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בִּלְדַּד

𐤁𐤋𐤃𐤃

Biledad

H1085 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Proper noun, masculine: Bildad. The personal name of a non-Israelite individual, specifically identified as one of Job’s three friends in the book of Job. As a personal name, it does not convey semantic content in its biblical context, but designates the character known for his speeches to Job.

Semantic Range

personal name (Bildad) as used in the book of Job; non-Israelite male, friend and interlocutor of Job; used exclusively as a proper noun

Root / Etymology

Etymology uncertain. The name בִּלְדַּד (Bildad) does not have a clearly established root in Hebrew. Various proposals have linked it to possible non-Hebrew roots, such as Akkadian or other Semitic languages, but no connection is secure.

Historical & Contextual Notes

בִּלְדַּד (Bildad) appears exclusively in the book of Job (e.g., Job 2:11, 8:1, 18:1, 25:1), where he is repeatedly given the gentilic designation הַשּׁוּחִי (“the Shuhite”), suggesting a connection to the subgroup of Shuhites, who are possibly linked to Shuah, a son of Abraham by Keturah (Genesis 25:2). Bildad is one of three notable non-Israelite friends of Job who participate in the dialogues on suffering and wisdom. The meaning of the name is unknown; attempts to relate it to a Hebrew phrase or root have yielded no consensus. Some have speculated possible Ekronite, Edomite, or Akkadian origins, but these remain conjectural. The name has not been adopted into broader Israelite or biblical naming traditions and is used only within the Joban narrative. Traditional English translations simply transliterate the name as 'Bildad,' which does not convey potential original meaning, if any.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of uncertain derivation; Bildad, one of Job's friends; Bildad.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

uncertain (Baleadan) — uncertain

Root uncertain uncertain, as a proper name; root meaning not established
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1002 בִּירָה the citadel
H105 אֲגַרְטָל bowls of
H1081 בַּלְאֲדָן Baladan
H1095 בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר Belteshatsar
H1114 בִּלְשָׁן Bilshan

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H1085-01 בִּלְדַּ֥ד biledad HNp Bildad Bildad Biledad 3
H1085-02 וּ/בִלְדַּ֣ד uviledad HC/Np and Bildad and Bildad and Biledad 2

Occurrences in Scripture

5 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H1085-02 Job 2:11 וּ/בִלְדַּ֣ד uviledad HC/Np and Bildad and Bildad and Biledad
H1085-01 Job 8:1 בִּלְדַּ֥ד biledad HNp Bildad Bildad Biledad
H1085-01 Job 18:1 בִּלְדַּ֥ד biledad HNp Bildad Bildad Biledad
H1085-01 Job 25:1 בִּלְדַּ֥ד biledad HNp Bildad Bildad Biledad
H1085-02 Job 42:9 וּ/בִלְדַּ֣ד uviledad HC/Np and Bildad and Bildad and Biledad
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