בְּטֵל
𐤁𐤈𐤋
bᵉṭêl
H989 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To be stopped, to cease activity, or to be brought to a halt; in causative forms, to prevent, to make cease, or to hinder an action. Used in Aramaic contexts of the Hebrew Bible to express cessation of work or activities, especially in administrative or legal settings.
Semantic Range
to stop, to cease, to discontinue an activity, to be halted, to bring something to a standstill, to prevent (in causative), to hinder, to make cease
Root / Etymology
Derived from the Aramaic root בטל, which shares semantic overlap with the Hebrew root בָּטֵל (batel), meaning 'to cease, to stop, to be discontinued.' Though the Aramaic and Hebrew roots are cognate, their usage in biblical texts is typically differentiated by context and dialect.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The form בְּטֵל (bᵉṭêl) occurs in the Aramaic portions of the Hebrew Bible, specifically in the books of Ezra and Daniel, during the Persian period. Its use refers to actions being brought to a halt, often by royal decree or administrative intervention. In Ezra, for example, it describes the cessation of reconstruction work on the Jerusalem temple. The term is administrative or legal in tone, not inherently religious. The Hebrew equivalent is less technical and more general, but both indicate interruption or discontinuation. English translations often render it as 'cease,' 'stop,' or 'hinder,' but the underlying nuance is the forced or official nature of the interruption in the Aramaic context.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) corresponding to בָּטֵל; to stop; (cause, make to), cease, hinder.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
בטל (b-ṭ-l) — to stop, to cease, to discontinue
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H988 | בָּטֵל | and they ceased |
Word Forms
5 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H989-03 |
לְ/בַטָּלָ֖א | levatala | AR/Vpc |
to cease | to make cease | 2 |
H989-02 |
בְּטֵלַת֙ | betelat | AVqp3fs |
ceased | she ceased | 1 |
H989-05 |
בַטִּ֣לוּ | vatilu | AVpp3mp |
they hindered | they made cease | 1 |
H989-04 |
וּ/בַטִּ֥לוּ | uvatilu | AC/Vpp3mp |
and made them cease | they made cease | 1 |
H989-01 |
בָּֽטְלָ֔א | batela | AVqrfsa |
stopped | ceasing one | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
6 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H989-03 |
Ezra 4:21 | לְ/בַטָּלָ֖א | levatala | AR/Vpc |
to cease | to make cease |
H989-04 |
Ezra 4:23 | וּ/בַטִּ֥לוּ | uvatilu | AC/Vpp3mp |
and made them cease | they made cease |
H989-02 |
Ezra 4:24 | בְּטֵלַת֙ | betelat | AVqp3fs |
ceased | she ceased |
H989-01 |
Ezra 4:24 | בָּֽטְלָ֔א | batela | AVqrfsa |
stopped | ceasing one |
H989-05 |
Ezra 5:5 | בַטִּ֣לוּ | vatilu | AVpp3mp |
they hindered | they made cease |
H989-03 |
Ezra 6:8 | לְ/בַטָּלָֽא | levatala | AR/Vpc |
to-hinder | to make cease |