Original Word: בֶּתֶר
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: bether
Pronunciation: beh'-ther
Phonetic Spelling: (beh'-ther)
KJV: part, piece
NASB: parts, half
Word Origin: [from H1334 (בָּתַר - cut)]

1. a section

part, piece

From bathar; a section -- part, piece.

see HEBREW bathar

Word Origin
from bathar
Definition
a part, piece
NASB Translation
half (1), parts (2).

[בֶּ֫תֶר] noun masculine^{Genesis 15:10} part, piece.

1 בִּתְרוֺ Genesis 15:10; plural suffix בְּתָרָיו Jeremiah 34:18, בִּתְרֵי הָעֵגֶל Jeremiah 34:19; always of halves of animals cut in two in making covenants.

2 הָרֵי בָּ֑תֶר Songs 2:17 mountains of cutting, i.e. cleft mountains ᵐ5 Thes and others; or of separation (between us) Ew and others; according to We^{Prol. 415, Eng. Tr. 391} ׳ב = malobathron. — Bether as proper name AV RV.

Overview

בֶּתֶר denotes the separated portions of a slaughtered animal and, by extension, any divided segment. Its four Old Testament appearances associate it with covenant ratification, prophetic judgment, and poetic imagery of separation.

Occurrences and Contexts

1. Genesis 15:10 – Covenant ceremony between the LORD and Abram.
2. Song of Songs 2:17 – Metaphorical “mountains of Bether.”
3. Jeremiah 34:18 – Judicial oracle against covenant-breakers.
4. Jeremiah 34:19 – Continuation of the same oracle.

Covenant Ritual in Genesis 15

“Abram brought all these to Him, split each of them down the middle, and laid the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half.” (Genesis 15:10)

Divided carcasses formed a blood-marked path. In ancient Near Eastern practice both parties passed between the pieces, calling down the fate of the animals upon themselves if they proved unfaithful. In Genesis 15 the smoking firepot and flaming torch—manifest tokens of God’s presence—alone traverse the path, emphasizing that the covenant’s fulfillment rests on God’s unilateral faithfulness. בֶּתֶר thus embodies solemn commitment sealed with life-blood and underscores divine initiative in redemptive history.

Prophetic Warning in Jeremiah 34

“And I will deliver into the hands of their enemies those who have violated My covenant … when they cut the calf in two and passed between its pieces” (Jeremiah 34:18). King Zedekiah’s officials had liberated Hebrew slaves, only to re-enslave them in defiance of the covenant renewal they had ratified by walking between the divided calf. The prophet invokes בֶּתֶר to declare that God will mete out the very curse symbolized in the ritual: the guilty will be given over to the sword and carrion birds, becoming as those pieces themselves. Here בֶּתֶר highlights the ethical imperative of covenant fidelity and the certainty of divine justice.

Poetic Imagery in Song of Songs 2

“Before the day breaks and the shadows flee, turn, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or like a young stag on the mountains of Bether.” (Song of Songs 2:17)

The phrase may allude to rugged, cleft mountains or figuratively to “mountains of separation.” The lovers are temporarily parted; the yearning bride longs for reunion at dawn. בֶּתֶר conveys the ache of distance while anticipating restoration—a theme resonant with the broader biblical tension between exile and return, alienation and reconciliation.

Theological and Ministry Implications

1. Sanctity of Covenant: Whether divine–human (Genesis 15) or human–human (Jeremiah 34), בֶּתֶר reminds believers that covenants are sworn in blood and carry irrevocable obligations.
2. God’s Faithfulness: The unilateral passage of God between the pieces prefigures the certainty of salvation grounded in His character, not human merit.
3. Warning against Perfidy: Jeremiah’s oracle demonstrates that ritual without obedience invites judgment; external forms cannot substitute for heartfelt loyalty.
4. Hope amid Separation: The Song’s imagery validates human longing and affirms that seasons of distance are temporary under God’s providence.

Typological Foreshadowing of Christ

The parted animals point forward to the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ, whose broken body secures the new covenant (Hebrews 10:10). The Father, like the flaming torch, assumes full responsibility for covenant fulfillment, while the Son becomes the slaughtered victim, reconciling God and humanity. בֶּתֶר thus anticipates Calvary’s cross, where covenantal promises and penalties converge.

Practical Applications for Believers

• Marriage and church covenants should be approached with the gravity reflected in בֶּתֶר, reinforcing vows with integrity and sacrificial love.
• Worship should integrate both remembrance of God’s unilateral grace and sober acknowledgment of accountability.
• Moments of relational or spiritual separation can be met with hopeful expectancy, trusting God to bridge every “mountain of Bether.”

Related Concepts and References

Cutting of a covenant – Genesis 15; Exodus 24.

Passing between the parts – Jeremiah 34.

Broken body of Christ – Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24.

Reconciliation after separation – Ephesians 2:13; Colossians 1:20.

בְּתָרָֽיו׃ בִּתְר֖וֹ בִּתְרֵ֥י בָֽתֶר׃ בתר׃ בתרו בתרי בתריו׃ ḇā·ṯer ḇāṯer bə·ṯā·rāw betaRav bəṯārāw biṯ·rê biṯ·rōw biṯrê bitRei bitRo biṯrōw VaterInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts