Lexical Summary Beth Haetsel: House of the Adjoining Original Word: בֵּית הָאֵצֶל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Beth- ezel From bayith and 'etsel with the article interposed; house of the side; Beth-ha-Etsel, a place in Palestine -- Beth- ezel. see HEBREW bayith see HEBREW 'etsel NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom bayith and perhaps etsel Definition a place in Judah NASB Translation Beth-ezel (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs בֵּית הָאֵ֫צֶל proper name, of a location in Judah Micah 1:11; dubious, compare below אצל, p. 69. Topical Lexicon Geographical Setting Beth-ezel is identified as a small settlement in the Shephelah of Judah, probably located a few miles south-west of Jerusalem and near other towns cited by Micah—Shaphir, Zaanan, and Lachish. The name, meaning “house beside” or “house of separation,” hints at a village abutting a larger fortified city, possibly serving as an outlying suburb or defensive post. Biblical Context It appears once in Scripture: “Pass on, O inhabitant of Shaphir, in nakedness and shame; the inhabitant of Zaanan will not come out. The lamentation of Beth-ezel will take away from you its support.” (Micah 1:11) Micah strings together a series of place-names whose sounds create word-plays that reinforce his message of imminent judgment on Judah. In that poetic cascade, Beth-ezel stands as a symbol of lost refuge: the very “house next door” that should have offered aid will itself be silenced. Historical Background Micah prophesied during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (Micah 1:1), when Assyrian expansion threatened both Samaria and Jerusalem. Rural towns in the Shephelah were the first to feel Assyria’s advance (2 Kings 18:13). Beth-ezel likely fell or was depopulated in those campaigns, its ruin serving as a warning to the capital that even seemingly minor outposts mattered in God’s covenant economy. Prophetic Significance in Micah 1. Loss of Shelter: The prophet’s pun implies that “the house beside you” will no longer “stand” (Hebrew root ṣl, “to take away, withdraw”). Judah’s alliances and neighborly securities prove futile when the Lord Himself is acting in judgment. Intertextual Insights Micah 1 parallels Isaiah 10, where Assyria is God’s rod against a rebellious people. Just as Isaiah lists ravaged towns from Aiath to Nob (Isaiah 10:28-32), Micah catalogs Judah’s villages, marking the relentless march of judgment. The single reference to Beth-ezel places it firmly within that broader theological motif: God governs international events to discipline His people. Archaeological Considerations No unequivocal excavation site has been confirmed, though Khirbet Beit Eisel near modern Ajjul and Tell Beit Mirsim have been proposed. Potsherds from the eighth century B.C. recovered in these locales fit Micah’s timeframe, reinforcing the prophet’s contemporaneity and historical reliability. Implications for Ministry and Faith • False Security: Modern believers, like ancient Judeans, may rely on “nearby houses”—finances, alliances, institutions—rather than on the Lord. Beth-ezel warns that secondary supports can vanish overnight. Lessons for the Church Today 1. Recognize the interconnectedness of God’s people; isolation is neither possible nor biblical. Though Beth-ezel flickers only briefly on the biblical map, its inclusion in Micah’s oracle underscores the sweeping scope of divine accountability and the compassionate purpose behind prophetic rebuke: that every household, great or small, might return to the Lord and find true refuge in Him. Forms and Transliterations הָאֵ֔צֶל האצל hā’êṣel hā·’ê·ṣel haEtzelLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Micah 1:11 HEB: מִסְפַּד֙ בֵּ֣ית הָאֵ֔צֶל יִקַּ֥ח מִכֶּ֖ם NAS: The lamentation of Beth-ezel: He will take KJV: in the mourning of Bethezel; he shall receive INT: of Zaanan lament of Beth-ezel will take at 1 Occurrence |
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