H1053 H1053
Beth-shemesh ('house of the sun'); a Levitical city in Judah, also place names in Naphtali and Issachar.
Beth-shemesh (בֵּית שֶׁמֶשׁ, 'house/temple of the sun') most often designates the Levitical city on Judah's northern border near Philistine territory, famously the place where the Ark of the Covenant arrived on the unguided ox-cart from Ekron (1 Sam 6:9-20). It was also the site of King Amaziah's humiliating defeat by Jehoash of Israel (2 Kgs 14:11-13) and was later captured by the Philistines during Ahaz's reign (2 Chr 28:18). The name likely reflects a pre-Israelite Canaanite sun shrine. Separate towns called Beth-shemesh existed in Naphtali (Josh 19:38; Judg 1:33) and Issachar (Josh 19:22). The name transliterates with remarkable consistency across all major language traditions.
Senses
1. Beth-Shemesh (place name) — A place name meaning 'house of the sun,' primarily designating the Levitical city in southwestern Judah near the Philistine border. Best known as the destination of the returning Ark (1 Sam 6:9-20) and the site of Amaziah's defeat by Jehoash (2 Kgs 14:11-13; 2 Chr 25:21-23). Also names towns in Naphtali (Josh 19:38; Judg 1:33, where Canaanites were not driven out) and Issachar (Josh 19:22). All major languages — English, Spanish, French, German — transliterate uniformly as 'Beth-Shemesh' or 'Bet-Shemesh.' 21×
AR["إِلَى-بَيْتِ-شَمْس", "بَيت-شَمش", "بَيْتَ-شَمْسَ", "بَيْتِ-شَمْس", "بَيْتِ-شَمْسٍ", "بَيْتِ-شَمْسَ", "فِي-بَيْتِ شَمْسَ", "فِي-بَيْتِ-شَمْسَ", "وَ-أَهْلُ-بَيْتِ-شَمْس", "وَ-بَيْتُ-شَمْسَ", "وَفِي-بَيْتِ-شَمْسَ"]·ben["এবং-বৈৎ-শেমশ", "এবং-বৈৎ-শেমেশ", "ও-বেৎ-শেমশে", "বেথ-শেমশের", "বৈৎ-শেমশ", "বৈৎ-শেমশে", "বৈৎ-শেমশের-", "বৈৎ-শেমেশ", "বৈৎ-শেমেশের"]·DE["Beit-Shemesh", "Beth-Shemesh", "Beth-shemesh", "[בבית שמש]", "[בית שמש]", "[ביתשמש]", "in-Beit-Shemesh", "und-Beth-Shemesh", "und-Beyth-Shemesh"]·EN["Beit-Shemesh", "Beth-Shemesh", "Beth-shemesh", "and-Beth-Shemesh", "and-Beyth-Shemesh", "at-Beit-Shemesh", "in-Beit-Shemesh"]·FR["Beit-Shemesh", "Beth-Shemesh", "Beth-shemesh", "[בבית שמש]", "[בית שמש]", "[ביתשמש]", "dans-Beth-Shemesh", "et-Beth-Shemesh", "et-Beyth-Shemesh"]·heb["ב-בית-שמש", "בבית שמש", "בית שמש", "בית-שמש", "ביתשמש", "ו-בית שמש", "ו-ביתשמש"]·HI["और-बैत-शेमेश", "बेत-शेमेश", "बेत-शेमेश-में", "बेतशेमेश-में", "बैत-शेमेश", "बैत-शेमेश-के"]·ID["Bait-Matahari", "Bet-Semes", "dan-Bet-Semes", "dan-orang-Bet-Semes", "di-Bet-Semes", "ke-Bet-Semes"]·IT["Beit-Shemesh", "Beth-Shemesh", "Beth-shemesh", "[בבית שמש]", "[בית שמש]", "[ביתשמש]", "e-Beth-Shemesh", "e-Beyth-Shemesh", "in-Beit-Shemesh"]·jav["Bèt-Semes", "Bèt-Syèmès", "Bèt-Sémès", "Lan-Bèt-Semes", "ing-Bèt-Syèmès", "lan-Bèt-Syèmès", "lan-Bèt-Sèmès", "wonten-ing-Bèt-Semes"]·KO["그리고-벧-세메스", "그리고-벴세메시는", "베드-세메시-에서", "벧-세메스", "벧-세메스를", "벧-세메스의", "벬-세메시-에서", "벳-세메시와", "벳-집의", "벴세메시으로", "벴세메시의", "에-벳-세메시"]·PT["Beit-Shemesh", "Bet-Shemesh", "e-Bet-Shemesh", "em-Beit-Shemesh", "¶ E-Beit-Shemesh"]·RU["Бейт-Шемеш", "Бейт-Шемеша", "Бет-Шемеш", "а-Бейт-Шемеш", "в-Бейт-Шемеш", "в-Бет-Шемеше", "и-Бейт-Шемеш", "и-Бейт-Шемеша", "и-в-Бет-Шемеше"]·ES["Bet-Semes", "Bet-Shemesh", "Bet-semes", "Y-Bet-Shemesh", "en-Bet-Semes", "y-Bet-Shemesh", "y-Bet-semes"]·SW["Beth-Shemeshi", "Beth-shemeshi", "Bethi-Shemeshi", "huko-Beth-shemeshi", "katika-Bethi-Shemeshi", "na-Beth-Shemeshi", "na-Bethi-Shemeshi", "na-huko-Eloni", "wa-Beth-Shemeshi"]·TR["Beyt-Şemeş", "Beyt-Şemeş'i", "Beyt-Şemeş'in", "Beyt-Şemeş'te", "Beyt-şemeş'te", "Ve-Beyt-Şemeş", "ve-Beyt-Şemeş"]·urd["اور-بیت-شمس", "اور-بیت-شمس-والے", "بیت-شمس", "بیت-شمس-میں", "بیت-شمس-کی", "بیت-شمس-کے", "بیت-شمش", "میں-بیت-شمس"]
Josh 15:10, Josh 19:22, Josh 19:38, Josh 21:16, Judg 1:33, Judg 1:33, 1 Sam 6:9, 1 Sam 6:12, 1 Sam 6:12, 1 Sam 6:13, 1 Sam 6:15, 1 Sam 6:19 (+9 more)
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
† בֵּית שֶׁ֫מֶשׁ n.pr.loc. (sun-temple)—בּ׳ שׁ׳ Jos 19:22 + 8 times; בּ׳־שׁ׳ Jos 15:10 + 6 times; בּ׳ שׁ֑מֶשׁ Jos 19:38 + 4 times;— 1. city in SW. Judah Jos 15:19; 1 S 6:9, 12(×2), 13, 15, 19, 20; 1 K 4:9; 2 K 14:13 = 2 Ch 25:23; 2 Ch 28:18; distinguished from other places of same name as בּ׳ שׁ׳ אֲשֶׁר לִיהוּדָה 2 K 14:11 = 2 Ch 25:21; assigned to Levites Jos 21:16 = 1 Ch 6:44;—ruin at mod. ʿAin…