Lexical Summary Beth Palet: House of Escape Original Word: בֵּית פֶּלֶט Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Beth-palet From bayith and paliyt; house of escape; Beth- Palet, a place in Palestine -- Beth-palet. see HEBREW bayith see HEBREW paliyt NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom bayith and palit Definition "place of escape," a place in S. Judah NASB Translation Beth-pelet (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs בֵּית מָּ֑לֶט proper name, of a location (place of escape) in south of Judah Joshua 15:27; Nehemiah 11:26; compare adjective, of a people הַמַּלְטִי 2 Samuel 23:26, & so read also 1 Chronicles 11:27; 1 Chronicles 27:10 (Be). Topical Lexicon Overview Beth Pelet, rendered in some English versions as “Beth–pelet” or “Beth–palet,” is a town in the southern territory allotted to the tribe of Judah. The name most naturally means “house of escape” or “house of deliverance,” a designation that harmonizes with its location on the edge of the wilderness where refugees or travelers could find shelter. Geographical Setting Beth Pelet belongs to the Negev—the arid southern region of Judah stretching toward the Sinai Peninsula. Eusebius’ Onomasticon (fourth century AD) places it about fifteen Roman miles south of Eleutheropolis (modern Bet Guvrin), most likely in the wadi system that drains toward the Arabah. Suggested sites include Khirbet el-Falât and Tell el-Farah (south), though no single identification has won universal acceptance. Its situation on caravan routes connecting Hebron, Beersheba, and the Gulf of Aqaba made it a strategic stop for commerce, military movements, and displaced persons. Biblical Occurrences 1. Joshua 15:27 lists Beth Pelet among the twenty-nine towns “in the extreme South” belonging to Judah’s inheritance. Historical Context During the Conquest era Beth Pelet marked the southern reach of Judah’s domain. Centuries later, Babylonian deportation emptied much of the Negev. When Cyrus permitted the return (Ezra 1:1-4), the region had to be re-established for agricultural and defensive reasons. The mention of Beth Pelet in Nehemiah documents that re-population effort and testifies to the continuity of Israel’s territorial claims despite exile. Theological Significance House of Escape. The town’s very name hints at Yahweh’s saving character. Situated near the wilderness, it could serve as a sanctuary from danger—an earthly analogy of divine deliverance. In the larger narrative, Judah’s southern settlements—including Beth Pelet—display the LORD’s covenant faithfulness: He gave the land (Joshua), preserved a remnant through judgment (Kings, Chronicles), and restored them to that same land (Ezra–Nehemiah). Boundary Marker. Beth Pelet helps trace the limits of Judah’s God-given inheritance. Every such marker underlines the biblical theme that land, like salvation, is a gracious gift (Deuteronomy 9:4-5), not a human acquisition. Remnant Theology. Nehemiah 11 celebrates volunteers who left the relative security of Jerusalem for more rugged frontier towns so that the whole land might flourish. Their obedience prefigures Christ’s call to self-denial for the sake of the kingdom (Matthew 16:24-25). Lessons for Ministry Today • Faithful Presence: Re-settlers of Beth Pelet illustrate that ministry is not confined to religious centers. Strategic outposts matter for advancing God’s purposes among neglected or challenging regions. Archaeological Considerations While excavations have not conclusively fixed Beth Pelet’s location, surveys of Negev forts, cisterns, and caravanserai reveal an infrastructure consistent with Scripture’s depiction of fortified frontier villages. Pottery from the Late Bronze and Iron Ages in several proposed sites confirms continuous occupation into the Persian period, aligning with Nehemiah’s record. Prophetic and Eschatological Echoes Isaiah 21:16-17 and Jeremiah 40–41 show that wilderness regions often became places of Both refuge and judgment. The survival of a town such as Beth Pelet foreshadows the prophetic hope that “in that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth” (Isaiah 19:24). God’s redemptive plan encompasses even marginal lands, assuring that no corner of creation is outside His ultimate restoration. Summary Beth Pelet stands as a modest yet meaningful witness to the reliability of biblical history and the constancy of God’s covenant care. From the conquest under Joshua to the restoration under Nehemiah, its account affirms that the LORD both grants a dwelling place and becomes Himself the true “house of escape” for His people. Forms and Transliterations פָּֽלֶט׃ פלט׃ pā·leṭ Palet pāleṭLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Joshua 15:27 HEB: וְחֶשְׁמ֖וֹן וּבֵ֥ית פָּֽלֶט׃ NAS: and Heshmon and Beth-pelet, KJV: and Heshmon, and Bethpalet, INT: and Hazar-gaddah and Heshmon and Beth-pelet Nehemiah 11:26 2 Occurrences |
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