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) (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
   • 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
   • 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
   • 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.
   • 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