בנה

Hebrew

Etymology 1

Root
ב־נ־ה (b-n-h)

From the root ב־נ־ה (b-n-h). Cognate with Arabic بَنَىٰ (banā), Akkadian 𒆕 (banûm, “to build”), Aramaic ܒ݁ܳܢܶܐ (bnā), Ugaritic 𐎁𐎐𐎊 (bny).

Pronunciation

• (בָּנָה) (Modern Israeli Hebrew) IPA^(key): /baˈna/

Verb

בָּנָה • (baná) third-singular masculine past (pa'al construction, infinitive לִבְנוֹת, passive counterpart נִבְנָה)

1. (literally) To build, construct, raise, erect (a building, structure, or the like).
2. (figuratively) To prepare, raise, lay the foundation of, develop.
3. (בָּנֹה, banó) infinitive absolute of בָּנָה
   • Tanach, 1 Kings 8:13, with translation of the King James Version:

     בָּנֹה בָנִיתִי בֵּית זְבֻל לָךְ

     banó vaníti bét z'vúl lách

     I have surely built thee an house to dwell in

4. (בֹּנֶה, boné) masculine singular present participle and present tense of בָּנָה
   • Tanach, Micah 3:10, with Young's Literal Translation:

     בֹּנֶה צִיּוֹן בְּדָמִים

     boné tziyón b'damím

     Building up Zion with blood

5. (בְּנֵה, b'né) masculine singular imperative of בָּנָה
   • Tanach, Numbers 23:1, with translation of the King James Version:

     בְּנֵה־לִי בָזֶה שִׁבְעָה מִזְבְּחֹת

     b'ne-lí vazé shiv'á mizb'chót

     Build me here seven altars

Conjugation

Conjugation of בָּנָה (see also Appendix:Hebrew verbs) 

non-finite forms		to-infinitive: לִבְנוֹת action noun: בְּנִיָּה passive participle: בָּנוּי
finite forms		singular		plural
		m.	f.	m.	f.
past	first	בָּנִיתִי		בָּנִינוּ
	second	בָּנִיתָ	בָּנִית	בְּנִיתֶם1	בְּנִיתֶן1
	third	בָּנָה	בָּנְתָה	בָּנוּ
present		בּוֹנֶה	בּוֹנָה	בּוֹנִים	בּוֹנוֹת
future	first	אֶבְנֶה		נִבְנֶה
	second	תִּבְנֶה	תִּבְנִי	תִּבְנוּ	תִּבְנֶינָה2
	third	יִבְנֶה	תִּבְנֶה	יִבְנוּ	תִּבְנֶינָה2
imperative		בְּנֵה	בְּנִי	בְּנוּ	בְּנֶינָה2
notes		Pronounced בָּנִיתֶם and בָּנִיתֶן in informal Modern Hebrew. Rare in Modern Hebrew.

Derived terms

• בַּנַּאי (banái)

References

• “בנה” in Abraham Even-Shoshan (אַבְרָהָם אֶבֶן־שׁוֹשָׁן) et al., הַמִּלּוֹן הֶחָדָשׁ (ha-milón he-khadásh, “The New Dictionary”), Kiryat-Sefer Ltd. (קִרְיַת־סֵפֶר בְּע״ם)‎ (1984), →ISBN.
• H1129 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible

Etymology 2

Noun

בְּנָהּ • (b'náh)

1. Singular form of בֵּן (bén)‎ with third-person feminine singular personal pronoun as possessor.
   • Tanach, Exodus 4:25, with translation of the King James Version:

     וַתִּכְרֹת אֶת־עָרְלַת בְּנָהּ

     vatichrót et-orlát b'náh

     and cut off the foreskin of her son