Lexical Summary Beten: Belly, womb, body Original Word: בֶּטֶן Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Beten The same as beten; Beten. A place in Palestine -- Beten. see HEBREW beten NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as beten Definition "depression," a city in Asher NASB Translation Beten (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs II. בֶּ֫טֶן proper name, of a location city in Asher Joshua 19:25 (= depression, basin, vally ? compare Arabic  Lane220col. 3) = Βατναί, called Βωθβετεν compare LagOnom. 236, 2nd ed. 249; ᵐ5 Βαιθοκ ᵐ5L Βετελ II. בטן (asumed as √ of follwing; meaning unknown). Topical Lexicon Biblical Reference and Setting Joshua 19:25 records Beten among the border towns allotted to the tribe of Asher: “Their territory included Helkath, Hali, Beten, Achshaph…” (Berean Standard Bible). Although Beten appears only once in Scripture, its inclusion in the land-grant narrative situates it within the larger fulfillment of God’s covenant promise that each tribe would possess a specific inheritance in Canaan (Genesis 12:7; Joshua 21:43-45). Geographical Location Most scholars associate Beten with the modern ruin Khirbet el-Bettîn (or Tell el-Bettîn) approximately ten to twelve kilometers east-northeast of modern Akko (Acre) in the western Galilee foothills. The site overlooks the fertile coastal plain, a region that provided rich agricultural land and easy access to maritime trade. The town lay on or near an ancient north-south route linking the Phoenician coast with the Jezreel Valley, making it strategically useful for commerce and defense. Historical Background 1. Tribal Context: Asher’s inheritance stretched along the northern coast of Israel and contained a mixture of inland valleys and coastal ports. The tribe never fully displaced the Canaanites (Judges 1:31-32), but towns such as Beten represent Israel’s early foothold in the region. Archaeological and Scholarly Perspectives Surface pottery surveys at Khirbet el-Bettîn reveal Iron Age II sherds, consistent with occupational layers during Israel’s monarchy. The absence of monumental architecture suggests Beten functioned primarily as an agricultural or administrative village rather than a fortified city. Its modest profile aligns with Joshua’s description, which lists it among several towns without added detail. Theological and Ministerial Significance 1. Covenant Faithfulness: Beten’s single mention contributes to the meticulous catalog of Joshua 13–21, underscoring the precision with which God apportioned the land. Each named location, no matter how obscure, testifies that none of God’s promises failed (Joshua 21:45). Related Biblical Themes • Inheritance and Rest: Beten reminds readers that physical territory once symbolized covenant rest, which foreshadows the believer’s spiritual rest in Christ (Hebrews 4:8-10). Key Takeaways for Teaching and Application • God’s promises encompass both grand events and small details; Beten’s inclusion models pastoral attentiveness to every person in a flock. Forms and Transliterations וָבֶ֥טֶן ובטן vaVeten wā·ḇe·ṭen wāḇeṭenLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Joshua 19:25 HEB: חֶלְקַ֥ת וַחֲלִ֖י וָבֶ֥טֶן וְאַכְשָֽׁף׃ NAS: and Hali and Beten and Achshaph, KJV: and Hali, and Beten, and Achshaph, INT: was Helkath and Hali and Beten and Achshaph 1 Occurrence |
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