bayit · house

What it means

bayit (בַּיִת) is an Aramaic word of the Bible that means “house”.

(Aramaic); the same word as the Hebrew "bayit". "The house of Elah" is the temple.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. A building to live in or keep things, like the king's house of records.
2. God's temple in Jerusalem.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

Word study

House, in Aramaic. It is the same word as the Hebrew בַּיִת, ‘house’ (H1004), and appears in the Aramaic parts of Ezra and Daniel, above all for “the house of Elah”, the temple in Jerusalem.

• “The house of Elah which {is} in Jerusalem” Ezra 5:2Ezra 6:3Ezra 6:15
• A person’s house Daniel 6:10Daniel 2:17
• The house as punishment: made rubble Ezra 6:11Daniel 2:5
• “Royal house”; “the house of the feast” Daniel 4:30Daniel 5:10

Historical and cultural background

The decree of Cyrus found in Ecbatana ordered: “{Concerning} the house of Elah in Jerusalem, let the house be built”, with its measurements (Ezra 6:3). The house was finished on the third of Adar in the sixth year of Darius (6:15).

How we translate it

Always “house” (43 times) or “houses” (1), like the Hebrew. In “the house of Elah” the Aramaic name of God is left as it is: this edition always writes the names of God the same way, like Elohim in Hebrew.

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• house ×43
• houses ×1

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Ezra×35
• Daniel×9

• Ezra 4:24

  Then the work of the house of Elah which is in Jerusalem ceased, and it remained stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

• Ezra 5:2

  Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak rose up and began to build the house of Elah which is in Jerusalem; and with them were the prophets of Elah, supporting them.

• Ezra 5:3

  At that time Tattenai, governor of the other side of the river, and Shethar-bozenai and their companions came to them, and thus they said to them: “Who gave you an order to build this house and to finish this structure?”

• Ezra 5:8

  Let it be known to the king that we went to the province of Judah, to the house of the great Elah; and it is being built with great stones, and timber is being laid in the walls; and that work is being done with diligence and prospers in their hands.

• Ezra 5:9

  Then we asked those elders and thus we said to them: ‘Who gave you an order to build this house and to finish this structure?’

• Ezra 5:11

  And thus they returned an answer to us, saying: ‘We are the servants of the Elah of the heavens and the earth, and we are building the house that was built many years before this; and a great king of Israel built it and finished it.

• Ezra 5:12

  But because our fathers angered the Elah of the heavens, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean; and this house he destroyed, and the people he carried into exile to Babylon.

• Ezra 5:13

  However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, Cyrus the king gave an order to build this house of Elah.

• Ezra 5:14

  And also the utensils of the house of Elah, of gold and of silver, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought out from the temple that was in Jerusalem and brought them to the temple of Babylon, Cyrus the king brought them out from the temple of Babylon, and they were given to one named Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor.

• Ezra 5:15

  And he said to him, “These utensils: take them, go, deposit them in the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of Elah be built on its site.”

• Ezra 5:16

  Then that Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of Elah which is in Jerusalem; and from then until now it has been under construction, and it is not complete.’

• Ezra 5:17

  And now, if to the king it seems good, let it be investigated in the house of the treasures of the king there in Babylon, whether it is so that by Cyrus the king an order was given to build that house of Elah in Jerusalem; and let the will of the king concerning this be sent to us.”

• Ezra 6:1

  Then Darius the king gave an order, and they investigated in the house of the books where the treasures were deposited there in Babylon.

• Ezra 6:3

  In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king gave an order: Concerning the house of Elah in Jerusalem, let the house be built, the place where they sacrifice sacrifices, and let its foundations be firmly laid; its height, sixty cubits; its width, sixty cubits;

• Ezra 6:4

  three courses of great stones and a course of new timber; and let the cost be paid from the house of the king.

• Ezra 6:5

  And also the utensils of the house of Elah, of gold and of silver, which Nebuchadnezzar brought out from the temple that was in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, let them be returned and go to the temple that is in Jerusalem, to its place; and you shall deposit them in the house of Elah.”

• Ezra 6:7

  Leave the work of that house of Elah alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build that house of Elah on its site.

• Ezra 6:8

  And by me an order is given concerning what you shall do with these elders of the Jews for the building of that house of Elah: from the goods of the king, which are from the tribute of the other side of the river, with diligence let the cost be paid to these men, so that there be no stoppage.

• Ezra 6:11

  And by me an order is given that for any man who changes this decree, a beam shall be pulled out of his house, and, lifted up, he shall be nailed to it; and his house shall be made a heap of rubble for this.

• Ezra 6:12

  And may the Elah who has made his name dwell there overthrow every king and people who puts forth his hand to change it, to damage that house of Elah which is in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have given an order; let it be done with diligence.”

• Ezra 6:15

  And this house was brought to completion by the third day of the month of Adar, which was the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.

• Ezra 6:16

  And the sons of Israel, the priests and the Levites and the rest of the sons of the exile, celebrated the dedication of this house of Elah with joy.

• Ezra 6:17

  And they offered for the dedication of this house of Elah one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and twelve male goats as a sin offering for all Israel, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.

• Ezra 7:16

  and all the silver and gold that you find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill offering of the people and the priests, who offer freely for the house of their Elah which is in Jerusalem.

• Ezra 7:17

  Therefore, with diligence you shall buy with this silver bulls, rams, lambs, and their grain offerings and their libations, and you shall offer them on the altar of the house of your Elah which is in Jerusalem.

• Ezra 7:19

  And the utensils that are given to you for the service of the house of your Elah, deliver before the Elah of Jerusalem.

• Ezra 7:20

  And the rest of what is needed for the house of your Elah, which falls to you to give, you shall give from the house of the treasures of the king.

• Ezra 7:23

  All that is by the order of the Elah of the heavens, let it be done exactly for the house of the Elah of the heavens; for why should there be anger upon the kingdom of the king and his sons?

• Ezra 7:24

  And to you it is made known that as for all the priests and Levites, singers, gatekeepers, Nethinim, and servants of this house of Elah, it is not permitted to impose on them tribute, tax, or toll.

• Daniel 2:5

  The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, “The word from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you will be made into pieces, and your houses will be made a dunghill.

• Daniel 2:17

  Then Daniel went to his house and made known the matter to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions,

• Daniel 3:29

  And from me is made a decree that any people, nation, or language that says anything amiss against their Elah, the Elah of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be made into pieces, and its house shall be made a dunghill, because there is no other Elah who is able to rescue like this.”

• Daniel 4:4

  I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and flourishing in my palace.

• Daniel 4:30

  The king answered and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built as a royal house by the might of my power and for the honor of my majesty?”

• Daniel 5:3

  Then they brought the vessels of gold that had been taken out of the temple of the house of Elah that was in Jerusalem; and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them.

• Daniel 5:10

  The queen, because of the words of the king and his nobles, came into the house of the feast. The queen answered and said, “O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts trouble you, and do not let your color change.

• Daniel 5:23

  But against the Lord of the heavens you have lifted yourself up; and the vessels of his house they brought before you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines have been drinking wine from them; and the gods of silver and of gold, of bronze, of iron, of wood and of stone, which do not see or hear or know, you have praised; but the Elah in whose hand is your breath and whose are all your ways, you have not glorified.

• Daniel 6:10

  And Daniel, when he knew that the writing had been signed, went into his house; and he had windows open in his upper room toward Jerusalem; and three times a day he was kneeling on his knees and praying and giving thanks before his Elah, just as he had been doing before this.

And 6 more times.