choron","Beth-Horon","Beth-horon","Beyth-Choron","de-Beyth-Choron"]·heb["בֵּית-חֹרוֹן","בית חורון","בית-חורון","ביתחורון","ל-בית-חורון"]·HI["बेत-होरोन","बेत-होरोन-की","बेत-होरोन-के","बेथ-होरोन","बैत-होरोन","बैत-होरोन-को"]·ID["Bet-Horon"]·IT["Beit-Choron","Bet-Horon","Beth-Choron","Beth-horon","Beyth-Choron","di-Beyth-Choron"]·jav["Bèt-Horon"]·KO["벧-호론","벧-호론-을","벧-호론에-","벧-호론을","벧-호론의","벳-호론","벴호론의"]·PT["Beit-Choron","Beit-Horon","Bet-Choron","Bet-Horon","Beyt-Choron","a-Beit-Horon"]·RU["Бейт-Хорон","Бейт-Хорона","Бет-Хорон","Бет-Хорона"]·ES["Bet-Horón","Bet-Joron","Bet-Jorón","Bet-horón"]·SW["Beth-Horoni","Beth-horoni","Bethi-Horoni"]·TR["Beyt-Horon","Beyt-Horon'u","Beyt-Horon'un","Beyt-Horonun"]·urd["-بیت-حورون","بیت-حورون","بیت-حورون-کی","بیت-حورون-کے"]
Josh 10:10, Josh 10:11, Josh 16:3, Josh 16:5, Josh 18:13, Josh 18:14, Josh 21:22, 1 Sam 13:18, 1 Kgs 9:17, 1 Chr 6:68, 1 Chr 7:24, 2 Chr 8:5 (+2 more)
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† בֵּית חוֹרֹן n.pr.loc. Jos 10:10, 11, also בּ׳ חֹרוֹן, בּ׳ חֹרֹן, & in Ch בּ׳ חוֹרוֹן, two cities in Ephraim, lower & upper B.H. (place of a hole or hollow(?) חֹר, perhaps from a wady betw. the two, or near by; cf. also מַעֲלֶה Jos 10:10, מוֹרַד v 11; 1 Macc 3:16, 24) 1 Ch 7:24 אֶת־בּית־חוֹרוֹן הַתַּחְתּוֹן וְאֶת־הָעֶלְיוֹן; further, a. בּ׳ ח׳ עֶלְיוֹן Jos 16:5; בּ׳ ח׳ הָעֶלְיוֹן 2 Ch 8:5. b. 1…