Beth

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

("a fixed dwelling"); as in  Genesis 33:17, "Jacob built him an house," marking his settlement after wanderings (compare  2 Samuel 7:2-6). Then "any dwelling", as "a tent". Then "a family". Also "a temple". "The garden house," Beth-haggan ( 2 Kings 9:27), by way of which Ahaziah fled; now Jenin , formerly EN-GANNIN, on the way from Samaria northward, overlooking the great plain.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Beth. The most general word for a House or Habitation. It has the special meaning of a Temple or House Of Worship. Beth is more frequently employed in compound names of places than any other word.

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

BETH . The second letter of the Heb. alphabet, and as such used in   Psalms 119:1-176 as the heading of the second part, each verse of which begins with this letter.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

House, forms a part of many compounds names of places, and sometimes means the place or dwelling; and at others the temple. This word becomes Beit in modern Arabic.

Morrish Bible Dictionary

A word used in many compound names of places, and signifying 'house' or dwelling place: as Beth-el, house of God.

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(Heb. Beyth, the "construct form" of בִּיִת , Ba ' Yith, according to Furst, from בּוּת , to Lodge in the night; according to Gesenius, from בָּנָה , to Build, as Δομός , Domus, from Δέμω ), the name of the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet, corresponding to our B, which was derived from it. As an appellative, it is the most general word for a house or habitation. Strictly speaking, it has the force of a settled stable dwelling, as in  Genesis 33:17, where the building of a "house" marks the termination of a stage of Jacob's wanderings (comp. also  2 Samuel 7:2;  2 Samuel 7:6, and many other places); but it is also employed for a dwelling of any kind, even for a tent, as in  Genesis 24:32, where it must refer to the tent of Laban; also  Judges 18:31;  1 Samuel 1:7, to the tent of the tabernacle, and  2 Kings 23:7, where it expresses the textile materials (A. V "hangings") for the tents of Astarte. From this general force the transition was natural to a house in the sense of a family; as  Psalms 107:41, "families," or a pedigree, as  Ezra 2:59. In  2 Samuel 13:7,  1 Kings 13:7, and other places, it has the sense of ‘ house," i.e. "to the house." Beth also. has some collateral and almost technical meanings, similar to those which we apply to the word "house," as in  Exodus 25:27, for the "places" or sockets into which the bars for carrying the table were "housed;" and others. Like Aeddes in Latin and Dom in German, Beth has the special meaning of a temple or house of worship, in which sense it is applied not only to the tabernacle (see above) or temple of Jehovah ( 1 Kings 3:2;  1 Kings 6:1, etc.), but to those of false gods — Dagon ( Judges 16:27;  1 Samuel 5:2), Rimmon ( 2 Kings 5:18), Baal ( 2 Kings 10:21), Nisroch

( 2 Kings 19:37), and other gods ( Judges 9:27). "Bajith" (q.v.) in  Isaiah 15:2 is really hab-Bajith= "the Temple" — meaning some well- known idol fane in Moab. Beth is more frequently employed as the first element of the names of places than either Kirjath, Hazer, Beer, Ain, or any other word. See those following. In some instances it seems to be interchangeable (by euphemism) for Baal (q.v.). In all such compounds as Beth-el, etc., the latter part of the word must be considered, according to our Occidental languages, to depend on the former in the relation of the Genitive; so that Bethel can only mean "house of God." The notion of House is, of course, capable of a wide application, and is used to mean temple, habitation, place, according to the sense of the word with which it is combined. In some instances the Auth. Vers. has translated it as an appellative; (See Beth-Eked); (See Beth-Hag-Gan); (See Beth- Eden).

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

Beth (house) is often found as the first element of proper names of places in the Bible. It is only necessary to observe that, in all such compounds, as Bethel, etc., the latter part of the word must be considered, according to our Occidental languages, to depend on the former in the relation of the genitive; so that Bethel can only mean house of God.' The notion of house is, of course, capable of a wide application, and is used to mean temple, habitation, place, according to the sense of the word with which it is combined.