← H1093 H1095 →

בְּלוֹא

𐤁𐤋𐤅𐤀

bᵉlôwʼ

H1094 noun

SILEX Entry

Root בלה to wear out, become old, decay

Definition

Garments or fabric that have become worn out, decayed, or frayed—typically remnants or rags resulting from extensive use. Used only in plural forms, it refers specifically to clothing so deteriorated as to be scarcely usable, and often connotes items discarded or of the lowest value.

Semantic Range

worn-out garments, rags, decayed clothing, remnants of fabric, items worn by the needy or outcasts

Root / Etymology

From the root בלה (b-l-h), meaning 'to become worn out' or 'to decay with use.' The noun form בְּלוֹא (belôʼ) derives from this root and is constructed to indicate the result or product of wearing out, i.e., worn things, especially garments. The form occurs only in the plural and in constructed states within the Hebrew Bible.

Historical & Contextual Notes

בְּלוֹא appears rarely in the Hebrew Bible, most notably in texts that contrast newness with decay, or to emphasize poverty and neglect, such as in Job 13:28 and Joshua 9:5,11. In ancient Israelite society, possession of only worn-out clothing was a sign of extreme need or social disadvantage. The word is semantically close to בָּלָה (to wear out, to decay) and differs from other terms for clothing (e.g., בֶּגֶד) by focusing on the state of deterioration rather than the item itself. English translations often render בְּלוֹא as 'rags' or 'old clothes'; however, this can understate its connotation of decay and social marginalization. There is no evidence the term shifted significantly in meaning across biblical periods, but its usage is contextually rich in narratives emphasizing affliction or cunning (e.g., the Gibeonites' deception in Joshua 9). Later translations sometimes use 'old garments' or even 'dirty rags,' but these may not fully express the nuance of extensive wear and resulting low value.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or (fully) בְּלוֹי; from בָּלָה; (only in plural construction) rags; old.

Bantu Hebrew

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

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

בלה (b-l-h) — to wear out, become old, decay

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

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1094-03 וּ/בְלוֹיֵ֖ uveloye HC/Ncmpc and worn-out and worn-out rags of 1
H1094-01 בְּלוֹאֵ֨י beloey HNcmpc rags worn-out garments of 1
H1094-02 בְּלוֹיֵ֣ beloye HNcmpc worn-out worn-out garments of 1

Occurrences in Scripture

3 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1094-02 Jeremiah 38:11 בְּלוֹיֵ֣ beloye HNcmpc worn-out worn-out garments of
H1094-03 Jeremiah 38:11 וּ/בְלוֹיֵ֖ uveloye HC/Ncmpc and worn-out and worn-out rags of
H1094-01 Jeremiah 38:12 בְּלוֹאֵ֨י beloey HNcmpc rags worn-out garments of
← H1093 Hebrew Lexicon H1095 →