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בִּלְהָן

𐤁𐤋𐤄𐤍

Bilehan

H1092 noun

SILEX Entry

Root בלה to wear out, become old, decay, fail in strength

Definition

A personal name, likely meaning 'timid' or 'weak', known from genealogical contexts as the name of both an Edomite prince and an Israelite clan ancestor. The word does not occur outside these onomastic (name-list) settings, and its etymological derivation informs, but does not guarantee, the semantic nuance of the name.

Semantic Range

(personal name) Bilhan; potentially connoting 'timid', 'weak', 'faint', 'worn out', but only attested as a proper name

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root בלה, which carries the sense of 'to wear out, become old, decay'. The name likely preserves a nominal form with an -ān ending, forming 'Bilhân'. The exact formation may indicate a descriptive or attributive meaning ('timid one', 'faint one', or possibly 'worn out'), but as a personal name, the specific nuance is uncertain. Etymology uncertain beyond connection to בלה.

Historical & Contextual Notes

בִּלְהָן appears in genealogical lists: as an Edomite chief (Genesis 36:27; 1 Chronicles 1:42) and as a son of Jediael, ancestor of a tribe in northern Israel (1 Chronicles 7:10). The meaning 'timid' is inferred from its root but should not be assumed as a personal characteristic. It is typical in biblical Hebrew for names to be derived from roots with negative, neutral, or positive connotations without implying their literal quality for the bearer. Instances of the name in Edom and Israel suggest use on both sides of the southern and northern Levant. English translations usually transliterate the name as 'Bilhan', but the linkage to 'timid' does not appear in translation. The name's form and meaning do not persist into later Judean or Jewish usage. Compare with other names formed on בלה, though such are rare.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from בָּלַהּ; timid; Bilhan, the name of an Edomite and of an Israelite; Bilhan.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

בלה (b-l-h) — wearing out, decay, becoming old, failing in strength

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1077 בַּל not at all
H1079 בָּל not at all
H1080 בְּלָא he will wear down
H1086 בָּלָה they wore out
H1087 בָּלֶה worn-out ones

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1092-01 בִּלְהָ֥ן bilehan HNp Bilhan Worn-out One 3
H1092-02 בִלְהָ֗ן vilehan HNp Bilhan Worn-One 1

Occurrences in Scripture

4 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1092-01 Genesis 36:27 בִּלְהָ֥ן bilehan HNp Bilhan Worn-out One
H1092-01 1 Chronicles 1:42 בִּלְהָ֥ן bilehan HNp Bilhan Worn-out One
H1092-01 1 Chronicles 7:10 בִּלְהָ֑ן bilehan HNp Bilhan Worn-out One
H1092-02 1 Chronicles 7:10 בִלְהָ֗ן vilehan HNp Bilhan Worn-One
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