---
title: בָּנָה — build · The Tanakh dictionary
description: בָּנָה (1129), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 376 times: build. BDB 1906: vb. build >Qal. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# בָּנָה

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«בָּנָה» in the Tanakh dictionary: **build** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 376 times · **Key:** 1129 · **BDB:** בָּנָה

### Glosses

he.built (83); build (55); you.will.build (17)

### Meaning (OSHB)

build [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1489/1129/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

vb. build \>Qal [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1489/1129/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** vb. build (MI, Nab. Eut No. 1 בנה, Ph. בן, Arabic بَنَا Assyrian banû COTGloss. cf. BaZMG 1887, 640, Sab. בני CIS iv. 1, No. 56, Aramaic בְּנָא, ܒܢܳܐ Palm. בנא VogNo. 31)— Pf. ב׳ Dt 20:5 +, בָּֽנְתָה Pr 9:1; 14:1, בָּנִיתָ Dt 6:10, בָּנִתָה 1 K 9:3; וּבָנִ֫יתָ consec. Dt 20:20 +; בָּנִיתְ Ez 16:25; בָּנִיתִי 1 K 8:13 +; pl. בָּנוּ Gn 11:5 +, etc.; Impf. יִבְנֶה Dt 25:9 +; juss. וְיִבֶן Ezr 1:3 וַיִּבְנֶה Jos 19:50 + 2 times וַיִּ֫בֶן Gn 2:22 +; sf. יִבְנֵ֫הוּ Jb 20:19; 3 fs. וַתִּ֫בֶן 1 Ch 7:24 Zc 9:3; אֶבְנֶה 2 S 7:27 +; pl. יִבְנוּ Is 65:22 +, etc.; Imv. בְּנֵה Nu 23:1 +; pl. בְּנוּ Nu 32:24 +; Inf. abs. בָּנֹה 1 K 8:13; cstr. בְּנוֹת 1 Ch 6:17 +, etc.; Pt. act. בֹּנֶה (בּוֹנֶה) Gn 4:17 +; cstr. בֹּנֵה ψ 147:2; pl. בּוֹנִים (בֹּנִים) Ezr 4:1 +; cstr. בֹּנֵי 1 K 5:32(×2), etc.; pass. בָּנוּי Ct 4:4 Ju 6:28; f. בְּנוּיָה ψ 122:3; pl. בְּנוּיִם Ne 7:4;—build, (lit.) c. acc. (α) of city (Hex only JE) Gn 4:17; 10:11; 11:4, 5 (+ tower) v 8 (all J \& his sources); Ex 1:11 Nu 32:24 Jos 24:13 (all E) Ju 1:26; 18:28 + 22 times K Ch + Je 32:31 ψ 122:3 (pt. pass.) cf. Hb 2:12; of village (חָצֵר) Ne 12:29; v. also sub rebuild, i. infr.; (β) house Gn 33:17 (J), elsewhere in Hex only Dt 6:10; 8:12; 20:20; 28:30; also 2 S 5:11 1 K 22:39 1 Ch 14:1 2 Ch 2:2 Pr 24:27 Am 5:11 Zp 1:13 Is 65:21 Je 35:7, 9 cf. Zc 5:11; as sign of security Ez 28:26 cf. 11:3; of luxury Ec 2:4 cf. Je 22:14; of permanent residence 1 K 2:36 Je 29:5, 28; especially of temple 1 K 3:1; 5:32; 6:2 + often S K Chr; fig. of wisdom’s house Pr 9:1; especially build temple ליהוה etc. 2 S 7:5, 7 1 K 6:1 (= began to build) + 13 times Chr + Is 66:1; לְשֵׁם י׳ etc. 2 S 7:13 1 K 5:17 + 8 times K, 13 times Ch; לְךָ לְשִׁמְךָ 2 Ch 20:8; לִהְיוֹת שְׁמִי שָׁם 1 K 8:16 2 Ch 6:5; לָשׂוּם שְׁמִי שָׁם 1 K 9:3; obj. chambers, or stories 1 K 6:5, 10, court 6:36 Ho 8:14 perhaps of idolt-temples; cf. 1 K 16:32; ψ 78:69 of Yahweh’s building his sanctuary, 147:2 Jerusalem, ψ 127:1 a house; also Am 9:6 his chambers in the heavens; of Sol.’s palace 1 K 7:1, 2; 9:1, 10 +; (γ) of a fortress 2 Ch 17:12 27:4 cf. of Tyre Zc 9:3 (מָצוֹר); (δ) of wall 1 K 3:1 Is 60:10 Ez 13:10 2 Ch 33:14 (cf. 27:3) Ne 4:4; 6:1 +; (ε) gate 2 K 15:35 = 2 Ch 27:3; (ζ) tower Is 5:2 2 Ch 26:9, 10; 27:4 cf. fig. Ct 8:9 \& pt. pass. Ct 4:4 (in sim.); † (η) siege-works against (עַל־) a city Dt 20:20 (מָצוֹר), Ec 9:14 (מְצוֹרִים), 2 K 25:1 = Je 52:4 Ez 4:2 (all דָּיֵק), \& so (without עַל־) Ez 17:17; 21:27; cf. בנה עָלַי, abs. La 3:5 (in fig.); (θ) altar Gn 22:9; 35:7 Ex 17:15; 20:25; 24:4 Nu 23:1, 14, 29 (all E), Gn 26:25 Ex 32:5 (both J), Jos 22:11 + 6 times Jos 22 (all P) Ju 6:28 (pt. pass.) 21:4 + 6 times K Ch; often sq. ליהוה etc. Gn 8:20; 12:7, 8; 13:18 (all J), Dt 27:5, 6 Jos 8:30 (E) Ju 6:24, 26 + 8 times S K Ch; †(ι) high places (בָּמָה) 1 K 11:7; 14:23 2 K 17:9; 21:3; 23:13 2 Ch 33:3, 19 Je 7:31; 19:5; 32:35; cf. גַּב Ez 16:24, 31 (both ‖ רָמָה) \& רָמָה v 25; †(κ) צִיּוּן Ez 39:15; also †(λ) גִּדְרֹת צֹאן Nu 32:16 (E); †(μ) מיּ֯סַךְ הַשַּׁבָּת 2 K 16:18. c. acc. of material Ex 20:25 (E) 1 K 6:36; 18:32; 15:22 = 2 Ch 16:6 Ez 27:5; c. בְּ of material 1 K 6:15, 16; 15:17 2 Ch 16:6; cf. וַיִּבֶן אֶת־הַצֵּלָע לְאִשָּׁה Gn 2:22 and he (Yahweh) fashioned the rib into a woman. abs. 2 S 5:9 1 K 6:16 Is 9:9 Je 1:10; 18:9; 22:13; 31:28 Is 65:22 + 12 times Chr + Mal 1:4 Ec 3:3 (opp. פרץ); also Pt. act. = builder 1 K 5:32(×2) + 6 times Chr + Ez 27:4 ψ 118:22; 127:1. cf. indef. obj. 1 K 9:19 = 2 Ch 8:6. וַיִּבֶן אֶת־הָהָר = and he built on the hill 1 K 16:24. sq. בְּ build at Zc 6:15 Ne 4:11 (cf. בְּ i 2 b, p. 88). = rebuild Jos 6:26 1 K 16:34 Am 9:14 Is 45:13 ψ 69:36 Ne 2:5 Dn 9:25 all of city; cf. phrase בנה חָרְבוֹת עוֹלָם Is 58:12; 61:4 \& Ez 36:36 Mal 1:4 Jb 3:14; of walls Mi 7:11 2 Ch 32:5 Ne 2:17; 3:33, 35, 38; 6:6 ψ 51:20 (act. of י׳); of gate Ne 3:1, 13, 14, 15; temple Zc 6:12, 13 Ezr 1:3; alter 2 Ch 33:16 (Qr וַיִּבֶן so Bö ויכן, from כון, so Öt), Ezr 3:2; high places 2 K 21:3 = 2 Ch 33:3; in some of these apparently an idea of merely repairing; so, sometimes with added notion of enlarging etc., city Nu 32:34, 37, 38 (E) Jos 19:50 (P) Ju 21:23 2 K 14:22 = 2 Ch 26:2, 1 Ch 11:8 2 Ch 8:2; 11:6 cf. Mi 3:10; Millo 1 K 9:24; 11:27; cf. house Jb 20:19. fig. build a house (בית) = perpetuate and establish a family; subj. Leah \& Rachel Ru 4:11; subj. a brother Dt 25:9; subj. י׳ (promise to David) 1 S 2:35 2 S 7:27 1 K 11:38 1 Ch 17:10 and 17:25; (to Solomon) 1 K 11:38; cf. further סֻכַּת דָּוִד Am 9:11 (rebuild, restore); = cause a household to flourish Pr 14:1 cf. opp. 27:18; also of establishing David’s throne ψ 89:5. build up Israel (after exile) subj. י׳ Je 24:6; 31:4; 33:7; 42:10 cf. 45:4 \& ψ 28:5; obj. Zion ψ 102:17. Pf. נִבְנָה 1 K 3:2; 6:7, נִבְנְתָה Nu 13:22 Ne 7:1, וְנִבְנְתָה consec. Je 30:18 + 2 times; 2 fs. וְנִבְנֵית consec. Je 31:4; 3 pl. נִבְנוּ Mal 3:15; וְנִבְנוּ consec. Je 12:16 Ez 36:33; Impf. יִבָּנֶה Jb 12:14 + 4 times; 3 fs. תִּבָּנֶה Nu 21:27 + 3 times; 2 ms. תִּבָּנֶה Jb 22:23, אִבָּנֶה Gn 16:2, וְאִבָּנֶה Gn 30:3; 3 fpl. תִּבָּנֶינָה Ez 36:10; 2 fpl. תִּבָּנֶינָה Is 44:26; Inf. לְהִבָּנוֹת Hg 1:2 Zc 8:9, בְּהִבָּנֹתוֹ 1 K 6:7(×2); Pt. נִבְנֶה 1 Ch 22:19;— be built, (lit.) of city Nu 13:22; of temple 1 K 3:2 (לְשֵׁם י׳) 1 K 6:7(×3) (c. acc. mater.); Pt. = to be built (gerundive) 1 Ch 22:19. be rebuilt: of city of Sihon Nu 21:27 cf. Is 25:2; 44:26, of wall of Jerusalem Ne 7:1, of Jerusalem Je 30:18; 31:4, 38 Is 44:28 cf. Dn 9:25 תָּשׁוּב וְנִבְנְתָה, \& Ez 26:14 (c. עוֹד), of ruinous places (הֶחֳרָבוֹת) Ez 36:10, 33, of a devoted city Dt 13:17 (c. עוֹד), of temple Hg 1:2 Zc 1:16; 8:9, indef. subj. Jb 12:14. (fig.) of restored exiles, = established Je 12:16, of prosperous wicked Mal 3:15, of repentant offender Jb 22:23. established, made permanent, subj. חֶסֶד ψ 89:3 (c. עוֹלָם), subj. בַּיִת Pr 24:3 (by wisdom). of childless wife, by means of concubine אִבָּנֶה מִמֶּנָּה Gn 16:2; 30:3 I shall be built up, i.e. become the mother of a family, from or through her; cf. \>Qal 2 a.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 238 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (9 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (8 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «בָּנָה» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1489/1129/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Psalms 147:2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.147.2/)

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בּוֹנֵ֣ה יְרוּשָׁלִַ֣ם יְהוָ֑ה נִדְחֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל יְכַנֵּֽס׃

*Word for word:* \[is\].building (of).Jerusalem Yahweh the.banished.\[ones\] of.Israel he.gathers

*JPS 1917:* The LORD doth build up Jerusalem, He gathereth together the dispersed of Israel;

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[Psalms 102:17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.102.17/)

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כִּֽי־בָנָ֣ה יְהוָ֣ה צִיּ֑וֹן נִ֝רְאָ֗ה בִּכְבוֹדֽוֹ׃

*Word for word:* (dm) he.has.built Yahweh Zion he.has.appeared in glory his

*JPS 1917:* When the LORD hath built up Zion, when He hath appeared in His glory;

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