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Beth-aven

Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:

(house of idols). A place in Benjamin (Josh. 7:2; 18:12²And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth-aven, on the east side of Beth-el, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai. (Joshua 7:2)
¹²And their border on the north side was from Jordan; and the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north side, and went up through the mountains westward; and the goings out thereof were at the wilderness of Beth-aven. (Joshua 18:12); 1 Sam. 13:5; 14:23⁵And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Beth-aven. (1 Samuel 13:5)
²³So the Lord saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over unto Beth-aven. (1 Samuel 14:23)). Stands for Bethel (Hos. 4:15; 5:8; 10:5¹⁵Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Beth-aven, nor swear, The Lord liveth. (Hosea 4:15)
⁸Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud at Beth-aven, after thee, O Benjamin. (Hosea 5:8)
⁵The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear because of the calves of Beth-aven: for the people thereof shall mourn over it, and the priests thereof that rejoiced on it, for the glory thereof, because it is departed from it. (Hosea 10:5)).

Concise Bible Dictionary:

A place or “wilderness” of Benjamin near Bethel (Josh. 7:2²And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth-aven, on the east side of Beth-el, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai. (Joshua 7:2); Josh. 18:12¹²And their border on the north side was from Jordan; and the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north side, and went up through the mountains westward; and the goings out thereof were at the wilderness of Beth-aven. (Joshua 18:12); 1 Sam. 13:5⁵And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up, and pitched in Michmash, eastward from Beth-aven. (1 Samuel 13:5); 1 Sam. 14:23²³So the Lord saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over unto Beth-aven. (1 Samuel 14:23); Hos. 4:15¹⁵Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Beth-aven, nor swear, The Lord liveth. (Hosea 4:15); Hos. 5:8⁸Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud at Beth-aven, after thee, O Benjamin. (Hosea 5:8); Hos. 10:5⁵The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear because of the calves of Beth-aven: for the people thereof shall mourn over it, and the priests thereof that rejoiced on it, for the glory thereof, because it is departed from it. (Hosea 10:5)). Though this is said to be on the east of Bethel, in Hosea it would appear to be a name given to Bethel itself as being no longer the “house of God,” but the “house of vanity” because of the idols there.

Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew Words:

Number:

1007 (find all occurrences in KJV Bible)

Transliteration:

Beyth

Phonic:

’Aven

Meaning:

from 1004 and 205; house of vanity; Beth- Aven, a place in Palestine

KJV Usage:

Beth-aven

Jackson’s Dictionary of Scripture Proper Names:

house of vanity

Potts’ Bible Proper Names:

House of vanity, i. e., naught, or badness:―a place in Palestine, Josh. 7:2. {Domus vanitatis}