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בַּת

𐤁𐤕

Bat

H1323 noun

SILEX Entry

Root בנה to build, to create, to establish descendants

Definition

Female offspring; a daughter, a female descendant. More broadly, a female member of a family, community, or group; can be used collectively for women of a city or nation. Figuratively, it denotes dependency, belonging, or characteristic association (e.g., 'daughters of Zion' = women, inhabitants, or symbolic representations of Zion). Employed for city populations ('daughter of cities'), subordinate towns, or associated groups. It frequently appears in anthropomorphic metaphors, especially for personified cities or nations. In some figurative uses, the term can refer to a dependent, offshoot, or subordinate entity (e.g., a village as a 'daughter' of a larger city). Occasionally used in idioms or set phrases, such as 'daughter of the eye' for 'pupil of the eye.'

Semantic Range

female child, daughter, female descendant, female member of a group, collective women of a city or nation, subordinate town or village, offshoot, personified city or nation, pupil of the eye (idiom), inhabitant (figurative), company (of women or girls), branch (figurative)

Root / Etymology

From the root בנה (b-n-h), 'to build,' which also underlies בֵּן (ben, 'son'). בַּת is the feminine form paralleling 'son' and means 'female built up' from the household, i.e., a daughter. The semantic development is from the basic sense of 'offspring built/born into the house,' paralleling the masculine form but specifically female. The term broadened to related figurative and collective uses. The root is securely established.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the ancient Israelite context, בַּת referred to a daughter in both literal genealogical and broader social or collective senses. It could designate an individual female descendant, but also collectively women of a community ('daughters of Jerusalem') or metaphorically describe a city or nation characterized as feminine. The phraseology 'daughter of...' (e.g., 'daughter of Zion') was especially common from the monarchy into the exilic and post-exilic periods, where it could express hope, personification, or identity of a community. In genealogical texts, בַּת distinguishes female offspring, but in poetry, prophets, and wisdom texts, it regularly expands to metaphorical or collective meanings. English renderings such as 'village' or 'suburb' (for dependent settlements) reflect the metaphor of subordination; these translations may obscure the original nuance of relationship or association. Unlike the term בֵּן (ben, 'son'), which sometimes marks a member of a guild, profession, or trait, בַּת only rarely extends to such figurative associations, being more regularly tied to familial, communal, or geopolitical connections. The idiom 'daughter of the eye' (בַּת עֵין) means 'pupil,' conveying the sense of something delicate or precious. In some Late Biblical and post-biblical usages, בַּת also acquired non-literal, endearing, or honorific senses.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from בָּנָה (as feminine of בֵּן); a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively); apple (of the eye), branch, company, daughter, [idiom] first, [idiom] old, [phrase] owl, town, village.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

בנה (b-n-h) — to build, to create, to establish descendants

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1004 בַּיִת in the houses
H1005 בַּיִת the built-house
H1006 בַּיִת the house
H1007 בֵּית אָוֶן house-of
H1008 בֵּית־אֵל in house of

Word Forms

73 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H1323-02 בַּת bat HNcfsc daughter daughter of 169
H1323-04 בְּנ֣וֹת benot HNcfpc daughters daughters of 43
H1323-48 וּ/בְנֹתֶ֖י/הָ uvenoteyha HC/Ncfpc/Sp3fs and its towns and her daughters 38
H1323-60 בַת vat HNcfsc daughter daughter 34
H1323-42 וּ/בָנֽוֹת uvanot HC/Ncfpa and daughters and daughters 32
H1323-01 בָּנ֑וֹת banot HNcfpa daughters daughters 17
H1323-34 מִ/בְּנוֹת֙ mibenot HR/Ncfpc from the daughters from daughters 16
H1323-09 בְּנֹתֶֽי/הָ benoteyha HNcfpc/Sp3fs its-villages her daughters 14
H1323-20 בִּתּ֔/וֹ bito HNcfsc/Sp3ms his daughter his daughter 11
H1323-12 בְּנֹֽתֵי/כֶם֙ benoteykhem HNcfpc/Sp2mp your daughters your daughters 10

Occurrences in Scripture

590 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H1323-42 Genesis 5:4 וּ/בָנֽוֹת uvanot HC/Ncfpa and daughters and daughters
H1323-42 Genesis 5:7 וּ/בָנֽוֹת uvanot HC/Ncfpa and daughters and daughters
H1323-42 Genesis 5:10 וּ/בָנֽוֹת uvanot HC/Ncfpa and daughters and daughters
H1323-42 Genesis 5:13 וּ/בָנֽוֹת uvanot HC/Ncfpa and daughters and daughters
H1323-42 Genesis 5:16 וּ/בָנֽוֹת uvanot HC/Ncfpa and daughters and daughters
H1323-42 Genesis 5:19 וּ/בָנֽוֹת uvanot HC/Ncfpa and daughters and daughters
H1323-42 Genesis 5:22 וּ/בָנֽוֹת uvanot HC/Ncfpa and daughters and daughters
H1323-42 Genesis 5:26 וּ/בָנֽוֹת uvanot HC/Ncfpa and daughters and daughters
H1323-42 Genesis 5:30 וּ/בָנֽוֹת uvanot HC/Ncfpa and daughters and daughters
H1323-42 Genesis 6:1 וּ/בָנ֖וֹת uvanot HC/Ncfpa and daughters and daughters
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