Original Word: בֵּית הַשִּׁטָּה
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Beyth hash-Shittah
Pronunciation: bayth hash-shit-tah'
Phonetic Spelling: (bayth hash-shit-taw')
KJV: Beth-shittah
NASB: Beth-shittah
Word Origin: [from H1004 (בַּיִת - house) and H7848 (שִׁטָּה שִׁטִּים - acacia) with the article interposed]

1. house of the acacia
2. Beth-hash-Shittah, a place in Israel

Beth-shittah

From bayith and shittah with the article interposed; house of the acacia; Beth-hash-Shittah, a place in Palestine -- Beth-shittah.

see HEBREW bayith

see HEBREW shittah

Word Origin
from bayith and shittah
Definition
"place of the acacia," a place in Pal.
NASB Translation
Beth-shittah (1).

בֵּית הַשִּׁטָּה proper name, of a location (place of the acacia) Judges 7:22 (on site compare Rob^{BR ii. 356}).

Name and Meaning

Beth-shittah means “house of the acacia,” evoking the hardy desert tree whose wood furnished the Ark of the Covenant, the altar, and the boards of the Tabernacle (Exodus 25–27). The name therefore carries covenant and worship overtones, reminding readers that the God who empowered Gideon is the same God who met Israel in the sanctuary.

Geographic Setting

Mentioned only in Judges 7:22, the site likely lay on the eastern side of the Jezreel or Harod Valley, on the route leading down to the Jordan and toward Abel-meholah. Although its precise location is debated, proposals cluster around the western edge of the Jordan Valley, south of Beth-shean, where stands of acacia still mark the landscape. Its placement on the flight path of the Midianites suggests a strategic corridor between the uplands of Manasseh and the fords of the Jordan.

Biblical Context

The lone reference occurs in the climax of Gideon’s battle:

“And when the three hundred trumpets sounded, the LORD set the sword of one man against another throughout the camp, and the army fled to Beth-shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath.” (Judges 7:22)

Beth-shittah thus appears in a narrative that celebrates divine deliverance through human weakness (Judges 6–8). Its mention marks the turning point where panic seized the Midianites and the tide irrevocably shifted to Israel.

Role in Gideon’s Victory

1. Boundary of Defeat: The place name traces the extent of Midian’s collapse. From the spring of Harod to Beth-shittah, the enemy fled nearly twenty-five miles—evidence of complete rout rather than localized skirmish.
2. Signal of Pursuit: By recording the distance reached “as far as” Beth-shittah, Scripture commends Gideon’s perseverance; victory required pursuit until the threat was neutralized (Judges 7:23–25; 8:4).
3. Memorial of Covenant Faithfulness: The flight ends at a site whose very name is linked to the Tabernacle. Readers are invited to see the victory not merely as military success but as a reaffirmation of the covenant Lord’s presence.

Typological and Prophetic Dimensions

Gideon’s triumph anticipates the greater salvation accomplished by Christ:
• A chosen yet unlikely instrument (Gideon; compare Isaiah 53:2–3).
• Victory won by divine initiative rather than human strength (Zechariah 4:6).
• Enemies set against themselves, echoing later judgments on hostile nations (2 Chronicles 20:22-23).

Beth-shittah, “house of acacia,” alludes to the acacia wood that carried the atoning blood within the Most Holy Place—prefiguring the cross, where ultimate deliverance was secured.

Lessons for Faith and Ministry

• Small Obedience, Great Impact: Gideon’s few obeyed; multitudes fled. Ministries faithful in little can become instruments of sweeping change.
• Chase the Retreating Enemy: Spiritual warfare does not end with initial breakthrough; completion matters (Ephesians 6:13).
• Remember the Covenant: Victories should return hearts to worship, lest success breed self-reliance (Deuteronomy 8:10-14).

Archaeological and Historical Considerations

No decisive excavation has fixed Beth-shittah’s ruins, but surveys note several tels bearing acacia groves and Iron Age sherds along the Wadi Malih and Wadi Farʿah. The obscurity of the town underscores the biblical theme: God’s deeds outlive the places where they occurred.

Devotional Reflection

Beth-shittah stands as a quiet mile-marker on Gideon’s route, yet it proclaims that when God acts, even unnamed houses of acacias become landmarks of grace. Modern believers, likewise pursued by foes both seen and unseen, may look to the same Lord who turned panic into praise and drive the enemy all the way to the “house” where covenant promises stand firm.

הַשִּׁטָּה֙ השטה haš·šiṭ·ṭāh hashshitTah haššiṭṭāhInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts