Lexical Summary Beth Biri: Beth Biri Original Word: בֵּית בִּרְאִי Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Beth-birei From bayith and bara'; house of a creative one; Beth-Biri, a place in Palestine -- Beth-birei. see HEBREW bayith see HEBREW bara' NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom bayith and bara Definition "house of a creative one," a place in Pal. NASB Translation Beth-biri (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs בֵּית בִּרְאִי proper name, of a location see בית לבאות below II. עַזְמָ֫וֶת proper name, of a location see ׳בֵּיתעֿ above Topical Lexicon Biblical Setting Beth Biri appears once in Scripture, in the catalogue of towns belonging to the tribe of Simeon within the southern territory of Judah: “Beth-markaboth, Hazar-susim, Beth Biri, and Shaaraim. These were their cities until the reign of David” (1 Chronicles 4:31). The list is framed by genealogical data that traces Simeon’s descent from Jacob and reports the tribe’s expansion during the settlement period. The towns named served as administrative and pastoral centers for Simeonite clans, illustrating how the Israelites organized life in the Negev while remaining within Judah’s political borders. Geographical Location Beth Biri lay in the semi-arid region south of Hebron, in the wider Beersheba basin. Nearby sites such as Beersheba, Ziklag, and Hormah mark a travel corridor between the hill country and the open wilderness leading toward the Sinai. The placement explains why Simeon, whose land was “in the midst of the inheritance of Judah” (Joshua 19:1), depended on Judah for military protection yet retained its own villages for grazing flocks (1 Chronicles 4:38-43). Historical Developments 1. Patriarchal Promise Fulfilled – The presence of a Simeonite town in Judah’s territory illustrates the outworking of Genesis 49:7; Simeon would be “scattered in Israel.” Beth Biri embodied that dispersion while still enjoying covenant blessings. Theological and Spiritual Themes • Covenant Inclusion: Though Simeon’s inheritance was modest and embedded within Judah’s, Beth Biri testifies that the Lord apportions a place for every tribe, large or small (Deuteronomy 32:8-9). Lessons for Ministry Today 1. Value the Small Place – God’s redemptive account includes villages remembered by name only once; no ministry context is insignificant. Related Sites and References • Beersheba (Genesis 21:33; 1 Samuel 8:2) – Regional hub north-west of Beth Biri. Beth Biri, though scarcely mentioned, enriches the biblical panorama by demonstrating God’s care for every locality within His covenant people and by modeling principles of faithfulness, unity, and mission that endure for the church today. Forms and Transliterations בִּרְאִ֖י בראי bir’î bir·’î birILinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Chronicles 4:31 HEB: סוּסִ֔ים וּבְבֵ֥ית בִּרְאִ֖י וּֽבְשַׁעֲרָ֑יִם אֵ֥לֶּה NAS: Hazar-susim, Beth-biri and Shaaraim. KJV: and Hazarsusim, and at Bethbirei, and at Shaaraim. INT: Beth-marcaboth Hazar-susim Beth-biri and Shaaraim These |
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