6364. Pi-beseth

Lexical Summary

Pi-beseth: Pi-beseth

Original Word: פִי־בֶסֶת
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Piy-Beceth
Pronunciation: pee-beh'-seth
Phonetic Spelling: (pee beh'-seth)
KJV: Pi-beseth
NASB: Pi-beseth
Word Origin: [of Egyptian origin]

1. Pi-Beseth, a place in Egypt

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Pi-beseth

Of Egyptian origin; Pi-Beseth, a place in Egypt -- Pi-beseth.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
of foreign origin
Definition
a place in Eg.
NASB Translation
Pi-beseth (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

מִּיבֶֿ֫סֶת proper name, of a location in Egypt (Pabast, Eb^{GS 495}, or Per-Bastet, Griffith^{Hastings DB iii. 874}, 'House of Bast(et)' originally P§i-wbaste according to Steind^{BAS i. 350}, compare Naville^{Bubastis 44, 46, 48, 56,} Greek Βούβαστις (Herodotus), Βούβαστος (Diod); — Ezekiel 30:17 ᵐ5 Βουβάστου (genitive), modern Tel-Bas‰a, near Za‡azi‡, approximately 30 miles north-northeast from Cairo. — See Herod.^{ii. 59 f., 67, 137 f., 166} Diod^{xvi.49, 51} Naville^{l.c.; Trans. Vict. Inst. xxiii. 137 ff.}

Topical Lexicon

Name and Meaning

Pi-beseth means “house of Bastet,” a title reflecting its role as the chief center of worship for the feline goddess Bastet in Egypt’s eastern Nile Delta.

Location and Archaeological Profile

Identified with Bubastis (modern Tell Basta) near contemporary Zagazig, the site lay on the Pelusiac branch of the Nile. Excavations have exposed a vast granite temple precinct, cat cemeteries, and monumental inscriptions that attest to its prosperity, especially under the Twenty-second Dynasty.

Biblical Occurrence

Ezekiel 30:17 cites the city in an oracle of judgment on Egypt: “The young men of Aven and of Pi-beseth will fall by the sword, and the cities will go into captivity” (Berean Standard Bible).

Historical Background

Ezekiel delivered this prophecy about 587–585 BC, warning that Egypt, though once a formidable power, would suffer invasion. Nebuchadnezzar II’s campaign (circa 568–567 BC) and Cambyses’ Persian conquest (525 BC) brought devastation to Bubastis, fulfilling the prophet’s words. Classical historians such as Herodotus describe its decline, mirroring the scriptural prediction.

Religious Character and Idolatry

As the seat of Bastet’s cult, Pi-beseth was famed for lavish festivals marked by drunken revelry and moral excess. The city’s prominence in pagan worship explains its inclusion among locales singled out for divine judgment, demonstrating the Lord’s supremacy over all idols (compare Exodus 12:12; Isaiah 19:1).

Prophetic Significance

1. Judgment on Idolatry: Pi-beseth illustrates that idols and their devotees cannot withstand the Lord’s wrath (Jeremiah 10:11).
2. Sovereignty of God over Nations: The oracle shows that divine authority extends beyond Israel to every kingdom (Psalm 22:28).
3. Reliability of Scripture: The historically verifiable fall of the city confirms the trustworthiness of prophetic revelation (Isaiah 55:10–11).

Ministry Applications

• Spiritual Purity: The city’s downfall warns believers against syncretism and sensuality (2 Corinthians 6:14–18).
• Confidence in God’s Promises: Just as Pi-beseth’s fate was sealed, so the fulfillment of all divine promises is assured (Hebrews 10:23).
• Mission to Idolatrous Cultures: Ezekiel’s bold proclamation encourages contemporary ministry among peoples devoted to modern idols, calling them to repentance and faith (1 Thessalonians 1:9–10).

Key Lessons for Believers Today

• God’s warnings are specific and historically grounded.
• No civilization is immune to divine accountability.
• Faithful proclamation combines clarity about sin with hope in God’s redemptive plan.

Forms and Transliterations

בֶ֖סֶת בסת ḇe·seṯ ḇeseṯ Veset

Englishman's Concordance

Ezekiel 30:17
HEB: אָ֛וֶן וּפִי־ בֶ֖סֶת בַּחֶ֣רֶב יִפֹּ֑לוּ
NAS: of On and of Pi-beseth Will fall
KJV: of Aven and of Pibeseth shall fall
INT: the young of Aven Pi-beseth the sword will fall

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 6364
1 Occurrence

ḇe·seṯ — 1 Occ.