בֶּלַע
𐤁𐤋𐤏
belaʻ
H1105 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A portion or amount that is swallowed, consumed, or devoured, often referring to something that has been utterly destroyed or absorbed, especially by a person, creature, or by destructive forces such as Sheol or an enemy. The term can denote something literally ingested or, more commonly in the Hebrew Bible, something metaphorically 'swallowed'—that is, overpowered, wasted, or destroyed.
Semantic Range
portion swallowed, that which has been devoured, act of swallowing or consuming, destruction, devastation, that which is overpowered or absorbed
Root / Etymology
From the root בלע (b-l-‘), which means 'to swallow, engulf, devour.' The noun form depicts that which has been swallowed or consumed, either physically (as in food) or metaphorically (as in peoples or fortunes being destroyed or consumed). Etymologically, the root connotes a forceful act of engulfing or taking in entirely.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, בֶּלַע most often appears in poetic or metaphorical contexts, denoting not simply ingestion but total destruction or assimilation into something else—frequently by death, Sheol, or overwhelming calamity. For example, in Isaiah 28:1 and in Job 20:15, the concept expands from physical swallowing to the act of consuming or obliterating (a domain, a people, or a foe). The term overlaps in semantic field with אבד ('to perish, be lost/destroyed') and כלה ('to come to an end, be finished'), but בֶּלַע especially emphasizes the aspect of being devoured or overwhelmed, signifying a complete and sometimes violent loss. Standard English translations such as 'destruction,' 'devouring,' or 'that which is swallowed' each capture only a part of the fullness of its meaning, often missing the visceral force conveyed in Hebrew. The metaphor of swallowing/destruction is employed both in pre-exilic and post-exilic texts, but is particularly common in poetic literature and wisdom writings (e.g., Job). No evidence suggests a shift in meaning from Israelite to later Judean contexts, but post-biblical Hebrew uses the same root for more general ideas of absorbing or destroying. Notably, when used of Sheol or death, it conveys the utter and irreversible nature of destruction or demise.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from בָּלַע; a gulp; figuratively, destruction; devouring, that which he hath swallowed up.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
בלע (b-l-ʿ) — to swallow, devour, engulf
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1104 | בָּלַע | I will utterly engulf |
| H1106 | בֶּלַע | Bela |
| H1108 | בַּלְעִי | the Belaite |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1105-01 |
בִּלְע/וֹ֙ | bileo | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
what he has swallowed | his swallowed-portion | 1 |
H1105-02 |
בָ֗לַע | vala | HNcmsa |
destruction | devoured portion | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1105-01 |
Jeremiah 51:44 | בִּלְע/וֹ֙ | bileo | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
what he has swallowed | his swallowed-portion |
H1105-02 |
Psalms 52:6 | בָ֗לַע | vala | HNcmsa |
destruction | devoured portion |