Lexical Summary Beth Barah: House of the Ford Original Word: בֵּית בָּרָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Beth-barah Probably from bayith and abarah; house of (the) ford; Beth-Barah, a place in Palestine -- Beth-barah. see HEBREW bayith see HEBREW abarah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom bayith and abarah Definition "place of ford," a place in Pal. NASB Translation Beth-barah (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs בֵּית בָּרָה proper name, of a location in combin. ׳בּ ׳עַד בּ וְאֶתהַֿיַּרְדֵּן Judges 7:24 (twice in verse) (? = בֵּית עֲבָרָה place of ford). Topical Lexicon Biblical Occurrences Judges 7:24 is the sole verse in which Beth Barah is named, yet the Hebrew text repeats the place-name twice, accounting for the two occurrences. The Berean Standard Bible reads: “Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, ‘Come down to confront the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them, as far as Beth-barah.’ So every man of Ephraim was called out, and they seized the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth-barah, together with all the fords.” Geographic Setting • Situated on or very near the Jordan River. Historical Context The reference occurs during Gideon’s pursuit of the Midianites. After the surprise night attack (Judges 7:16-22), Gideon needed to cut off the enemy’s escape route eastward. He therefore summoned the tribe of Ephraim to secure the river crossings “as far as Beth-barah.” By occupying these fords, Ephraim trapped the Midianite commanders Oreb and Zeeb (Judges 7:25). The tactical move demonstrates: 1. The importance of river fords in ancient warfare. Theological Themes • Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility: God had promised victory, yet Gideon still had to marshal volunteers and hold Beth Barah. Spiritual and Ministry Applications • Strategic Intercession: Just as Gideon identified the critical point to block the enemy, believers today are called to discern pivotal spiritual “fords” in prayer and ministry. Related Sites and Later Traditions • Many scholars equate Beth Barah with the New Testament Bethabara (“Bethany beyond the Jordan”) where John baptized (John 1:28). While the identification is not certain, both sites share the idea of a “house of crossing,” and both mark moments of divine intervention—one in military deliverance, the other in the heralding of Messiah. Summary Beth Barah, though mentioned only in Judges 7:24, stands as a testament to the significance of the Jordan crossings in Israel’s story. It highlights the blend of divine promise and human action, the necessity of strategic obedience, and the power of united faith in securing God’s victory. Forms and Transliterations בָּרָ֖ה ברה bā·rāh baRah bārāhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Judges 7:24 HEB: עַ֛ד בֵּ֥ית בָּרָ֖ה וְאֶת־ הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ן NAS: before them, as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan. KJV: before them the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan. INT: the waters far Beth-barah and the Jordan were summoned Judges 7:24 2 Occurrences |