Lexical Summary beathah: Terror, Dread Original Word: בְּעָתָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance trouble From ba'ath; fear -- trouble. see HEBREW ba'ath NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom baath Definition terror, dismay NASB Translation terror (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs בְּעָתָה noun feminine terror, dismay Jeremiah 8:15 = Jeremiah 14:19. Topical Lexicon Summary of Usage בְּעָתָה appears twice, both in Jeremiah’s laments over Judah’s impending judgment (Jeremiah 8:15; 14:19). In each case it identifies the shock, dread, and deep discouragement that descends when promised peace is exposed as illusory. Literary Setting Jeremiah speaks during the final decades of the Southern Kingdom. False prophets predicted shālôm; the king trusted shifting alliances; the people persisted in covenant-breaking. Into that atmosphere Jeremiah inserts בְּעָתָה—an abrupt word that shatters complacency. The prophet places it at the climax of a triad: anticipation (“we hoped”), disappointment (“no good has come”), and devastating realization (“terror,” בְּעָתָה). Covenantal and Theological Significance 1. Covenant Curses. Leviticus 26:16 and Deuteronomy 28:65 warn of “terror” overtaking an unfaithful nation. Jeremiah’s use shows the covenant lawsuit reaching its verdict; בְּעָתָה signals that the threatened curse has arrived. Historical Resonance The Babylonian siege of 586 B.C. fulfilled Jeremiah’s warnings. Archaeological layers in Jerusalem show burn marks and shattered pottery from that destruction—material echoes of the prophetic word בְּעָתָה. Prophetic Echoes and Christological Trajectory Jeremiah’s cry prefigures: Yet Isaiah 53:5 declares, “The punishment that brought us peace was upon Him.” In Christ the dread of judgment is absorbed, and the word בְּעָתָה yields to “grace and peace” (Romans 1:7). Pastoral and Homiletical Applications 1. Warning against Complacency. Churches must discern between cultural optimism and biblical hope. Superficial positivity that ignores sin will inevitably end in בְּעָתָה-like disillusionment. Devotional Reflection Believers may experience moments when peace seems promised yet terror intrudes—diagnosis of illness, economic collapse, persecution. Jeremiah reminds us that such moments expose misplaced trust and invite deeper reliance on the Prince of Peace. Praying Jeremiah 17:7–8 steadies the heart: “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him.” Key References Jeremiah 8:15; Jeremiah 14:19; Leviticus 26:16; Deuteronomy 28:65; Isaiah 53:5; Jeremiah 31:17, 31–34; Matthew 24:6–8; Ephesians 2:14; Hebrews 10:31; Revelation 6:15–17. Forms and Transliterations בְעָתָֽה׃ בעתה׃ ḇə‘āṯāh ḇə·‘ā·ṯāh veaTahLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Jeremiah 8:15 HEB: מַרְפֵּ֖ה וְהִנֵּ֥ה בְעָתָֽה׃ NAS: of healing, but behold, terror! KJV: of health, and behold trouble! INT: of healing behold terror Jeremiah 14:19 2 Occurrences |
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