Βηθσαϊδά
Bēthsaïdá
G966 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper noun designating a location; Bethsaida, a settlement whose name means 'house of the fisherman' or 'place of hunting/fishing.' Used in the New Testament to refer to two distinct locales located on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee.
Semantic Range
Bethsaida (the settlement), site of fishing activity, locale on the Sea of Galilee; not used outside as a place name
Root / Etymology
Borrowed from Aramaic/Chaldee, בֵּית צַיְדָא (bet ṣaydā’), with בֵּית ('house'), and צַיְדָא ('fishing' or 'hunting'). The Greek form Βηθσαϊδά preserves the Semitic place name. Not formed from native Greek roots.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Bethsaida is referenced in the Gospels as (1) the hometown of Philip, Andrew, and Peter (John 1:44, 12:21), and (2) the locale of several miracles performed by Jesus (Mark 8:22-26; Luke 9:10). The name appears only as a toponym and is not used for any individuals or for abstract concepts. In Hellenistic and Roman geography, Bethsaida was situated in the region inhabited predominantly by Galileans and other Israelite groups. Distinction is sometimes made between 'Bethsaida Julias' (northeast of the Sea of Galilee, in Gaulanitis) and a separate Bethsaida west of the Jordan. The use of 'a place in Palestine' in traditional English glosses obscures precise localization; the region referenced was Judean-controlled or under Herodian tetrarchic rule in the Roman period. English Bibles retain the Semitic place name in transliteration, but the original term carried the literal sense of a settlement associated with fishing or hunting, reflecting the economic activity of its inhabitants. There is no evidence in Greek sources for the name being associated with religious or symbolic use beyond the geographic designation.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of Chaldee origin (compare בַּיִת and צַיָּד); fishing-house; Bethsaida, a place in Palestine:--Bethsaida.
Root Family
uncertain (loanword; Semitic origin) (Bēthsaïdá) — to dwell, to hunt, to fish (as reflected in Semitic roots of the toponym)
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G966-01 |
Βηθσαϊδά | bethsaida | N ACC F SG |
Bethsaida | Bethsaida | Bethsaida | 4 |
G966-02 |
Βηθσαϊδάν | bethsaidan | N VOC F SG |
Bethsaida | O Bethsaida | Bethsaida | 3 |
Occurrences in Scripture
7 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G966-02 |
Matthew 11:21 | Βηθσαϊδάν | bethsaidan | N VOC F SG |
Bethsaida | O Bethsaida | Bethsaida |
G966-02 |
Mark 6:45 | Βηθσαϊδάν | bethsaidan | N ACC F SG |
Bethsaida | O Bethsaida | Bethsaida |
G966-02 |
Mark 8:22 | Βηθσαϊδάν | bethsaidan | N ACC F SG |
Bethsaida | O Bethsaida | Bethsaida |
G966-01 |
Luke 9:10 | Βηθσαϊδά | bethsaida | N ACC F SG |
Bethsaida | Bethsaida | Bethsaida |
G966-01 |
Luke 10:13 | Βηθσαϊδά | bethsaida | N VOC F SG |
Bethsaida | Bethsaida | Bethsaida |
G966-01 |
John 1:44 | Βηθσαϊδά | bethsaida | N GEN F SG |
Bethsaida | Bethsaida | Bethsaida |
G966-01 |
John 12:21 | Βηθσαϊδὰ | bethsaida | N GEN F SG |
Bethsaida | Bethsaida | Bethsaida |