I get it, most of us haven’t taken any Hebrew-as-a-Second-Language classes. Naturally, a lot of names in the Bible can sound confusingly similar. For example, a group of them has been bugging me for the longest time so I’ve decided to lay them all out, in hope that they can be settled once and for all. You are welcome to join the ride:
Bethsaida 伯賽大
[beth-SAY-duh] {bo2-sai4-da4}
This is a town in Galilee where Jesus performed the miracle of feeding 5000 people with 5 loaves and 2 fish. Incidentally, Bethsaida literally means “House of Fish” (“House of Bread” coming up in a minute). In addition, one of Jesus’ disciples, Philip, was also from Bethsaida (John 12:21).
Bethesda 畢士大
[buh-THEZ-duh] {bi4-shi4-da4}
Bethesda, meaning “House of Mercy”, is a pool in Jerusalem where Jesus healed a disabled man who suffered his debilitating illness for 38 years (John 5:2-9).
Beersheba 別是巴
[beer-SHEE-buh] {bie2-shi4-ba1}
This place was named after a treaty between Abraham and Abimelek. Abimelek was the king of Gerar, who almost took Abraham’s wife for himself because Abraham had insinuated that she was only his sister (Genesis 20). Thankfully, God spared everyone from what would be a terrible mistake. Afterward, Abraham lived near Abimelek for a while and grew very strong. They swore an oath not to harm each other, hence the name Beersheba, “Well of the Oath”.
Bathsheba 拔示巴
[bath-SHEE-buh] {ba2-shi4-ba1}
She used to be the wife of Uriah, David’s soldier. One day, David became infatuated with her after seeing her bathing, which led to a series of mistakes leading up to the proxy murder of her husband (2 Samuel 11). It was one of the greatest stains on David’s legacy. Nevertheless, Bathsheba gave David a famous son: Solomon. It’s easy to remember her by the “bath” in “Bathsheba”, but her name actually means “Daughter of an Oath”.
Other Contenders
A few other places also share some resemblance to the above. Bethlehem 伯利恆 {bo2-li4-heng2} (meaning “House of Bread”) was a frequently referenced place in the Bible (appearing 50 times) and was most famously known as the birthplace of Jesus Christ. Bethphage 伯法其 {bo2-fa3-qi2} (“House of Unripe Figs”) and Bethany 伯大尼 {bo2-da4-ni2} (“House of Dates, or Misery”) were two villages between Jerusalem and Jericho.
Now that these names are out in the open, we begin to see some patterns. “Beth” (variation of “bayith בַּיִת”) is “house”, “bath בַּת” is “daughter”, and “beer בְּאֵר” is “well”. All three are valid Hebrew words with precisely those meanings. And now you know some Hebrew.
This exercise also highlights that the Hebrew naming convention is meaningful and not at all arbitrary. Each name signifies something about that person or place, so that even today, these ancient significance and relevance are well preserved.
Photo by Barbara Fraatz on Pixabay