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בְּלִי

𐤁𐤋𐤉

bᵉlîy

H1097 particle

SILEX Entry

Definition

Negative particle or prepositional element meaning 'without,' 'lack of,' or 'not.' In construct, often used to form phrases indicating absence, lack, or negation (e.g., 'without knowledge,' 'without sons,' etc.). It can mark deficiency or non-existence of an attribute, quality, or object, and in combination with other terms conveys the sense of lack, destruction, or nothingness. Less commonly, it can connote failure, ruin, or utter absence.

Semantic Range

without, lacking, not, absence, non-existence, utter lack, failure, destruction, corruption

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root בלה (b-l-h), which means 'to wear out, waste away.' בְּלִי is formed by combining the prepositional בְּ ('in, with') with לִי, an old negative element possibly related to לֹא (lo', 'not'), though the construction is fossilized and not transparently productive in Biblical Hebrew. The root connection is debated—some suggest it is an independent negative particle rather than a direct derivation from בלה. Etymology uncertain.

Historical & Contextual Notes

בְּלִי is used repeatedly in compound expressions (e.g., בְּלִי דַּעַת, 'without understanding') or idiomatic phrases (e.g., אִישׁ בְּלִי עֵל, 'worthless man'). It appears from the earliest strata of biblical Hebrew onward, typical of wisdom literature, prophetic texts, and narrative. Its usage overlaps with terms like אֵין ('there is not') and לֹא ('not'), but בְּלִי is unique in marking a qualitative or abstract lack rather than a direct negation or non-existence. In late biblical texts and early post-biblical Hebrew, the usage narrows and is sometimes replaced by other negative forms. The translation tradition, especially in older English versions, sometimes renders its compounds as 'un-' adjectives (e.g., 'unwise,' 'unfruitful'), but this may underrepresent the sense of deprivation or absence inherent to the term. The word is not used as an independent negative particle but always as part of a phrase or compound. In the Dead Sea Scrolls and later Hebrew, its use becomes increasingly rare.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from בָּלָה; properly, failure, i.e. nothing or destruction; usually (with preposition) without, not yet, because not, as long as, etc.; corruption, ig(norantly), for lack of, where no...is, so that no, none, not, un(awares), without.

Bantu Hebrew

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

Root Family

בלה (Balah) — to wear out, decay, fail

Root בלה to wear out, consume, decay, waste away
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1077 בַּל not at all
H1080 בְּלָא he will wear down
H1086 בָּלָה they wore out
H1087 בָּלֶה worn-out ones
H1088 בָּלָה and Balah

Word Forms

10 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H1097-06 מִ/בְּלִי֙ mibeli HR/Ncmsc without from lack of from lack of 20
H1097-01 בְּלִ֖י beli HTn without without, lacking without 19
H1097-02 בִּ/בְלִי biveli HR/Ncmsc without lack of without 4
H1097-03 הַֽ/מִ/בְּלִ֤י hamibeli HTi/R/D is it because without without 4
H1097-08 בְלִי veli HTn without and to me without 4
H1097-05 לִ/בְלִי liveli HC/Tn for lack of without without 3
H1097-04 כִּ/בְלִי kiveli HR/Tn like without without without 1
H1097-07 וּֽ/מִ/בְּלִ֥י umibeli HC/R/Tn and from lack and without and without 1
H1097-09 בִ/בְלִי viveli HR/Tn without without without 1
H1097-10 בלי vly HTn no without without 1

Occurrences in Scripture

58 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H1097-01 Genesis 31:20 בְּלִי֙ beli HTn not without, lacking without
H1097-03 Exodus 14:11 הַֽ/מִ/בְּלִ֤י hamibeli HTi/R/Tn Is it because of lack without without
H1097-02 Deuteronomy 4:42 בִּ/בְלִי biveli HR/Ncmsc without lack of without
H1097-06 Deuteronomy 9:28 מִ/בְּלִי֙ mibeli HR/Ncmsc because of not from lack of because of not
H1097-02 Deuteronomy 19:4 בִּ/בְלִי biveli HR/Ncmsc without lack of without
H1097-06 Deuteronomy 28:55 מִ/בְּלִ֥י mibeli HR/Ncmsc for-lack-of from lack of from lack of
H1097-02 Joshua 20:3 בִּ/בְלִי biveli HR/Ncmsc without lack of without
H1097-09 Joshua 20:5 בִ/בְלִי viveli HR/Tn without without without
H1097-01 2 Samuel 1:21 בְּלִ֖י beli HTn without without, lacking without
H1097-03 2 Kings 1:3 הַֽ/מִ/בְּלִ֤י hamibeli HTi/R/D Is it because without Is it without
H1097-03 2 Kings 1:6 הַֽ/מִ/בְּלִ֤י hamibeli HTi/R/D Is it because of the lack without Is it because of the lack
H1097-03 2 Kings 1:16 הַֽ/מִ/בְּלִ֤י hamibeli HTi/R/D is it because without is it because there is no
H1097-06 Isaiah 5:13 מִ/בְּלִי mibeli HR/Ncmsc for lack of from lack of for lack of
H1097-05 Isaiah 5:14 לִ/בְלִי liveli HC/Tn without without without
H1097-01 Isaiah 14:6 בְּלִ֥י beli HTn without without, lacking without
H1097-01 Isaiah 28:8 בְּלִ֖י beli HTn without without, lacking without
H1097-01 Isaiah 32:10 בְּלִ֥י beli HTn not without, lacking without
H1097-01 Isaiah 38:17 בְּלִ֔י beli HTn of oblivion without, lacking without
H1097-06 Jeremiah 2:15 מִ/בְּלִ֥י mibeli HR/Ncmsc without from lack of from lack of
H1097-06 Jeremiah 9:9 מִ/בְּלִי mibeli HR/Ncmsc so that there is no from lack of from lack of
H1097-06 Jeremiah 9:10 מִ/בְּלִ֖י mibeli HR/Ncmsc from-without from lack of from lack of
H1097-06 Jeremiah 9:11 מִ/בְּלִ֖י mibeli HR/Ncmsc because-of from lack of from lack of
H1097-06 Ezekiel 14:15 מִ/בְּלִ֣י mibeli HR/Ncmsc without from lack of without
H1097-06 Ezekiel 34:5 מִ/בְּלִ֣י mibeli HR/Ncmsc for lack of from lack of for lack of
H1097-06 Hosea 4:6 מִ/בְּלִ֣י mibeli HR/Ncmsc for lack of from lack of for lack of
H1097-01 Hosea 7:8 בְּלִ֥י beli HTn not without, lacking without
H1097-01 Hosea 8:7 בְּלִ֣י beli HTn without without, lacking without
H1097-10 Hosea 9:16 בלי vly HTn no without without
H1097-06 Zephaniah 3:6 מִ/בְּלִ֣י mibeli HR/Ncmsc without from lack of without
H1097-06 Zephaniah 3:6 מִ/בְּלִי mibeli-2 HR/Ncmsc without from lack of without
H1097-01 Malachi 3:10 בְּלִי beli HTn without without, lacking without
H1097-01 Psalms 19:4 בְּ֝לִ֗י beli HTn without without, lacking without
H1097-01 Psalms 59:5 בְּֽלִי beli HTn without without, lacking without
H1097-01 Psalms 63:2 בְּלִי beli HTn without without, lacking without, lacking
H1097-01 Psalms 72:7 בְּלִ֥י beli HTn no without, lacking without
H1097-06 Job 4:11 מִ/בְּלִי mibeli HR/Ncmsc for lack of from lack of from lack of
H1097-06 Job 4:20 מִ/בְּלִ֥י mibeli HR/Ncmsc without from lack of without
H1097-06 Job 6:6 מִ/בְּלִי mibeli HR/Ncmsc without from lack of without
H1097-08 Job 8:11 בְלִי veli HTn without and to me without
H1097-06 Job 18:15 מִ/בְּלִי mibeli HR/Ncmsc that which is none from lack of from lack of
H1097-06 Job 24:7 מִ/בְּלִ֣י mibeli HR/Ncmsc without from lack of without
H1097-07 Job 24:8 וּֽ/מִ/בְּלִ֥י umibeli HC/R/Tn and from lack and without and without
H1097-01 Job 24:10 בְּלִ֣י beli HTn without without, lacking without
H1097-08 Job 30:8 בְלִי veli HTn without and to me without
H1097-06 Job 31:19 מִ/בְּלִ֣י mibeli HR/Ncmsc for lack of from lack of for lack of
H1097-08 Job 31:39 בְלִי veli HTn without and to me without
H1097-01 Job 33:9 בְּֽלִ֫י beli HTn without without, lacking without
H1097-08 Job 34:6 בְלִי veli HTn without and to me without
H1097-02 Job 35:16 בִּ/בְלִי biveli HR/Ncmsc without lack of without
H1097-04 Job 36:12 כִּ/בְלִי kiveli HR/Tn like without without without
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