Word Study for H996 (בֵּין) | Strong's Concordance

bêyn /bane/ Ask about this word

Meaning(sometimes in the plural masculine or feminine); properly, the constructive form of an otherwise unused noun from בִּין; a distinction; but used only as a preposition,; between (repeated before each noun, often with other particles); also as a conjunction, either...or

KJV usageamong, asunder, at, between (-twixt...and), out of, whether (it be...or), within.

Idioms & phrasesphrase from (the widest) · idiom in

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of bêyn — 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 word bêyn, represented by H996, is a preposition that signifies distinction and location. It appears 32 times across 23 unique verses in the Bible. Its primary function is to denote what is between or among entities, but it can also be used as a conjunction meaning either...or, or to indicate a state of being within or asunder.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H996 is used to establish fundamental distinctions and relationships. At the dawn of creation, God divided the light from the darkness Genesis 1:4. It is used to define the terms of a covenant, such as the oath betwixt Isaac's people and Abimelech's Genesis 26:28. The word also marks a point of sacred communication, as God promises to commune with Israel from between the two cherubim over the ark Exodus 25:22. It can describe a physical separation, as when a chariot of fire parted Elijah and Elisha asunder 2 Kings 2:11, or a gathering, as Israel is taken from among the heathen Ezekiel 37:21.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words expand upon the concepts of separation and relationship:

H914 bâdal (to divide, separate): This verb is often used alongside H996 to describe the act of creating a distinction. For instance, iniquities have separated between the people and their God Isaiah 59:2.
H6504 pârad (to separate, sunder): This word emphasizes a parting or division. It is used to describe how Elijah and Elisha were parted asunder by the chariots of fire 2 Kings 2:11.
H1285 bᵉrîyth (covenant): A covenant is a compact made between two or more parties. The word is used to describe the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature Genesis 9:16.
H7305 revach (space): This noun refers to a physical interval or gap. Jacob commanded his servants to put a space betwixt one drove of animals and another Genesis 32:16.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H996 lies in its ability to define boundaries, relationships, and choices.

Divine Order and Separation: The word is used from the beginning to show God bringing order out of chaos by making distinctions, such as dividing the light from the darkness Genesis 1:4. This establishes a pattern of divine order through separation.
Covenantal Space: H996 is essential for defining the parties and terms of a covenant. God establishes His everlasting covenant between Himself and every living creature on earth, a promise marked by the bow in the cloud Genesis 9:16.
Spiritual Distinction: The word is used to express the divide caused by sin, where iniquities create a separation between a person and God Isaiah 59:2. It also defines the critical choice between relying on human strength or on God's power 2 Chronicles 14:11.
Place of Divine Presence: God's presence is uniquely located between the cherubim on the mercy seat, establishing a sacred point of communication with Israel Exodus 25:22.

Summary

In summary, H996 is a foundational preposition that does more than indicate a position. It is instrumental in describing the structure of creation, the nature of covenants, and the spiritual condition of humanity. From establishing the boundary between light and dark to defining the sacred space between the cherubim, bêyn illustrates how God defines order, relationships, and the holy through distinction and separation.

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 an adjective across 405 occurrences, inflected in 4 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.

בֵּין
בֵינֵי
בֵּינוֹת
בֵּין

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 23 verses across 12 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Genesis (7 verses); never once in the other 27.

Genesis

Exodus

Leviticus

Numbers

Judges

2 Kings

2 Chronicles

Job

Psalms

Isaiah

Jeremiah

Ezekiel

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.