### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew term **Bêyth hâ-Rân**, represented by `{{H1028}}`, is a place name defined as Beth-haran, located East of the Jordan. The name is considered a probable variant of Beth-ha-Ram. It is a rare word, appearing only **1 time** in **1 unique verse** in the entire biblical text.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The single appearance of `{{H1028}}` is in [[Numbers 32:36]], where it is listed alongside Beth-nimrah as one of the settlements fortified by the tribe of Gad. The verse describes **Bêyth hâ-Rân** as a **fenced city** built to provide security. In addition to its fortifications, it was also established with **folds for sheep**, indicating its role as a center for both protection and pastoral life for the tribes settling east of the Jordan.
### Related Words & Concepts
The context of `{{H1028}}` is illuminated by the words used to describe it in its only verse:
* `{{H1039}}` **Bêyth Nimrâh** (house of (the) leopard): This place is mentioned alongside **Bêyth hâ-Rân** as another fortified city with sheepfolds, highlighting their parallel development and geographical proximity [[Numbers 32:36]].
* `{{H4013}}` **mibtsâr** (a fortification, castle, or fortified city): This word directly characterizes **Bêyth hâ-Rân** as a defensive settlement, a place of strength and security for its inhabitants [[Numbers 32:36]].
* `{{H1448}}` **gᵉdêrâh** (enclosure (especially for flocks)): This term specifies that **Bêyth hâ-Rân** was equipped with enclosures, or folds, for livestock, emphasizing the pastoral economy of the people who built it [[Numbers 32:36]].
### Theological Significance
While `{{H1028}}` itself is a geographical name, its surrounding context touches on broader biblical themes.
* **Fortification and Trust:** The building of **Bêyth hâ-Rân** as a **fenced** `{{H4013}}` **city** `{{H5892}}` reflects the practical need for security. Scripture elsewhere uses the imagery of a fortress to describe both human strongholds that can be overthrown [[Lamentations 2:2]] and the divine strength God gives his servants [[Jeremiah 1:18]].
* **Provision and Settlement:** The construction of the city and its **folds** `{{H1448}}` for **sheep** `{{H6629}}` was part of the fulfillment of a promise made by the tribes of Gad and Reuben to secure their families and possessions before joining the conquest of Canaan [[Numbers 32:24]].
* **Shepherding and God's People:** The mention of **sheep** `{{H6629}}` connects this settlement to the pervasive biblical metaphor of God's people as a flock. This imagery is used to describe God's role as the ultimate shepherd who gathers His people [[Jeremiah 23:3]] and our identity as the **sheep** of His pasture [[Psalms 100:3]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H1028}}` **Bêyth hâ-Rân** is a place name that appears once in scripture, identifying a fortified city east of the Jordan. Though its mention is brief, its context in [[Numbers 32:36]] provides a clear picture of a settlement built for security and pastoral sustenance. The descriptive terms used for it, such as **fenced city** and **folds for sheep**, link this specific location to larger scriptural ideas of divine protection, human provision, and God's relationship with His people as their shepherd.
TRV