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Discover the meanings of thousands of Biblical names in Abarim Publications' Biblical Name Vault: Bene-berak

Bene-berak meaning

Bene-berak in Biblical Hebrew
בני־ברק
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Source: https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Bene-barak.html

🔼The name Bene-berak: Summary

Meaning
Sons Of Lightning
Etymology
From (1) the noun בן (ben), son, and (2) the noun ברק (baraq), lightning.
Related names
• Via בן (ben): Ahban, Baalis, Baana(h), Bathsheba, Bath-shua, Ben, Ben-abinadab, Ben-ammi, Ben-deker, Bene-jaakan, Ben-geber, Ben-hadad, Ben-hail, Ben-hanan, Ben-hesed, Ben-hinnom, Ben-hur, Benjamin, Beno, Ben-oni, Ben-zoheth, Bera, Bidkar, Bimhal, Birsha, Bishlam, Bithia, Eshban, Reuben, Succoth-benoth
• Via ברק (baraq): Barak, Barkos

🔼The name Bene-berak in the Bible

The town named Bene-berak is mentioned only once in the Bible. It's mentioned among the inheritance of the tribe of Dan (Joshua 19:45). Later Jewish writings such as the Talmud indicate that Bene-berak became a rabbinical center.

🔼Etymology of the name Bene-berak

The name Bene-berak consists of two elements. The first part is formed from the plural of the word בן (ben), literally meaning son:

Excerpted from: Abarim Publications' Biblical Dictionary
בן

The noun בן (ben) means son, or more general: a member of one particular social or economic node — called a "house", which is built upon the instructions of one אב ('ab), or "father" — within in a larger economy (hence: the "sons of the prophet" are the members of the prophet-class; the prophets). This noun obviously resembles the verb בנה (bana), to build, and the noun אבן ('eben), stone.

Our noun's feminine version, namely בת (bat), means daughter, which resembles the noun בית (bayit), meaning house. Sometimes our noun is contracted into a single letter ב, whose name beth comes from בית (bayit) and means "house" as well. As a prefix, the letter ב (be) means "in." The word for mother, אם ('em), is highly similar to that of tribe or people, אמה ('umma).

— See the full Dictionary article —

The second part is equal to the name Barak and comes from the noun ברק (baraq), meaning lightning:

Excerpted from: Abarim Publications' Biblical Dictionary
ברק

The verb ברק (baraq) means to cast forth, predominantly of light and lightning. Noun ברק (baraq) means lightning, or the glittering of weapons. Nouns ברקת (bareqet) and ברקת (bareqat) describe a kind of sparkling or glittering gem.

— See the full Dictionary article —

🔼Bene-berak meaning

For a meaning of the name Bene-berak, NOBSE Study Bible Name List Sons Of Barak (Lightning). BDB Theological Dictionary does not translate. Although he reads lightning for the name Barak, Alfred Jones (Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names) erroneously equates lightning with thunder (while the word baraq always means lightning and never thunder, and the word for thunder is רעם — ra'am) and reads Sons Of Thunder. This may have been inspired by the troublesome name Boanerges.