Place
Beth Aven
Name meaning 'house of wickedness,' used in Joshua as a geographic marker near Bethel and by Hosea as a mocking epithet for the idolatrous sanctuary at Bethel.
Who or what is this?
A place name meaning "house of wickedness" or "house of vanity," appearing first as a geographic marker near Ai and ( 7:2; 1 13:5; 14:23). The name gains theological weight in the book of , where the prophet uses it as a contemptuous wordplay on the name Bethel ("house of God"): because Israel has set up a golden calf at Bethel, Hosea calls it Beth Aven — the site of idolatry rather than divine presence (Hosea 4:15; 5:8; 10:5). The usage illustrates the prophetic practice of reinterpreting place names to reflect spiritual conditions.
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