1329. Bethul
Lexical Summary
Bethul: Bethul

Original Word: בְּתוּל
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Bthuwl
Pronunciation: beh-THOOL
Phonetic Spelling: (beth-ool')
KJV: Bethuel
NASB: Bethul
Word Origin: [for H1328 (בְּתוּאֵל - Bethuel)]

1. Bethul (i.e. Bethuel), a place in Israel

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Bethuel

For Bthuw'el; Bethul (i.e. Bethuel), a place in Palestine -- Bethuel.

see HEBREW Bthuw'el

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
short. from Bethuel
Definition
a place in Simeon
NASB Translation
Bethul (1).

Topical Lexicon
Name and Location

Betul (also rendered Bethul) is listed among the thirteen towns allotted to the tribe of Simeon “within the inheritance of the children of Judah” (Joshua 19:4–6). Its placement in the Negev, near Hormah and Ziklag, marks it as part of a southern frontier zone guarding Israel’s approach to the Sinai and Egyptian trade routes.

Historical Context

The town appears in Scripture only in the Simeonite allotment. That one mention confirms the meticulous fulfillment of God’s promise that each tribe would possess a defined inheritance (Genesis 15:18; Joshua 21:43). Simeon’s scattered holdings within Judah recall Jacob’s prophetic word, “I will scatter them in Jacob” (Genesis 49:7), showing divine sovereignty at work even in geographical details.

Geographical Setting

Situated amid semi-arid pastureland, Betul’s economy would have centered on flocks, cistern-fed agriculture, and controlling caravan traffic. Its neighbors—Beer Sheba to the northwest, Ziklag to the south, Hormah to the east—form a triangle of strategic settlements that later factored into Davidic narratives and border defense against Amalekites and Philistines.

Integration within Tribal Allotments

Though Simeonite, Betul shared Judah’s broader covenant life: worship at Judah’s shrines, participation in national assemblies, and eventual assimilation when Simeon blended into Judah’s population (1 Chronicles 4:24–43). The arrangement fostered inter-tribal reliance, foreshadowing New Testament teaching on the unity of God’s people (Ephesians 2:19–22).

Surrounding Biblical Connections

• Hormah memorializes both chastening (Numbers 14:45) and later victory (Judges 1:17).
• Ziklag became David’s refuge and launch point for kingdom expansion (1 Samuel 27:6; 2 Samuel 1:1).

Betul, while silent in these accounts, stood in the same theater, its residents doubtless witnessing movements of armies and prophets that shaped Israel’s story.

Archaeological and Extra-Biblical Notes

No excavation has yet confirmed Betul’s precise site. Candidates include Khirbet Umm Batul and Tell Beit Mirsim rim settlements, both showing Late Bronze–Iron Age occupation layers with typical four-room houses, rock-cut cisterns, and Judean stamped jar handles. The town’s modest size and the Negev’s periodic abandonment cycles likely account for its meager material footprint.

Theological and Ministry Reflections

1. Faithful Record-Keeping: A single verse preserves Betul’s name, illustrating that God notes every place His people dwell (Malachi 3:16).
2. Obscurity with Purpose: Small congregations today can labor confidently, knowing their service is etched in heaven’s annals just as surely as Betul’s in Scripture (Hebrews 6:10).
3. Shared Inheritance: Simeon’s presence inside Judah highlights the synergy of distinct callings within one covenant people (1 Corinthians 12:12–27).
4. Fulfilled Promises: The allotment lists demonstrate tangible completion of Abraham’s land promise, reinforcing assurance that the believer’s “inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading” is likewise secure (1 Peter 1:4).

Lessons for the Church

• Strategic Placement: Like Betul on the frontier, local assemblies are divinely positioned to guard spiritual borders and engage cultural crossroads (Philippians 1:27).
• Unity amid Diversity: Betul’s Simeonite identity coexisting in Judah foreshadows the multi-tribal, multi-gifted body of Christ (Romans 12:4–5).
• Encouragement in the Hidden Places: Even when ministry feels unnoticed, Betul’s fleeting mention assures believers that nothing done for the Lord is in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58).

Betul’s brief cameo in Joshua enriches the biblical narrative by underscoring covenant fulfillment, interdependence among God’s people, and the enduring value He places on every community that bears His name.

Forms and Transliterations
וּבְת֖וּל ובתול ū·ḇə·ṯūl ūḇəṯūl uveTul
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Joshua 19:4
HEB: וְאֶלְתּוֹלַ֥ד וּבְת֖וּל וְחָרְמָֽה׃
NAS: and Eltolad and Bethul and Hormah,
KJV: And Eltolad, and Bethul, and Hormah,
INT: and Eltolad and Bethul and Hormah

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 1329
1 Occurrence


ū·ḇə·ṯūl — 1 Occ.

1328b
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