בָּנָה373 H1129
To build, construct; Nifal: be built, be established; as participle: builder; figuratively of God building a woman, a dynasty, or a people.
Banah is the standard Hebrew verb for construction in all its forms — from Noah building an altar after the flood (Gen 8:20) to Solomon's temple project that defines an era. Yet some of its most theologically charged uses are figurative: God 'builds' the woman from Adam's rib (Gen 2:22), 'builds up' a dynasty for David (2 Sam 7:27), and promises to 'rebuild' Israel after exile (Jer 31:4). The Hebrew ear would have caught the wordplay between banah ('to build') and ben ('son'), a connection exploited in the Rachel and Leah narratives where bearing children is described as being 'built up' (Gen 16:2; 30:3). Across languages the literal core stays stable — Arabic bana, Korean 세우다/짓다, Spanish edificar — but the figurative extensions reveal fascinating divergences in how cultures conceptualize divine and dynastic construction.
1. Qal: build, construct — The core Qal active sense: physically building, constructing, or erecting a structure — a city, house, altar, wall, tower, or fortification. At 316 occurrences this dominates the lemma's profile, spanning the entire biblical narrative from the first altar (Gen 8:20) through the postexilic rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls (Neh 2-6). The verb appears in all finite Qal forms (perfect, imperfect, imperative, wayyiqtol consecutive). Arabic bana, Spanish construir/edificar, Korean 짓다/세우다, and Swahili -jenga all map to this concrete construction meaning without ambiguity. Key passages include the Tower of Babel (Gen 11:4), Solomon's temple (1 Kgs 6:1), and the second temple (Ezra 3:10). 316×
AR["فَ-بَنَى","وَ-بَنى","وَ-بَنَى","وَ-بَنَى-"]·ben["আর-নির্মাণ-করল","আর-নির্মাণ-করল-","আর-নির্মাণ-করলেন","আর-বানাল","এবং-তিনি-নির্মাণ-করলেন","এবং-তৈরি-করলেন","এবং-নির্মাণ-করল","এবং-নির্মাণ-করলেন","এবং-নির্মাণ-করলেন-","এবং-সে-গড়ল","এবং-সে-নির্মাণ-করল","ও-নির্মাণ-করল","ও-নির্মাণ-করলেন"]·DE["und-baute","und-baute-","und-er-baute","und-er-baute-"]·EN["And-built","and-built","and-he-built","and-he-built-"]·FR["Et-bâtit","et-bâtit","et-il-bâtit","et-il-bâtit-"]·heb["ו-בנה","ו-יבן"]·HI["और-उस्ने-बनय","और-बनय-","और-बनाई","और-बनाया"]·ID["Dan-ia-membangun","Dan-membangun","Dan-membangunlah","Dan-mendirikan-lah","Dan-mereka-membangun","dan-ia membangun","dan-ia-membangun","dan-membangun","dan-membangun-","dan-membangunlah-ia"]·IT["And-edificò","e-costrui","e-edificò","e-egli-costruì","e-egli-costruì-","e-egli-edificò"]·jav["Lan-Musa-mbangun","Lan-mbangun","Lan-piyambakipun-yasa","Lan-yasa","lan-mbangun","lan-mbangun-","lan-piyambakipun-mbangun","lan-piyambakipun-yasa","lan-piyambakipun-yasa-","lan-yasa","sarta-mbangun"]·KO["그리고-건설했다","그리고-그가-세웠다","그리고-세웠다","그리고-세웠다-","그리고-쌓았다","그리고-지었다","그리고-지으셨다"]·PT["E-construiu","E-edificou","e-construiu","e-construiu-","e-edificou"]·RU["И-построил","и-отстроил","и-построил","и-построил-"]·ES["Y-construyó","Y-edificó","y-edificó"]·SW["Na-akajenga","akajengea","na-akajenga","na-akajenga-","na-akaujenga","na-wakajenga"]·TR["Ve-inşa-etti","Ve-yaptı","ve-dedi","ve-inşa-etti","ve-inşa-etti-","ve-inşa-ettiler","ve-kurdu","ve-yaptı"]·urd["اور-بنایا"]
Gen 2:22, Gen 8:20, Gen 10:11, Gen 12:7, Gen 12:8, Gen 13:18, Gen 22:9, Gen 26:25, Gen 33:17, Gen 35:7, Exod 1:11, Exod 17:15 (+38 more)
▼ 3 more senses below
Senses
2. Nifal: be built, be established — The Nifal passive and reflexive sense: to be built, be constructed, be established. Appearing 30 times, it serves as the natural passive of sense 1 — cities 'are built' (Num 21:27; Deut 13:16), the temple 'was being built' (1 Kgs 6:7). But a striking metaphorical extension emerges in the matriarchal narratives: Rachel and Leah hope to 'be built up' through children (Gen 16:2; 30:3), exploiting the banah/ben ('build'/'son') wordplay. Spanish fue construida/fue edificada and Korean 건축되다 both preserve the passive construction frame, while the figurative 'be established as a family' sense requires creative solutions in most languages. 30×
AR["بُنِيَ","بُنِيَتْ","تُبْنَى","حِينَ-بِنَائِهِ","لِتُبْنَى","لِيُبْنَى","وَ-تُبْنَى","وَتُبْنَى","وَتُبْنَيْنَ","يُبْنى","يُبْنَى"]·ben["আর-নির্মিত-হবে","আর-নির্মিত-হবে-তুমি","এবং-গড়া-হবে","গড়া-যাবে","তুমি-গঠিত-হবে","নির্মাণকালে-তার","নির্মাণের","নির্মিত-হতে","নির্মিত-হবে","নির্মিত-হবে।","নির্মিত-হয়েছিল","নির্মিত-হল","নির্মিত-হোক"]·DE["bauen","baute","er-baut","in-seiend-baute","lass-es-sein-baute","und-bauen","war-baute"]·EN["and-be-built","and-will-be-built","and-you-will-be-built","in-being-built","it-is-built","let-it-be-built","she-will-be-built","they-will-be-built","to-be-built","was-built","will-be-built","you-will-be-built-up"]·FR["bâtir","dans-étant-bâtit","et-bâtir","fut-bâtit","il-bâtira","laisse-cela-être-bâtit","pour-les-filles","était-bâtit"]·heb["ב-היבנות-ו","ו-נבנית","ו-נבנתה","ו-ניבנו","ייבנה","ל-היבנות","נבנה","נבנתה","תבנה","תיבנה","תיבנינה"]·HI["और-बनाई-जाएगी","और-बनाई-जाएगी-तू","और-बनेंगे","के-लिए-बनाए-जाने","तू-बनाया-जाएगा","बनते-समय-उसके","बनाई-गई-थी","बनाई-जाए","बनाई-जाएंगी","बनाई-जाएगी","बनाने-का।","बनाया-गया","बनाया-जाएगा","बनाया-जाता","बनायी-जाएगी","बनेगा"]·ID["akan-dibangun","biarlah-dibangun","dan-akan-dibangun","dan-dibangun","dan-engkau-akan-dibangun","dibangun","dibangun-kembali","engkau-akan-dibangun","ketika-dibangunnya","untuk-dibangun"]·IT["costruira","costruire","e-costruire","edifico'","era-costruì","fu-costrui","in-essendo-costruì","lascia-esso-essere-costrui"]·jav["Badhé-kabangun","badé-kabangun","dipun-bangun","dipun-bangun-malih","kabangun","lan-dipun-bangun","lan-kabangun","nalika-dipun-bangun","panjenengan-dipunbangun"]·KO["건설되었다","건축되기-위하여","그것이-지어질-때에","그리고-건축될-것이라","그리고-다시-세워지리라","그리고-세워지리라","다시-세워지리라","세우시리라","세운-바-될-것이니라","세워지게-하라","세워지리라","에게-지어지기","지어졌다","지어지리라"]·PT["Seja-edificada","e-será-edificada","e-serás-edificada","e-serão-construídas","foi-construída","para-ser-construída","para-ser-construído","quando-ser-construída","será-construída","será-construído","será-edificada","serás-edificado;","serão-construídas"]·RU["И-будет-построен","будет-отстроен","будет-построен","будет-построено","будет-устроена","будешь-отстроен","будешь-устроен","будут-отстроены","был-построен","да-будет-отстроен","и-будет-отстроен","и-будет-построен","и-будешь-построена","и-отстроятся","когда-строился","отстроятся","строиться","чтобы-быть-построенным"]·ES["cuando-se-construía","fue-construida","fue-edificada","para-ser-construido","para-ser-edificada","sea-edificada","será-edificada","será-reedificado;","serán-edificadas","serán-edificadas.","serás-edificado;","y-será-edificada","y-serán-edificadas","y-serás-edificada"]·SW["Ijengwe","Itajengwa","haitajengwa","ilijengwa","ilipojengwa","itajengwa","jengwa","kujengwa","na-itajengwa","na-kujengwa","na-utajengwa","utajengwa","yatajengwa"]·TR["insa-edilecek","inşa-edildi","inşa-edilecek","inşa-edilir","inşa-edilirsin","inşa-edilmek-için","kurulacak","kurulsun","ve-inşa-edilecek","ve-inşa-edileceksin","yapılacak","yapıldı","yapılırken"]·urd["اور-بنائی-جائے-گی-تو","اور-بنایا-جائے-گا","اور-تعمیر-ہو-گی","اور-تعمیر-ہوں-گے","بنائی-جائے-گی","بنائے-جانے-کا","بنایا گیا","بنایا-جائے-گا","بنایا-جانے-کو","بنایا-گیا-تھا","بنتا","بنے-گا","تعمیر-کیا-جائے","تعمیر-کیے-جائیں-گے","تعمیر-ہو","تعمیر-ہوں-گے","تُو بنایا جائے گا","جب-بنایا جا رہا تھا-اُس کے"]
3. Qal participle: builder — The substantivized Qal active participle functioning as an agent noun: 'builder(s),' 'the one(s) building.' Found 27 times, this form designates professional construction workers (1 Kgs 5:18, Solomon's builders alongside Hiram's), or metaphorically God as the master builder, or those rebuilding Jerusalem's walls under Nehemiah (Neh 4:5). The famous Psalm 118:22 — 'the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone' — uses this participle, a verse quoted repeatedly in the New Testament. Spanish edificadores, Korean 건축하는 자들, and German die Bauleute all render the agent-noun function clearly. 27×
AR["البَنّاؤونَ","الْبَانُونَ","الْبَانِينَ","بَانٍ","بَانٍ-","بَانُوكِ","بَانُونَ","بَانِي","بَانِيَ","بَنَّاؤُو","لِلباني","لِلْبَانِي","وَ-الْبَانُونَ","وَ-بَنَّاؤُو","وَلِلْبَنَّائِينَ","وَٱلْبَنَّائِينَ","يَبْنُونَ"]·ben["-নির্মাতারা","এবং-নির্মাণকারীরা","এবং-রাজমিস্ত্রিদের","এবং-রাজমিস্ত্রীদের-জন্য","ও-নির্মাণকারীদের","গড়ে-তুলছেন","তোমার-নির্মাতারা","নির্মাণ-করছি","নির্মাণ-করছি-","নির্মাণ-করছে","নির্মাণকারী","নির্মাণকারীদের","নির্মাণকারীরা","নির্মাতা","যে-নির্মাণ-করে"]·DE["bauen","bauend","baute","der-baute","der-builders-von","die-Soehne","und-baute","und-der-builders-von","und-zu-der-builders"]·EN["am-building","am-building-","and-the-builders","and-the-builders-of","and-to-the-builders","builder-of","building","one-building","the-builders","the-builders-of","to-him-who-builds","your-builders"]·FR["building","bâtir","dans-bâtir","der-fils","et-bâtir","et-le-builders-de","et-à-le-builders","il-a-bâti","le-builders-de","le-bâtir"]·heb["בונה","בוני","בונייך","בונים","בנה","ה-בונים","ה-בנים","ו-בוני","ו-ה-בונים","ו-ל-בונים"]·HI["और-बनाने-वालों-ने","और-बनानेवालों-में-से","और-लबोनीम","जो-बनाते-थे","बना-रहा-हूँ","बना-रहा-हूँ-","बना-रहे-थे","बना-रहे-हैं","बनाने-वाला","बनाने-वाले","बनाने-वालों-ने","बनानेवाला","बनानेवालों-के","बनानेवालों-तेरे-ने","बनानेवालों-ने","वे-ल-ह-राजों-को"]·ID["dan-kepada-tukang-tukang-bangunan","dan-para-pembangun","dan-tukang-tukang","membangun","membangun-","para-pembangun","pembangun","pembangun-pembangunmu","tukang-tukang","tukang-tukang-bangunan","yang-membangun"]·IT["building","costrui","costruire","e-a-il-costruttori","e-costruire","e-il-costruttori-di","edifico'","il-costruttori-di","il-figli"]·jav["Ingkang-mbangun","Lan-ingkang-mbangun","ingkang-mbangun","kang-para-tukang","lan-dhateng-para-tukang-watu","lan-tukang-yasa","mbangun","mbangun-","para-tukang","para-tukang-panjenengan","tiyang-ingkang-mbangun","tiyang-kang-mbangun","tiyang-tiyang-ingkang-mbangun","tukang-yasa"]·KO["건축자들-이","건축자들이","건축자들이-너의","건축하고-있다고","건축하는","그-건축자들","그-건축하는-자들은","그-건축하는-자들을","그-세우는-자-여","그리고-건축자들에게","그리고-건축자들이","그리고-그-건축하는-자들은","그리고-에게-건축자들","세우시는-분이시라","짓고-있다","짓고-있다-","짓는-자","짓는-자여","짓는자들"]·PT["Edifica","construtores-de","construíam","construíndo","do-que-edifica","e-aos-construtores","e-construtores-de","e-os-que-constroem","e-para-construtores","edificando","edifico","os-construtores","os-edificadores","os-que-constroem","quem-constrói","teus-construtores"]·RU["Строящий","и-строители","и-строителям","и-строящие","строители","строители-твои","строить","строю","строю-","строят","строящему","строящие","строящих"]·ES["Edificando","Los-edificadores","Y-los-edificadores","constructores-de","construyen","construyendo","del-que-edifica","edificamos","edifican","edifico","los-constructores","los-edificadores","tus-constructores","y-a-los-constructores","y-constructores-de"]·SW["akijenga","anayejenga","na-kwa-wajenzi","na-wajenzi","na-wajenzi-wa","ninajenga","tunajenga","wajenzi","wajenzi-wa","wajenzi-wako","wanajenga"]·TR["inşa-eden","inşa-edene","inşa-edenler","inşa-edenler-senin","inşa-edenlerin","inşa-ediyorlar","inşa-ediyoruz","kuran","kurana","ustalar","ve-inşa-edenler","ve-inşaatçılara","ve-yapıcıları","yapiyorlardi","yapıcılar","yapıcıları","yapıyorum","yapıyorum-"]·urd["ال-بنانے-والوں-نے","اور-بنانے-والوں-کے","اور-راجوں","اور-راجوں-نے","اور-معماروں-کو","بنا-رہا-ہوں","بنا-رہا-ہوں-","بنا-رہے-ہیں","بنانے-والا","بنانے-والوں-تیرے-نے","بنانے-والوں-کے","بنانے-والے","بنانے-والے-پر","بنانے-والے-کے","راجوں-نے","معماروں-نے"]
Gen 4:17, 1 Kgs 5:18, 1 Kgs 5:18, 2 Kgs 12:11, 2 Kgs 22:6, 2 Chr 2:4, 2 Chr 2:5, 2 Chr 2:9, 2 Chr 34:11, Ezra 3:10, Ezra 4:1, Neh 4:1 (+15 more)
4. Qal passive participle: built — The Qal passive participle used adjectivally: 'built, constructed' — describing a completed structure rather than the process of building. Only 4 clear occurrences, but each is distinctive: the replacement altar is found 'built' (Judg 6:28), Jerusalem 'not yet built' in houses (Neh 7:4), Jerusalem described as a city 'built compactly together' (Ps 122:3), and the beloved's neck 'like a tower built' for an armory (Song 4:4). Spanish edificada and Korean 건축된 both use past-participle adjectival forms, confirming the stative rather than processual semantics. 4×
AR["المَبنيَّة","الْمَبْنِيِّ","بَنُوي","مَبْنِيَّةٌ"]·ben["তৈরি","নির্মিত","নির্মিত,","সেই-নির্মিত"]·DE["baute","der-baute"]·EN["built","that-is-built","the-built"]·FR["bâtie","bâtir","le-bâtir","le-bâtit"]·heb["בנוי","בנוים","ה-בנוי","ה-בנויה"]·HI["बनाई-गई","बनी-हुई","बने-थे"]·ID["dibangun","yang-dibangun"]·IT["costruire","edifico'","il-edificò"]·jav["ingkang-dipun-bangun","ingkang-dipunbangun","kabangun","kang-dipunbangun"]·KO["건설-된","건축된","세운","세워진"]·PT["construída","construídas","edificada","o-construído"]·RU["построенная","построенном","построенный","построенных"]·ES["edificada","edificadas","el-edificado","la-edificada"]·SW["iliyojengwa","uliojengwa","zilizojengwa"]·TR["de-şehrin","inşa-edilmiş","kurulmuş","yapilan"]·urd["بنائے-گئے","بنی-ہوئی","بنے-ہوئے"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
בָּנָה373 vb. build (MI, Nab. Eut No. 1 בנה, Ph. בן, Arabic بَنَا Assyrian banû COTGloss. cf. BaZMG 1887, 640, Sab. בני CIS iv. 1, No. 56, Aramaic בְּנָא, ܒܢܳܐ Palm. בנא VogNo. 31)— Qal Pf. ב׳ Dt 20:5 +, בָּֽנְתָה Pr 9:1; 14:1, בָּנִיתָ Dt 6:10, בָּנִתָה 1 K 9:3; וּבָנִ֫יתָ consec. Dt 20:20 +; בָּנִיתְ Ez 16:25; בָּנִיתִי 1 K 8:13 +; pl. בָּנוּ Gn 11:5 +, etc.; Impf. יִבְנֶה Dt 25:9 +; juss.…