☀️
← Back to Lexicon
H1040 · Hebrew · Old Testament
בֵּית עֵדֶן
Beth-Eden
Proper noun, place
House of Eden / House of Delight

Definition

An Aramean kingdom mentioned in Amos 1:5, identified with Bit-Adini on the Euphrates — a powerful Aramean state that controlled trade routes and resisted Assyrian expansion until its fall in 855 BC. The name combines bayit (house) with eden (H5731, delight/pleasure).

Usage & Theological Significance

That an Aramean kingdom bore the name "House of Eden/Delight" carries profound irony in Amos's oracle of judgment. Just as the original Eden was a place of divine communion lost through rebellion, Beth-Eden was a center of worldly power that would be broken and carried into exile. No earthly paradise — however beautiful or powerful — can substitute for the garden of God's presence. Amos's message to Damascus and its dependencies remains relevant: nations that trust in military power and cultural achievement, rather than the living God, will ultimately be scattered.

Key Bible Verses

Amos 1:5 I will break down the gate of Damascus; I will destroy the king who is in the Valley of Aven and the one who holds the scepter in Beth Eden. The people of Aram will go into exile to Kir," says the LORD.
Genesis 2:15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
Isaiah 51:3 The LORD will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the LORD.
Ezekiel 28:13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you.
Revelation 22:2 On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month.

Related Words

External Resources

🌙
☀️