H1124 H1124
To build, construct (Aramaic Pe'al); to be built, be under construction (Hitpael passive)
The Aramaic verb בְּנָה (cognate with Hebrew בָּנָה) appears exclusively in the books of Ezra and Daniel, where the great themes of exile and restoration center on whether Jerusalem and its temple will be rebuilt. In its active Pe'al form, it describes the physical labor of constructing the temple (Ezra 5:2, 11) and Nebuchadnezzar's boast of building Babylon (Dan 4:27). In the Hitpael passive, the question becomes political: will the temple 'be built' (Ezra 5:15, 6:3), and should the rebellious city 'be built' again (Ezra 4:13, 16, 21)? Spanish 'construir/construida' and German 'baute' confirm the concrete, architectural meaning throughout.
Senses
1. build, construct — The active Pe'al (and passive participle) sense: to build, construct, or erect a structure — used of both the Jerusalem temple and the city of Babylon. Fifteen occurrences cluster in Ezra's narrative of the returned exiles who 'are building' the house of God (Ezra 5:2, 3, 4, 9, 11), with Darius decreeing that they 'build' it (Ezra 6:7, 8, 14). Nebuchadnezzar's pride in Dan 4:27 — 'this great Babylon that I have built' — extends the verb to royal self-glorification. The Pe'al passive participle in Ezra 5:11 ('which was built') denotes a completed past construction. Multilingual evidence is consistent: 'construir/construyan' (Spanish), 'batir' (French), 'baute' (German). 15×
AR["بَناهُ", "بَنَوْا", "بَنَيْتُهَا", "بُنِيَ", "لِ-بِناء", "لِ-بِنائِهِ", "لِيَبْنُوا", "وَ-بَنَوْا", "وَ-نَبْنِي", "يَبْنُونَ", "يَبْنُونَهَا"]·ben["আর-নির্মাণ-করছি", "আর-নির্মাণ-করলেন", "নির্মাণ-করছিলেন", "নির্মাণ-করছে", "নির্মাণ-করতে", "নির্মাণ-করুক", "নির্মাণ-করেছি", "নির্মাণ-করেছিলেন", "নির্মাণকারী", "নির্মিত"]·DE["[בניתה]", "baute", "und-baute", "und-sein-Sohn"]·EN["and-building", "and-they-built", "building", "built", "built-it", "for-the-building-of", "let-them-build", "to-build", "were-building"]·FR["bâtir", "et-bâtir", "et-son-fils"]·heb["בנה", "בנהי-ו", "בנין", "בניתיה", "ו-בנו", "ו-בנין", "יבנון", "ל-בנא", "ל-מבנא", "ל-מבניה"]·HI["और-उन्होंने-बनाया", "जिसने-बनाया", "बना-रहे-हैं", "बनाने", "बनाने-के-लिए", "बनाने-दो", "बनाया", "बनाया-है"]·ID["aku-bangun", "biarlah-dibangun", "dan-kami-membangun", "dan-mereka-membangun", "dibangun", "membangun", "membangunnya", "untuk-dibangun", "untuk-membangun"]·IT["[בניתה]", "costruire", "e-costruire", "e-suo-figlio"]·jav["kang-griya", "kangge-mbangun", "lan-mbangun", "lan-ngrampungaken", "lan-tembok", "mbangun", "punika", "rampung", "sampun-mbangun", "taun"]·KO["건설한", "그리고-지었다", "그리고-짓는자들", "위해-짓다", "위해-짓다-그것-을", "지어진", "지었다-그것-을", "짓는다", "짓는자들", "짓도록하라"]·PT["a-construir", "a-edifiquei", "constroem", "construiu-a", "construída", "construíram", "construírem", "e-construímos", "e-construíram", "estão-construindo", "para-construir"]·RU["да-строят", "и-построили", "и-строим", "построен", "построил", "построил-его", "строили", "строить", "строят", "чтобы-строить"]·ES["a-construir", "construida", "construyan", "construyen", "construyen?", "construían", "edifiqué", "la-construyó", "para-construir", "para-construir.", "y-construyendo", "y-construyeron"]·SW["alijenga", "imejengwa", "kujenga", "na-tunajenga", "na-wakajenga", "nilijenga", "waijenge", "walijenga", "wanajenga"]·TR["kurdum-onu", "ve-yapiyoruz", "ve-yaptilar", "yapanlarin", "yapilmis", "yapiyorlar", "yapiyorlardi", "yapmak", "yapmak-icin", "yapmaya", "yapmisti-onu", "yapsinlar"]·urd["اور-بنا-رہے-ہیں", "اور-بنایا", "بنا-رہے-تھے", "بنا-رہے-ہیں", "بنائیں", "بنایا-اُسے", "بنایا-ہوا", "بنایا-ہے", "لے-بنانے-کو"]
2. be built — The Hitpael reflexive-passive sense: to be built or to be in the process of being built. Seven occurrences capture the politically charged question of reconstruction during the Persian period. The adversaries of Judah warn that if Jerusalem 'is built' again (Ezra 4:13, 16), it will rebel — leading to the decree that it 'not be built' (Ezra 4:21). Cyrus's original decree commanded that the temple 'be built' (Ezra 6:3), and the returned exiles report that it 'is being built' with great stones (Ezra 5:8). Spanish 'sea-construida/es-construida' and English 'being-built/let-be-built' consistently mark the passive voice, distinguishing this from the active construction scenes. 7×
AR["بُنِيَتْ", "تُبْنَى", "يُبْنَى"]·ben["নির্মিত-হচ্ছে", "নির্মিত-হবে", "নির্মিত-হয়", "নির্মিত-হোক"]·DE["baute"]·EN["being-built", "is-built", "let-be-built", "let-it-be-built", "shall-be-built"]·FR["bâtir"]·heb["יתבנא", "מתבנא", "תתבנא"]·HI["बनाया-जा-रहा-है", "बनाया-जाए"]·ID["biarlah-dibangun", "boleh-dibangun", "dibangun", "sedang-dibangun"]·IT["costruire"]·jav["dipun-bangun", "kaliyan-sela", "lan-tembok", "rampung"]·KO["지어지라", "지어진다", "지어진다면"]·PT["está-sendo-construída", "for-construída", "que-seja-construída", "seja-construída"]·RU["будет-построен", "да-будет-построен", "строится"]·ES["es-construida", "sea-construida"]·SW["ijengwe", "inajengwa", "kwa-mawe", "utajengwa"]·TR["yapilirsa", "yapiliyor", "yapilsin"]·urd["بنایا-جا-رہا-ہے", "بنایا-جائے"]
Related Senses
H1129 1. Qal: build, construct (316×)H2691a 1. court, courtyard, enclosure (142×)G4864 1. synagogue, place of Jewish assembly (56×)G5438 1. prison, place of confinement (41×)H4013 1. fortress, stronghold (37×)H0875 1. well, cistern (dug water source) (35×)H0352b 1. pillar or jamb of gateway (32×)H2474 1. window, opening in wall (32×)H1406 1. roof / rooftop (31×)H4609b 1. steps, stairs, stairway (31×)H1129 2. Nifal: be built, be established (30×)H0361 1. portico, porch (architectural structure) (27×)H1129 3. Qal participle: builder (27×)H1219 1. fortified, inaccessible (25×)H4581 1. fortress, stronghold (25×)H3805 1. capital of a pillar (24×)H4350 1. stand, base, pedestal (24×)H0759 1. palace, royal residence (21×)H4692 1. siege, besiegement (20×)G3618 1. build or construct physically (19×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [בְּנָה, בְּנָא] vb. build (BH בָּנָה);— Pe. Pf. 3 ms. sf. 3 ms. בְּנָ֫הִי Ezr 5:11; i s. sf. בֶּנַיְתַהּ Dn 4:27; Impf. 3 mpl. יִבְנוֹן Ezr 6:7; Inf. לְמִבְנֵא 5:2 +, לְמִבְנְיָה v 9 (read לְמִבְנֵא M § 64 u or לְמִבְנֵה, so S-C A 3. 64), לִבְּנֵא (read לְמִבְנֵא Str § 23 l M l.c.) v 3, 13; Pt. act. pl. בָּנַ֫יִן 4:12 +; pass. בְּנֵה 5:11 (v. on forms K § 47, Beisp. pass.);—build: c. acc. of…