Lexical Summary Beth Kar: House of the Lamb or House of the Pasture Original Word: בֵּית כַּר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Beth-car From bayith and kar; house of pasture; Beth-Car, a place in Palestine -- Beth-car. see HEBREW bayith see HEBREW kar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom bayith and kar Definition "place of a lamb," a place in Pal. NASB Translation Beth-car (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs בֵּית כָּ֑ר proper name, of a location (place of a lamb) apparently belonging to Philistines 1 Samuel 7:11. Topical Lexicon Geographical Setting Beth Kar appears once in Scripture, in the account of Israel’s victory over the Philistines recorded in 1 Samuel 7:11. The narrative places it on the western descent from the highlands around Mizpah toward the Philistine plain. Although the precise site has not been confirmed archaeologically, the context suggests an elevated location marking the limit of Israel’s counter-attack. Its position along a natural route from Mizpah to the coast would have made it a strategic vantage point and an ideal rallying marker for pursuing troops. Biblical Narrative After two decades of Philistine oppression, Samuel summoned Israel to Mizpah for national repentance. When the enemy advanced, the prophet interceded and the LORD sent a thunderstorm that threw the Philistines into confusion. “The men of Israel went out from Mizpah, pursued the Philistines, and struck them down all the way to a place below Beth-car” (1 Samuel 7:11). The pursuit to Beth Kar sealed the victory and led to a prolonged season of peace (1 Samuel 7:13–14). Historical Significance 1. Turning Point in the Judges–Monarchy Transition 2. National Consolidation 3. Memorial of Divine Intervention Theological Themes • Divine Deliverance: The sequence—repentance, intercessory sacrifice, heavenly thunder, enemy rout—highlights the pattern of salvation by grace through faith and obedience. Lessons for Contemporary Ministry 1. Repentance Precedes Revival: Spiritual breakthroughs often follow corporate humility and prayer. Archaeological and Geographic Notes Scholars have proposed sites such as Khirbet al-Ker or Tell Kharabeh, but no consensus exists. The limited occurrence in Scripture leaves the door open for future discoveries that could illuminate the route of Israel’s pursuit and confirm the strategic function of Beth Kar. Related Places and Motifs • Mizpah: Assembly point for repentance and prayer. Summary Beth Kar marks the endpoint of a decisive chase that followed Israel’s renewed dedication to the LORD. Though mentioned only once, it captures a moment when national repentance met divine power, turning the tide of oppression and foreshadowing the stability that would characterize the early monarchy. Forms and Transliterations כָּֽר׃ כר׃ Kar kārLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Samuel 7:11 HEB: מִתַּ֖חַת לְבֵ֥ית כָּֽר׃ NAS: as far as below Beth-car. KJV: and smote them, until [they came] under Bethcar. INT: far Thahash Beth-car |