Greek word · G966

Βηθσαϊδά

bēthsaida

Bethsaida

A Greek spelling of an Aramaic name, most likely bêt ṣaydāʾ, 'house (place) of fishing/hunting'. The root ṣwd covers both hunting and fishing, so on the lake it most naturally points to fishing. In the Gospels it is a real town at the north end of the Sea of Galilee (Mark 6:45; 8:22; Luke 9:10).

Appears 7 times in 7 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

Βηθσαιδά (Rec. -σαϊδά), and -δάν (Mt, Mk, ll. with), ἡ, indecl. (Syr., house of fish),

Bethsaida, a town on NE. shore of the Sea of Galilee: Luke 9:10. It is generally supposed that a second B. on the W. shore is referred to in Matthew 11:21, Mark 6:45 8:22, Luke 10:13, John 1:45 12:21 (DB, i, 282f.; but see Swete on Mark 6:45).

2. 2. Βηθζαθά, ἡ, indecl. (perh. Aram. בֵּית זַיְתָה, house of olives) John 5:2..†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of John 1:44

Range of meaning

A Greek spelling of an Aramaic name, most likely bêt ṣaydāʾ, 'house (place) of fishing/hunting'. The root ṣwd covers both hunting and fishing, so on the lake it most naturally points to fishing. In the Gospels it is a real town at the north end of the Sea of Galilee (Mark 6:45; 8:22; Luke 9:10).

Against the English

English versions all just transliterate the name, which is correct. But they hide that the name itself says 'Fishertown', which fits a story about fishermen called by Jesus.

Used elsewhere in the period

Josephus (Antiquities 18.28) reports that Philip the tetrarch raised the village of Bethsaida to the status of a city (polis) and renamed it Julias, after a woman of the emperor's family. He places it in lower Gaulanitis, on the Jordan near the lake (War 2.168; 3.515). Matthew 11:21 and Luke 10:13 have Jesus condemning Bethsaida, together with Chorazin, for not responding to his miracles. John 12:21 calls it 'Bethsaida of Galilee'.

From the study of Mark 8:22

Range of meaning

A Greek spelling of an Aramaic name, probably bêt ṣaydāʾ, "house of fishing" or "place of the fisher/hunter". It names a settlement at the north end of the Sea of Galilee, near where the Jordan enters the lake, on the eastern (Gaulanitis) side of the river.

Against the English

English versions all transliterate the name. Nothing is lost in translation, but most readers do not know where it is or whose territory it lay in.

Used elsewhere in the period

Josephus says Herod Philip the tetrarch raised the village of Bethsaida to the rank of a city and renamed it Julias after Augustus' daughter or wife (Antiquities 18.28; War 2.168). John 1:44 makes it the hometown of Philip, Andrew and Peter. Matthew 11:21 and Luke 10:13 include it in Jesus' woes on unrepentant towns. Luke 9:10 places the feeding of the 5,000 near it. Archaeologists dispute the site: et-Tell, excavated since the 1980s, or el-Araj nearer the shore, where recent digs have found Roman-period remains and a Byzantine church.

Where it appears

Matthew · 1

  1. Matthew 11:21 Βηθσαϊδά, Bethsaida!

    “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

    Here: Aramaic for 'house of fishing' or 'fisher-town', on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee near where the Jordan flows in. It was home to Peter, Andrew and Philip (John 1:44), so these were towns full of Jesus' own followers' kin.

Mark · 2

  1. Mark 6:45 Βηθσαϊδὰν Bethsaida

    Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to Bethsaida, while He dismissed the crowd.

    Here: A fishing town at the north end of the lake, just east of where the Jordan flows in. It lay in the territory of Herod Philip, not Antipas, and was the home town of Peter, Andrew and Philip (John 1:44).

  2. Mark 8:22 Βηθσαϊδάν, Bethsaida,

    When they arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.

    Here: A fishing settlement at the north end of the Sea of Galilee, east of where the Jordan flows in, in the territory of Herod Philip. Jesus had sent the disciples here back in 6:45, and only now do they arrive.

Luke · 2

  1. Luke 9:10 Βηθσαϊδά. Bethsaida.

    Then the apostles returned and reported to Jesus all that they had done. Taking them away privately, He withdrew to a town called Bethsaida.

    Here: From Aramaic, roughly 'house (place) of fishing.' It lay at the north end of the Sea of Galilee, just east of the Jordan, in the territory of Herod Philip rather than Herod Antipas.

  2. Luke 10:13 Βηθσαϊδά· Bethsaida!

    Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.

John · 2

  1. John 1:44 Βηθσαϊδά, Bethsaida,

    Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the same town as Andrew and Peter.

    Here: An Aramaic place name, probably 'house of fishing' (or 'of hunting'). It was a fishing settlement at the north end of the Sea of Galilee, near where the Jordan flows into the lake.

  2. John 12:21 Βηθσαϊδὰ Bethsaida

    They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and requested of him, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.”

    Here: A fishing town at the north end of the Sea of Galilee whose Aramaic name means roughly "house of fishing". It sat just across the Jordan in a mixed Jewish and Gentile area ruled by Herod Philip. Mentioning it again here helps explain why Greeks would approach this particular disciple.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.