ESTUDIO DE LA PALABRA HEBREA
Bath (בַּת) — Meaning & Usage in the Bible
בַּת (bath) is the Hebrew noun for 'daughter,' used in both literal kinship and broader figurative senses throughout the Old Testament.
Significado de la palabra
בַּת (bath) is the basic Hebrew noun for a female child or 'daughter' in relation to her parents. The term functions as the feminine counterpart of בֵּן (ben, 'son') and is used in the same relational grammar as other family terms in Biblical Hebrew.
In addition to its literal sense, בַּת can extend to any female descendant or a woman described by her family origin (e.g., 'daughter of Zion,' 'daughters of men'). The plural בָּנוֹת (bānôṯ), seen in the example verses, is the form most often used in genealogical and narrative passages.
Uso en las Escrituras
The example verses are all drawn from the early chapters of Genesis and use the plural בָּנוֹת in the recurring genealogical formula 'and he begat sons and daughters' (Gen 5:4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 26, 30). This formula describes the families of the patriarchs before the flood and shows how בַּת anchors a complete family line alongside בֵּן.
In Genesis 6:1–4, the singular/plural בָּנוֹת appears in narrative context: the birth of daughters to humanity (6:1), the 'daughters of men' whom the 'sons of God' saw (6:2), and the union of the sons of God with those daughters (6:4). Here the word carries a more collective, sociological sense, marking a whole group of women defined by their parentage.
La palabra en detalle
- H1323 The lemma is בַּת (bath), a feminine singular noun meaning 'daughter.' The plural form found in the example verses is בָּנוֹת (bānôṯ), with the prefix בְּ- on prefixed forms such as בְּנ֣וֹת (bənôṯ) in Genesis 6:2, 4. The word is used both literally for a female child/descendant and in broader figurative or collective expressions.
Versículos de ejemplo
- Genesis 5:4 A representative instance of the repeated Adam–Seth–Enosh–...–Lamech formula 'and he begat sons and daughters.' In this genealogy, בַּת (in the plural בָּנוֹת) functions as a fixed companion to בֵּן in describing the size of each patriarch's family.
- Genesis 6:1 Here the plural בָּנוֹת marks the beginning of humanity's expansion on the earth. The word in this verse simply means 'daughters' born to the human population, setting the stage for the narrative that follows.
- Genesis 6:2 The phrase 'daughters of men' (בְּנ֣וֹת הָאָדָם) uses בַּת in a collective, kinship-based sense: not individual women, but a group identified by their parentage. The counterpart 'sons of God' (בְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים) is built on the same relational pattern with the masculine noun בֵּן.
- Genesis 6:4 The plural בְּנ֣וֹת again appears in 'daughters of men,' whom the sons of God 'came in unto.' The repeated use of בַּת in 6:1–4 shows how the noun naturally shifts between describing individual female offspring and a collective group defined by lineage.
Preguntas frecuentes
What does בַּת (bath) mean?
It is the Hebrew noun for 'daughter,' used both literally for a female child or descendant and in broader figurative expressions such as 'daughters of men' or 'daughters of Zion.'
How is בַּת used in Genesis 5?
In Genesis 5, the plural form appears in the repeated genealogical phrase 'and he begat sons and daughters,' describing the families of the patriarchs from Adam to Lamech.
Is בַּת used only for individual daughters?
No. As Genesis 6:1–4 illustrates, the noun can also refer collectively to a group of women identified by their parentage, such as 'the daughters of men.'