Lexical Summary Pi-beseth: Pi-beseth Original Word: פִי־בֶסֶת Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Pi-beseth Of Egyptian origin; Pi-Beseth, a place in Egypt -- Pi-beseth. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof foreign origin Definition a place in Eg. NASB Translation Pi-beseth (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs מִּיבֶֿ֫סֶת proper name, of a location in Egypt (Pabast, EbGS 495, or Per-Bastet, GriffithHastings DB iii. 874, 'House of Bast(et)' originally P§i-wbaste according to SteindBAS i. 350, compare NavilleBubastis 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 Diodxvi.49, 51 Navillel.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). Ministry Applications • Spiritual Purity: The city’s downfall warns believers against syncretism and sensuality (2 Corinthians 6:14–18). Key Lessons for Believers Today • God’s warnings are specific and historically grounded. Forms and Transliterations בֶ֖סֶת בסת ḇe·seṯ ḇeseṯ VesetLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman'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 |