בְּלוֹ
𐤁𐤋𐤅
bᵉlôw
H1093 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A tax or tribute, particularly one levied by a ruling power and paid by vassals or subject peoples, often referring to compulsory dues or assessments imposed on commodities, typically agricultural produce or goods, designated for government or imperial authorities. In its specific usage within Aramaic biblical texts, it refers to a form of excise or imposed duty rather than voluntary offering.
Semantic Range
tax, excise, tribute, compulsory fiscal assessment, government levy, toll (rare or specific contexts)
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root בלה, meaning 'to wear out, use up, consume.' The Aramaic form בְּלוֹ reflects a nominal formation from this root, with the sense developing from the concept of depletion or consumption to the idea of something taken or consumed by authority—hence, a tribute or tax.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Used exclusively in the Aramaic sections of the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Ezra 4:13, 4:20, 7:24) to refer to enforced levies or dues paid to the imperial treasury (particularly the Achaemenid Persian authorities over Yehud/Judah). This term is distinct from other Hebrew words for tax or tribute, such as מַס (mas, corvée labor or forced levy), מִכֵּס (mikhes, customs or tax), or מַד (mad, measure or tribute). English Bible translations often render בְּלוֹ as 'tribute,' 'tax,' or sometimes 'toll,' but the specific historical context more narrowly indicates a governmental excise. Not connected to religious offerings or voluntary contributions, but rather to imperial fiscal policy. In later periods, such words contribute to the vocabulary of taxation in post-biblical Aramaic and Hebrew.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) from a root corresponding to בָּלָה; excise (on articles consumed); tribute.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
לא (l-ʾ) — negation, denial, refusal
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3789 | כָּתַב | not |
| H3808 | לֹא | without |
| H3809 | לָא | is it not? |
| H3810 | לֹא דְבַר | not |
| H3818 | לֹא עַמִּי | not |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1093-01 |
בְל֤וֹ | velo | ANcmsa |
custom | and not | 3 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences