Word Study for H1037 (בֵּית מִלּוֹא)

Bêyth Millôwʼ /bayth mil-lo'/ Ask about this word

Rootor בֵּית מִלֹּא · from בַּיִת and מִלּוֹא

Meaninghouse of (the) rampart; Beth-Millo, the name of two citadels

KJV usagehouse of Millo.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of Bêyth Millôwʼ — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew phrase Bêyth Millôwʼ, represented by H1037, translates to house of (the) rampart or house of Millo. It appears 4 times across 3 unique verses in the Bible. The name refers to two citadels and is formed from the words for house, H1004, and rampart, H4407, indicating a fortified dwelling or location.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H1037 is mentioned in contexts of significant political turmoil and leadership changes. In Shechem, the house of Millo joined with the local men to make Abimelech king Judges 9:6. This same alliance later became the subject of a curse, with fire prophesied to devour both Abimelech and the house of Millo Judges 9:20. A different house of Millo served as the location for a royal assassination, where King Joash was slain by his servants who had formed a conspiracy 2 Kings 12:20.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words provide context for the events surrounding Beth-Millo:

H1004 bayith (house): As a component of the name, it can refer to a physical building or a family/dynasty. Joshua famously declared that he and his house would serve the LORD Joshua 24:15.
H4407 millôwʼ (a rampart, i.e. the citadel): This word identifies the fortified nature of the location. It was a significant structure in Jerusalem, built by David 2 Samuel 5:9 and later repaired by Solomon 1 Kings 9:15.
H7195 qesher (conspiracy, treason): This term describes the plot against King Joash that culminated at the house of Millo 2 Kings 12:20. It denotes an unlawful alliance or treasonous act.
H40 ʼĂbîymelek (Abimelech): The man made king by the men of Shechem and the house of Millo. This alliance was foundational to his brief and violent rule Judges 9:6.
H3101 Yôwʼâsh (Joash): The king of Judah who was assassinated by his servants in the house of Millo 2 Kings 12:20.

Theological Significance

The narrative importance of H1037 is tied to its role as a setting for political power and betrayal.

A Center of Political Alliance: The "house of Millo" in Shechem acts as a key political faction, powerful enough to be involved in crowning a king Judges 9:6. This demonstrates its influence in regional politics.
A Scene of Conspiracy and Judgment: Both locations named Beth-Millo are associated with violence and rebellion. The one in Shechem is marked for destruction by fire in a curse Judges 9:20, while the one in Jerusalem becomes the site where servants arose and slew King Joash 2 Kings 12:20.
Symbol of Fortified Power: The name itself, "house of the rampart," suggests a place of strength and security. However, the biblical accounts use it to show that even fortified places are vulnerable to internal strife and divine judgment.

Summary

In summary, H1037 Bêyth Millôwʼ is more than a geographical name; it is a backdrop for pivotal moments of political maneuvering in Israel's history. From the making of a king to the assassination of another, the "house of Millo" is consistently linked with alliances, conspiracies, and the violent consequences of human ambition. It illustrates that physical strongholds offer no ultimate security against internal treachery or divine retribution.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 8 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

מִלּוֹא
בֵּית

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 3 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Judges (2 verses); never once in the other 37.

Judges

2 Kings

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.