In their most recent book on DNA and the Book of Mormon, John M. Butler and Ugo A. Perego wrote that the Jaredites
. . . may not have been completely
annihilated, contrary to what a superficial reading of the text may indicate.
Ether’s prophecy was that all Coriantumr’s household would be destroyed if
he did not repent (see Ether 13:20-21), which does not necessarily mean all the
descendants of the original Jaredite colonization party. Continuation of
Jaredite names such as Korihor (see Alma 30; Ether 7:3) and Coriantumr (see
Helaman 1:15; Ether 13) suggests a possible interaction and cultural influence
between Jaredites and Lehites. (John M. Butler and Ugo A. Perego, Let’s Talk
About Misconceptions With DNA and the Book of Mormon [Salt Lake City:
Deseret Book, 2025], 74)
This is one meaning of “house[hold]” in the Old Testament.
As we read in TDOT under the entry for “בַּיִת”:
VI. Designation for Family, Clan, or Tribe. bayith, “family,” includes the pater
familias (father, → אב ʾābh), his wife (→ אשׁה ʾishshāh), his own and his adopted children (“sons and daughters,” banim ubhanoth), his dependent
relatives, his clients (→ לוי lēvî, “Levite”; → גר gēr, “sojourner”; → תושׁב tôshābh, “sojourner”), and his
menservants and maidservants (ʿabhadhim
vaʾamahoth). The household of Abraham was composed of Abraham, his wife
Sarah, his concubine Hagar, his sons Isaac and Ishmael, his dependent relative
Lot and his family, his servants (including Eliezer of Damascus: Gen. 15:2),
and his trained men (chanikhav,
14:14), who are described as yelidhe
bhetho, “born in his house.” This social unit (i.e., the household) is also
described in legal and cultic contexts. The Sabbath law required the cessation
of all work in every household (bayith),
which included sons, daughters, menservants, maidservants, cattle, and clients
(gerim, “sojourners,” Ex. 20:10).
According to the Deuteronomic laws, each man and his family celebrated the
established festivals and presented all sacrifices as a group (Dt. 12:7; 14:26;
15:20). As the Passover meal, each bayith,
“household,” was supposed to eat a roasted lamb together (Ex. 12:3f.).
According to the Priestly law, an unmarried daughter was to stay in her
father’s bayith, “house” (Nu.
30:4[3]). A married woman was considered to be part of her husband’s bayith (Nu. 30:11[10]). A childless
widow (→ אלמנה ʾalmānāh) or a divorcée (gerushah)
was to return to her father’s bayith
(Nu. 30:10f.[9f.]; cf. also Ruth 1:8–14). In the genealogical hierarchy, the bayith was a subdivision of the clan (→ משׁפחה mishpāchāh),
which in turn was a subdivision of the tribe (→ שׁבפ shēbhet)
(Josh. 7:14).
There has long been recognized in
the OT a certain solidarity between a man and his house. If a man committed a
serious sin, God’s punishment fell on him and his house (Josh. 7:1–15, etc.).
Similarly, God delivered an innocent man (or an innocent woman) and his (or
her) house from punishment (Gen. 7:1; Josh. 2:12; 6:22; 1 K. 17:15). Joshua
tells the Israelite assembly at Shechem that he and his house will serve Yahweh
(Josh. 24:15; cf. also Acts 16 in the NT).
Units that were smaller than the
tribe but larger than single families were also called bayith: beth ʾaharon, “house of Aaron” (Ps. 115:10, 12; 118:3); and
beth makhir, “house of Machir” (2 S.
9:4). But ordinarily such a unit was called mishpachah,
“clan” (Nu. 26:6, 57), and their members bene,
“sons of,” + a proper name (Ex. 6:19; Nu. 3:20; etc.). Since bayith also meant “descendants,” the
tribe was often called the “house” of its ancestor: beth levi, “house of Levi” (Ex. 2:1), beth yehudhah, “house of Judah” (2 S. 2:4, 7, 10, 11; 12:8; etc.), beth ʾephrayim, “house of Ephraim” (Jgs.
10:9), and beth binyamin, “house of
Benjamin” (2 S. 3:19; 1 K. 12:23; etc.). Above the tribe in the hierarchy stood
the tribal league, which often formed a state. This league was also called a bayith. In the period of the judges and
of the first three kings of Israel (Saul, David, and Solomon), this league was
composed of twelve tribes. It was called beth
yisraʾel, “the house of Israel” (1 S. 7:2, 3; 2 S. 1:12; 6:5, 15; 12:8;
16:3). Beginning with the reign of Rehoboam we find two leagues: the northern
league, which was called beth yisraʾel,
“house of Israel” (1 K. 12:21; etc.), and the southern league, which was called
beth yehudhah, “house of Judah” (1 K.
12:21, 23; 2 K. 19:30; etc.). It is worthy of note that Ezekiel frequently uses
beth yisraʾel as an address (182
times). His term beth meri,
“rebellious house” (Ezk. 2:5–8; 3:9, 26f.; etc.), seems to be a derogatory
synonym of “house of Israel” (like beth
ʾaven, “house of iniquity,” instead of beth
ʾel, “house of God,” in Hos. 4:15).
If the ancestor after whom the
house was named was a king, we should translate the word bayith “dynasty” (cf. the use of Ugar. ḥwt mentioned above). This linguistic usage is found in the
expressions beth shaʾul, “house of
Saul” (2 S. 3:1, 6, 8, 10; 9:1–3; 16:5, 8; 19:18[17]); beth davidh, “house of David” (1 S. 20:16; 1 K. 12:16; 13:2); beth ʾachʾabh, “house of Ahab” (2 K.
8:18, 27); beth yehuʾ, “house of
Jehu” (Hos. 1:4); beth yerobhʿam,
“house of Jeroboam” (1 K. 13:34; 14:10; 16:3; 21:22); and beth baʿshaʾ, “house of Baasha” (1 K. 16:3, 7; 21:22). In the
prophecy of Nathan (2 S. 7:4–17 = 1 Ch. 17:3–15), there is a wordplay on bayith. On the one hand it is used of
the temple David wanted to build (2 S. 7:5, 13), and on the other, of the
dynasty of David which Yahweh promised to establish for ever (2 S. 7:11, 16 = 1
Ch. 17:10). (Harry A. Hoffner, “בַּיִת,” in TDOT 2:113-15)