ב,

בּ ^{, Bêth,} 2nd letter; post Biblical Hebrew = numeral 2 (and so in margin of printed MT ); ב ̈ = 2000; no evidence of this usage in OT times.

I.

בְּ S 1119 TWOT 193 GK 1198 , prep. in ( ^Moab. בּ , Syriac ܒ ^(b), Arabic ب ^(b), Ethiopic ˜ ( ba ) ) before tone-syllables in certain cases ( Ges ^{§ 102. 2}) בָּ , with suff. בִּי ; בְּךָ ( Ex 7:28 K t. 2 S 22:30 ψ 141:8 בְּכָה ), in pause and fem. בָּךְ ; בֹּו (once, Je 17:24 Kt בֹּה ), בָּהּ ; בָּנוּ ; בָּכֶם , [ בָּכֶן ]; בָּהֶם , בָּם [also בָּהֵ˜מָּה •Ex 30: 4; 36:1 Hb 1:1 6], בָּהֶן •1 S 31:7 Is 38:16 Ez 42:14 [15 times בָּהֵן ( Fr ^{MM 235}), and thrice, Lv 5:22 Nu 13:19 Je 5:1 7, בָּהֵ˜נָּה ]. Prep. denoting properly in , Gk. ἐν , but applied in many derived and fig. significations. The

senses expressed by בְּ are grouped by the Rabbis in three classes, בֵּית הַכְּלִי Beth vasculi , בֵּית הַדִּיבִּוּק וְהַנְּגִיעָה Beth coniunctionis et viciniae , בֵּית הָעֵזֶר Beth auxilii; and the same arrangement may be followed here, though the limits between the three classes are not clearly defined, and they sometimes overlap one another.

I . In: 1. strictly, of position in a place (which often is expressed more precisely by בְּקֶרֶב , בְּתֹוךְ ) as בַּבַּיִת in the house, בָּעִיר in the city, בַּדּוּד in the pot, בָּאָרֶץ in the land, etc. constantly. Heb. idiom also says בָּהָר in the mountain Ex 24:18 etc., even in cases where we could hardly avoid saying on , as 1 K 11:7 ; 19:11 : so בְּחֹרֵב Dt 1:6 al. ; בְּרֹאשׁ הָהָר Ex 24:17 ψ 72:16 . Preceded by a verb of motion (especially עָבַר ) בְּ = through , as Gn 12:6 and Abram passed

= equivalent, equals. MT Masoretic Text. OT Old Testament. S Strongs Concordance TWOT Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament . GK Goodrick/Kohlenberger numbering system of the NIV Exhaustive Condordance . Ges W. Gesenius, Heb. Gram. ed. by Kautzsch;

Kt K ^ethibh . fem. feminine, feminae. prefixed, or added, or both, indicates All passages cited. Fr S. Frensdorff, Massora Magna.
fig. figurative.

Heb. Hebrew. al. et aliter , and elsewhere; also et alii , and others.