Bible Encyclopedias
Beth-Le-'aphrah

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

beth -lē̇ -af´ra ( בּית לעפרה , bēth le‛aphrāh ; Septuagint ἐξ οῖκου κατὰ γέλωτα , ex oı́kou katá gélōta , "house of dust"): The name of a place found only in Micah 1:10 . From the connection in which it is used it was probably in the Philistine plain. There seems to be a play upon the name in the sentence, "at Beth le -‛aphrāh have I rolled myself in the dust ," ‛aphrāh meaning "dust," and possibly another on Philistine in rolled , התפלּשׁתי , hith -pallāshithı̄ (see G. A. Smith, The Book of the Twelve Prophets , called Minor , in the place cited.).