בְּלִימָה
𐤁𐤋𐤉𐤌𐤄
bᵉlîymâh
H1099 particle
SILEX Entry
Definition
An abstract noun meaning 'nothingness,' 'nonexistence,' or 'lack of substance.' It refers to a state characterized by the complete absence of anything substantial, real, or valuable. The word is primarily used in poetic or philosophical contexts to express the concept of absolute nothingness or worthlessness, rather than referring to a specific object or action.
Semantic Range
nothingness, absence, void, lack of substance or value, nonexistence, nonentity, worthlessness
Root / Etymology
The word is a compound formed from the preposition בְּלִי (belî, 'without, lacking') and the enclitic particle מָה (mah, 'what, anything'), together literally meaning 'without anything.' The word thus denotes the absence of any entity or substance. This form is attested only as this compound; it is not a productive formation in Hebrew.
Historical & Contextual Notes
בְּלִימָה occurs rarely in the Hebrew Bible, found notably in Job (e.g., Job 26:7), where it poetically describes the formless void or nonexistence upon which the earth is suspended. The term does not appear in everyday language but rather serves as a philosophical or poetic abstraction, distinct from related words such as אֵין (ayin, 'there is not') or הֶבֶל (hevel, 'vapor, vanity') that denote absence, negation, or transience more generally. בְּלִימָה is not associated with later theological concepts of nothingness or creation ex nihilo but rather with the absence of anything observable or tangible. In English translations, it is often rendered as 'nothing' or 'void,' though in some contexts 'nonentity' or 'meaningless nothingness' would better capture the nuance. Its usage is limited to Wisdom literature or philosophical discourse in the Hebrew Scriptures and does not develop beyond this scope in later Jewish literature.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from בְּלִי and מָה; (as indefinitely) nothing whatever; nothing.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
בלה (b-l-h) — wearing out, wasting away, decay, consumption
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1099-01 |
בְּלִי | beli | HTn |
nothing | without | 1 |
H1099-02 |
מָֽה | mah | HTi |
what? | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences