Lexical Summary
Beth Diblathayim: House of Fig Cakes
Original Word:בֵּית דִּבְלָתיִם
Part of Speech:Proper Name Location
Transliteration:Beyth Diblathayim
Pronunciation:bayth dib-lah-thah'-yim
Phonetic Spelling:(bayth dib-law-thah'-yim)
KJV: Beth-diblathaim
NASB:Beth-diblathaim
Word Origin:[fromH1004 (בַּיִת - house) and the dual ofH1690 (דְּבֵלָה - cake)]
1. house of (the) two figcakes
2. Beth-Diblathajim, a place East of the Jordan
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Beth-diblathaim
Frombayith and the dual ofdbelah; house of (the) two figcakes; Beth-Diblathajim, a place East of the Jordan -- Beth-diblathaim.
see HEBREWbayith
see HEBREWdbelah
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
bayith and a word from the same as
debelahDefinitiona place in Moab (the same as NH5963)
NASB TranslationBeth-diblathaim (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Jeremiah 48:22 =
Numbers 33:46,47 (MI ) see .
in see , (possibly from √ in sense ofcollect, assemble, Ethiopic
III. 3se colligere,
coetus, chorus, conventus, concilium) —Jeremiah 48:22;Numbers 33:46,47.
Topical Lexicon
Name and Setting within ScriptureBeth-diblathaim appears once in the Old Testament, in the oracle against Moab recorded by the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 48:22). The site is listed among a series of Moabite towns upon which divine judgment is pronounced.
Geographical Location
Scholars generally place Beth-diblathaim on the elevated plateau of central Moab, east of the Dead Sea and south-east of Mount Nebo. It is grouped inJeremiah 48 with Dibon and Nebo (Jeremiah 48:21-22), suggesting proximity to those better-attested cities. Some propose a connection with modern Khirbet al-Blaiha or a nearby tell along the Wadi Wala system, yet no definitive identification has been confirmed archaeologically. Its pairing with Dibon—which has yielded the famous Mesha Stele—implies a location along the main north-south caravan route that once linked the Arnon Gorge to the Kerak plateau.
Historical Context
Jeremiah 48 speaks during the late seventh or early sixth century BC, shortly before Babylon’s assault on the Transjordan. Moab had enjoyed a measure of independence after Assyria’s decline, but its continued reliance on false deities and pride (Jeremiah 48:7, 29) invited the judgment Jeremiah foretold. Beth-diblathaim shared in Moab’s prosperity and therefore also in the sweeping devastation soon imposed by Nebuchadnezzar’s armies (Jeremiah 48:42). The city’s mention testifies to Moab’s extensive settlement network and reminds readers that divine justice addresses every locale, great or small.
Canonical Interconnections
The element “Diblathaim” echoes Almon-diblathaim inNumbers 33:46-47, a staging point for Israel on its wilderness march. Though the names are not identical, the similarity indicates that this region was well known to ancient Israel. Jeremiah’s inclusion of Beth-diblathaim therefore ties his prophecy back to Israel’s formative era, underscoring Yahweh’s enduring sovereignty over the same terrain through successive generations.
Theological and Prophetic Significance
1. Completeness of Judgment: By itemizing places such as Beth-diblathaim, the Lord shows that His verdict touches every sector of Moab. “Judgment has come upon… Dibon, Nebo, and Beth-diblathaim” (Jeremiah 48:22). Divine justice is thorough, sparing neither fortress nor frontier village.
2. Accountability of Nations: Moab’s downfall, including the ruin of Beth-diblathaim, illustrates the principle announced inGenesis 12:3 and reaffirmed by the prophets: God blesses those who honor His people and judges those who oppress them (compareJeremiah 48:27).
3. Hope beyond Ruin:Jeremiah 48 closes with a pledge of future restoration for Moab (Jeremiah 48:47). The fall of Beth-diblathaim is therefore not the last word. God’s redemptive purposes encompass even those nations once hostile to Israel, foreshadowing the gospel’s reach to “all families of the earth” (Acts 3:25-26).
Lessons for Ministry and Faith
• God’s omniscience: The mention of an otherwise obscure town proves that no corner of the world escapes His notice (Hebrews 4:13).
• The peril of complacency: Moab’s security in fortified towns like Beth-diblathaim bred complacency. Believers are warned against trusting in earthly strongholds rather than in the Lord (Psalm 20:7).
• The scope of the Great Commission: Beth-diblathaim’s inclusion in prophecy anticipates the global horizon of redemption. As the gospel advances, servants of Christ are called to reach both the great cities and the forgotten places of the earth (Matthew 28:19-20).
Related Biblical Themes
Moabite pride and downfall –Isaiah 16;Zephaniah 2:8-11
God’s concern for individual cities –Amos 1–2;Revelation 2–3
Restoration of the nations –Isaiah 19:23-25;Romans 15:9-12
Forms and Transliterations
דִּבְלָתָֽיִם׃ דבלתים׃ diḇ·lā·ṯā·yim diḇlāṯāyim divlaTayim
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