בֵּית צוּר
𐤁𐤉𐤕 𐤑𐤅𐤓
Beyt Tsur
H1049 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
The name of a settlement, 'House of Rock' or 'Rock Fortress,' referring to a specific fortified city in the southern hill country historically inhabited by Israelites. The phrase carries the literal meaning of a house or place associated with a prominent rock or rocky defense. The sense is geographic and architectural — a place characterized by strong rocky features.
Semantic Range
name of a fortified settlement, house/fortress of rock, specific Israelite city in the territory of Judah, literal reference to rock-based architecture or fortification
Root / Etymology
Compound of בַּיִת (bayit, 'house') + צוּר (tsur, 'rock, cliff, crag, fortress'). The root ב-י-ת has the core meaning 'to house, to build a dwelling.' צוּר comes from the root צ-ו-ר, meaning 'rock, cliff, stronghold.' Together, the compound forms a place name denoting a dwelling or settlement situated at or identified with a rocky outcrop or fortification. The construction is typical of biblical Hebrew place-names which reference local geography or notable characteristics.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Beth-zur appears most prominently as a fortified town in the hill country of Judah (see Joshua 15:58; Nehemiah 3:16), situated strategically on the road between Hebron and Jerusalem. Its name reflects its topographical location — likely on or near a rocky prominence serving as a natural defense. Archaeological evidence identifies Beth-zur with modern Khirbet et-Tubeiqeh. The city played a significant military role in the Maccabean and Persian periods. English Bible translations retain the transliterated name 'Beth-zur' or 'Beth-zur,' but 'House of Rock' conveys the underlying Hebrew toponym. While the root meanings are straightforward, the toponym does not indicate a mere dwelling, but a fortified site significant in military and civic life. The term is not to be confused with abstract uses of 'rock' (as metaphor for strength) or with other personal names beginning with 'Beth'. The later English term 'Palestine' used in Strong’s is anachronistic for the Iron Age context: the city belonged to the territory identified with the kingdom of Judah during the monarchic period and later to Yehud under Persian rule.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from בַּיִת and צוּר; house of (the) rock; Beth-Tsur, a place in Palestine; Beth-zur.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
בית צור (Beyt Tsur) — to house, build a dwelling, rock, cliff, fortress
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1049-02 |
צֽוּר | tsur | HNp |
zur | Rock | Beyt Tsur | 4 |
H1049-01 |
בֵּֽית | beyt | HNp |
Beth | house of | Beyt Tsur | 3 |
H1049-03 |
בֵֽית | veyt | HNp |
Beth | house of | Beyt Tsur | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
8 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1049-01 |
Joshua 15:58 | בֵּֽית | beyt | HNp |
Beth | house of | Beyt Tsur |
H1049-02 |
Joshua 15:58 | צ֖וּר | tsur | HNp |
zur | Rock | Beyt Tsur |
H1049-01 |
Nehemiah 3:16 | בֵּֽית | beyt | HNp |
Beth | house of | Beyt Tsur |
H1049-02 |
Nehemiah 3:16 | צ֑וּר | tsur | HNp |
Zur | Rock | Beyt Tsur |
H1049-03 |
1 Chronicles 2:45 | בֵֽית | veyt | HNp |
Beth | house of | Beyt Tsur |
H1049-02 |
1 Chronicles 2:45 | צֽוּר | tsur | HNp |
zur | Rock | Beyt Tsur |
H1049-01 |
2 Chronicles 11:7 | בֵּֽית | beyt | HNp |
Beth | house of | Beyt Tsur |
H1049-02 |
2 Chronicles 11:7 | צ֥וּר | tsur | HNp |
zur | Rock | Beyt Tsur |