בָּלַע
bâlaʻ · H1104 · Hebrew · 49 occurrences
Meanings
-
to swallow, to swallow up
Action by which humans or animals cause food to pass down from their mouth to their esophagus; often used figuratively to denote destruction and death
ExamplesGenesis 41:7 And the thin ears swallowed the seven plump and full ears. Then Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream.
Genesis 41:24 and the thin ears swallowed the seven good ears. Then I told it to the soothsayer priests, but there was no one who could explain it to me.”
Exodus 7:12 For each one threw down his staff, and they turned into serpents. But Aaron’s staff swallowed their staffs.
-
to swallow up, to destroy
Causative action by which deities or humans cause other humans and objects to be removed from existence in a violent way, as if by swallowing up, either by direct intervention or by accomplishing this through the hands of others
Examples2 Samuel 17:16 “Now then, send a messenger quickly and tell David, saying, ‘Do not spend the night at the river crossing places of the wilderness, but by all means cross over, or else the king and all the people who are with him will be destroyed.’”
2 Samuel 20:19 “I am one of those who are ready for peace and faithful in Israel. You are trying to destroy a city, even a mother in Israel. Why would you swallow up the inheritance of the LORD?”
2 Samuel 20:20 Joab replied, “Far be it, far be it from me that I would consume or destroy!
-
to be to no avail
Exact meaning unsure; possibly: state in which a mind event does not produce the expected outcome, as if one's senses have been destroyed
ExamplesPsalm 107:27 They reeled and staggered like a drunken person, And were at their wits’ end.
-
to confuse, to confound, to frustrate
Exact meaning unsure; possibly: causative action by which someone causes a mind event not to produce the expected outcome
ExamplesPsalm 55:9 Confuse them, Lord, divide their tongues, For I have seen violence and strife in the city.
Isaiah 3:12 My people! Their oppressors treat them violently, And women rule over them. My people! Those who guide you lead you astray And confuse the direction of your paths.
Isaiah 19:3 “Then the spirit of the Egyptians will be demoralized within them; And I will confuse their strategy, So that they will resort to idols and ghosts of the dead, And to mediums and spiritists.
-
to be confused
Exact meaning unsure; possibly: to be unable to think clearly, as if one's mind is failing
ExamplesJob 37:20 “Shall it be told Him that I would speak? Or should a man say that he would be swallowed up?
Isaiah 9:16 For those who guide this people are leading them astray; And those who are guided by them are confused.
Isaiah 28:7 And these also reel with wine and stagger from intoxicating drink: The priest and the prophet reel with intoxicating drink, They are confused by wine, they stagger from intoxicating drink; They reel while having visions, They stagger when rendering a verdict.
How it’s used In 8 roles
Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.
the word studied the word it goes with
Who or what does itSubject
48 occurrences in 21 groups
- Not stated: he, she or it 16
- Not stated (infinitive) 4
- Not stated: we 3
- Not stated: you (one person) 3
- Not stated: they 3
- Other words · 16 groups that occur once or twice (19) 19
What it acts on, or what is saidObject
35 occurrences in 28 groups
- הֶםthem 7
- וֹhim 6
- נִיme 3
- Other words · 25 groups that occur once or twice (28) 28
With prepositionsPrepositional phrases
11 occurrences in 11 groups
- Other words · 11 groups that occur once or twice (11) 11
With adverbsAdverbs
4 occurrences in 4 groups
- אֲזַיthen 1
- חִנָּםwithout cause, for nothing 1
- לֹאnot 1
- אַלnot, do not 1
Whose, or of whatGenitive or possessive
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- ךְyou 1
What it doesIt is the subject
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- רָחַקto be far 1
What is done to itIt is the object
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- אָמַרto say 1
After prepositionsPrepositional phrases
6 occurrences in 5 groups
- לto/for 2
- מִןfrom 1
- עַדto, as far as, until 1
- בin/on/with 1
- כlike/as 1
When two words share a role, as in “Paul and Barnabas said”, the verse appears under each, so a section’s counts can add up to more than the number of occurrences.
MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
Near synonyms 2 words
- טָרַף ṭâraph · H2963 · to tear to pieces, to maul, to mangle
- Both lexemes belong to the domain of consuming or ingesting. The target emphasizes swallowing or devouring — consuming something whole — while טָרַף emphasizes tearing or rending prey, a more violent form of consumption. These are distinct but genuinely overlapping consumption verbs, often used in similar predatory or destructive contexts.
- חָסַל châçal · H2628 · to devour, to consume
- Both words describe acts of consuming or ingesting. בָּלַע (bâlaʻ, H1104) ranges over "to devour, to eat up, to swallow," and חסל means "to consume."
In the other Testament 1 word
- καταπίνω katapínō · G2666 · to swallow, to destroy, to ruin completely
- Greek καταπίνω renders the Hebrew verb's core sense of complete consumption or engulfment, whether literal swallowing or figurative destruction; both terms emphasize totality of the consuming action.
Semantic domains 4 entries
- Ingest002001001025
- The verb's core sense is to swallow or devour, as the thin ears of grain 'swallowed the seven plump and full ears' in Pharaoh's dream in Genesis 41:7 and 41:24, fitting this domain's central meaning of ingestion.
- Non-Exist002002002006
- The swallowing action often results in the total destruction or disappearance of what is consumed, connecting the verb to this domain's sense of something being brought to nothing.
- Fail002003003013
- It can describe a plan or endeavor being swallowed up in ruin or brought to failure, an extended sense tied to this domain's category of an undertaking coming to nothing.
- Non-Think002004002014
- The verb can describe understanding or discernment being swallowed up or overwhelmed, that is, rendered incapable of clear thought, connecting it to this domain's sense of an absence of understanding.
Word family 2 words
Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon H1104. bala בָּלַע verb swallow down, swallow up, engulf (idea of quickness, suddenness)…
בָּלַע verb swallow down, swallow up, engulf (idea of quickness, suddenness) (Late Hebrew id., Arabic swallow, Ethiopic eat, Aramaic בְּלַע, ; Assyrian bêlû, Pi`el destroy ZimBP 27) —
Qal Perfect בָּלַע Job 20:15, suffix בְּלָעַנִי Jer 51:34 (Qr, compare ᵐ5 Kt נוּ-); 3 feminine singular בָּֽלְעָה Num 16:30; Num 16:3plural suffix בְּלָעוּנוּ Psa 124:3; Imperfect יִבְלָ֑ע Job 20:18, וַיִּבְלַע Exo 7:12, suffix יִבְלָעֶנָּה Isa 28:4; Isa 28:3feminine singular וַתִּבְלַע Num 16:32 Num 16:2t.; suffix תִּבְלָעֵנִי Psa 69:16, תִּבְלָעֵנוּ Num 16:34, וַתִּבְלָעֵם Deu 11:6, תִּבְלָעֵמוֺ Exo 15:12; Exo 15:3masculine plural suffix יִבְלָעֻהוּ Hos 8:7; Hos 8:3feminine plural וַתִּבְלַעְנָה Gen 41:7, וַתִּבְלַעְןָ Gen 41:24; Gen 41:1plural suffix נִבְלָעֵם Pro 1:12; Infinitive לִבְלֹעַ Jon 2:1; suffix בִּלְעִי Job 7:19; —
1 swallow down, with accusative Job 7:19; Isa 28:4, subject דָּג Jon 2:1; subject שִׁבֳּלִים Gen 41:7, Gen 41:24; מַטֶּה Exo 7:12.
2 swallow up, engulf, subject אֶרֶץ Exo 15:12; Num 16:30, Num 16:32, Num 16:34; Num 26:10; Deu 11:6; Psa 106:17; figurative of greed Job 20:15 (object חַיִל; opposed to קיא vomit); of violence, extortion Pro 1:12 (כִּשְׁאוֺל); of devastation by enemy Hos 8:7; Jer 51:34; Psa 124:3; over-whelming by calamity Psa 69:16 (subject מצולה); of full enjoyment, profit Job 20:18 (no object)
Niph`al Perfect נִבְלַע Hos 8:8, נִבְלְעוּ Isa 28:7; — swallowed up, i.e. devastated Hos 8:8; engulfed by wine (yet compare
Pi`el Isa 3:12) Isa 28:7 (׳נ מןהֿיין, || בַשֵּׁכָר שָׁגוּ).
Pi`el Perfect בִּלַּע Isa 25:8 Isa 25:3t.; וּבִלַּע consecutive Isa 25:7; Isa 25:3plural בִּלֵּ֑עוּ Isa 3:12; Isa 3:1plural בִּלָּ֑עְנוּ Lam 2:16, suffix בִּלַּעֲנוּהוּ Psa 35:25; Imperfect יְבַלַּעֿ Pro 19:28, suffix 3masculine singular יְבַלְּעֶנּוּ Job 8:18; Pro 21:20; יְבַלְּעֵם Psa 21:10; Psa 21:3feminine singular suffix 3 masculine singular תְּבַלְּעֶנּוּ Ecc 10:12; Ecc 10:2masculine singular תְּבַלַּע 2Sa 20:19, suffix וַתְּבַלְּעֵנִי Job 10:8; Job 10:1singular אֲבַלַּע 2Sa 20:20, אֲבַלֵּ֑עַ Isa 19:3; Imperative בַּלַּע Psa 55:10; Infinitive בַּלַּע Num 4:20; Hab 1:13, בַּלֵּ֑עַ Lam 2:8, suffix בַּלְּעוֺ Job 2:3; Participle suffix מְבַלְּעָ֑יִךְ Isa 49:19; —
1 swallow Num 4:20 (כְּבַלַּע as a swallowing = for an instant); elsewhere
2 swallow up, engulf, usually with accusative,
a. figurative of destruction, ruin, Isa 3:12 (object דֶּרֶךְ); (Ba from a √ II. בלע confound, compare Di; see also Isa 9:15; Isa 19:3; Isa 28:7; Psa 55:10; Psa 107:27); subject ׳י Lam 2:2, Lam 2:5 (twice in verse); Lam 2:8; Job 2:3; Job 10:8; Psa 21:10 (|| אכל), Isa 19:3 (object עֵצָה), i.e. confuse, confound; so Psa 55:10 לְשׁוֺנָם מַּלַּג אֲדֹנָי בַּלַּע confuse, Lord, divide their speech (compare בלל Gen 11:7, Gen 11:9 & see De Che); subject wicked men, enemies Psa 35:25; Isa 49:19 compare Lam 2:16 (absolute) Hab 1:13; object reflexive in sense Ecc 10:12; = annihilate Isa 25:7-8,
b. literally = destroy 2Sa 20:19-20, (|| הִשְׁחִית); indefinite subject Job 8:18 ׳יב ממקמו;
c. figurative for greedily (seize, adopt) practise Pro 19:28, for extravagance, squandering Pro 21:20.
Pu`al Imperfect יְבֻלַּע 2Sa 17:16, יְבֻלָּ֑ע Job 37:20; Participle מְבֻלָּעִים Isa 9:15; — be swallowed up, i.e. destroyed Job 37:20; compare לַמֶּלֶךְ מֶּןיְֿבֻלַּע 2Sa 17:16 (impersonal); ruined Isa 9:15 (yet compare below Pi`el)
Hithpa`el Imperfect3feminine singular תִּתְבַּלָּ֑ע Psa 107:27 (subject חכמה) their wisdom is all gone, 'they are at their wit's end' (compare below Pi`el)
Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), public domain
Topical studies with this word 4 entries
Meanings adapted from the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament, © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0 and the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (from the Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew), © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0; MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
Sources
eRhema lexical overview, based on the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (© United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Macula Hebrew and Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0); released under CC BY-SA 4.0
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