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בָּלַל

𐤁𐤋𐤋

bâlal

H1101 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To mix together or intermingle, particularly referring to substances, materials, or languages. The verb denotes the action of combining disparate elements to create a mixture, whether in physical, ritual, or metaphorical senses. Its semantic range can also extend to acts of confusion or disorganization brought about by mixing.

Semantic Range

to mix (materials or substances), to blend (ingredients), to mingle (liquids, such as wine or oil), to confound (languages or people by mixing them), to temper (as in preparing offerings), to fodder or provide provender (by mixing feed), to bring to confusion by mixing

Root / Etymology

From the root ב-ל-ל, which broadly means 'to mix, mingle, confound.' Some related nouns (such as בְּלִיל, 'mixture') derive from the same root, while the denominative sense ('to fodder' or 'to provide provender') is secondary and specific to contexts involving animal feed. The primary sense is 'to mix.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

בָּלַל appears across various strata of the Hebrew Bible. In early usages, it commonly refers to material mixing, such as the combination of flour and oil for grain offerings (e.g., Leviticus), or in Proverbs, 'mingling' wine. The verb's figurative application surfaces in Genesis 11 (the Tower of Babel), when languages are 'confounded' or mixed, providing the narrative etiology for diverse languages—later tradition associates this root (and the name 'Babel') with confusion, but in the text the key action is mixing, not mere confusion. In some cultic or ritual contexts, the verb can refer to the tempering or blending of ingredients for sacred purposes. The sense 'to fodder' (provide provender for livestock) is by extension from mixing grain and fodder. Later Hebrew sometimes generalizes the verb to contexts of mental or social confusion, but this is not the primary biblical sense. English translations sometimes shift the sense toward 'confound' in narrative contexts and toward 'mix' or 'mingle' for ritual uses. The nuance of purposeful mixing (for offerings or food) is often underrepresented in translation.

Translation Consistency

primary "mix" 39 occurrences

“Mix” is the most natural, widely used English verb that covers the full SILEX range — combining substances or liquids, mingling elements, and metaphorical mixing (e.g., mixing/confusing peoples or languages). It matches the dominant attestation (“mixed”) and allows straightforward inflection for all forms while remaining idiomatic for ritual, physical, and figurative contexts.

Alternatives (4 occurrences):
"confused" (1x) "gave provender" (1x) "intermingle" (1x) "anointed" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; (also denominatively from בְּלִיל) to fodder; to overflow (specifically with oil.); by implication, to mix; to fodder; anoint, confound, [idiom] fade, mingle, mix (self), give provender, temper.

Bantu Hebrew

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

Root Family

בלל (Bavel) — to mix, mingle, confuse

Root בלל to mix, to blend, to confuse (by mixing), to mingle
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1098 בְּלִיל mixed grain-fodder
H8397 תֶּבֶל illicit mixture
H8400 תְּבַּלֻּל eye-clouding mixture
H894 בָּבֶל Babel
H895 בַּבֶל Babel/Babylon

Word Forms

9 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H1101-04 בְּלוּלָ֥ה belulah HVqsfsa mixed mixed one mixed one 28
H1101-05 בְּלוּלֹ֣ת belulot HVqsfpa mixed mixed ones mixed ones 5
H1101-03 בָּל֨וּל balul HVqsmsa mixed mixed mixed 4
H1101-01 בָּלַ֥ל balal HVqp3ms confused he mixed he confused 1
H1101-02 בַּ֝לֹּתִ֗י baloti HVqp1cs I-am-anointed I mixed I am anointed 1
H1101-06 וַ/יָּ֖בָול vayavavl HC/Vqw3ms and gave provender and he mixed and he gave provender 1
H1101-07 בְלוּלָֽה velulah HVqsfsa mixed mixed mixed 1
H1101-08 וְ/נָבְלָ֥ה venavelah HC/Vqh1cp and confuse and let us mix and let us mix 1
H1101-09 יִתְבּוֹלָ֑ל yitebolal HVri3ms mixes-himself he will intermingle himself will intermingle himself 1

Occurrences in Scripture

43 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H1101-08 Genesis 11:7 וְ/נָבְלָ֥ה venavelah HC/Vqh1cp and confuse and let us mix and let us mix
H1101-01 Genesis 11:9 בָּלַ֥ל balal HVqp3ms confused he mixed he confused
H1101-05 Exodus 29:2 בְּלוּלֹ֣ת belulot HVqsfpa mixed mixed ones mixed ones
H1101-03 Exodus 29:40 בָּל֨וּל balul HVqsmsa mingled mixed mixed
H1101-05 Leviticus 2:4 בְּלוּלֹ֣ת belulot HVqsfpa mixed mixed ones mixed ones
H1101-04 Leviticus 2:5 בְּלוּלָ֥ה belulah HVqsfsa mixed mixed one mixed one
H1101-07 Leviticus 7:10 בְלוּלָֽה velulah HVqsfsa mixed mixed mixed
H1101-05 Leviticus 7:12 בְּלוּלֹ֣ת belulot HVqsfpa mixed mixed ones mixed ones
H1101-05 Leviticus 7:12 בְּלוּלֹ֥ת belulot-2 HVqsfpa mixed mixed ones mixed ones
H1101-04 Leviticus 9:4 בְּלוּלָ֣ה belulah HVqsfsa mixed mixed one mixed one
H1101-04 Leviticus 14:10 בְּלוּלָ֣ה belulah HVqsfsa mixed mixed one mixed one
H1101-03 Leviticus 14:21 בָּל֥וּל balul HVqsmsa mixed mixed mixed
H1101-04 Leviticus 23:13 בְּלוּלָ֥ה belulah HVqsfsa mixed mixed one mixed one
H1101-05 Numbers 6:15 בְּלוּלֹ֣ת belulot HVqsfpa mixed mixed ones mixed ones
H1101-04 Numbers 7:13 בְּלוּלָ֥ה belulah HVqsfsa mixed mixed one mixed one
H1101-04 Numbers 7:19 בְּלוּלָ֥ה belulah HVqsfsa mixed mixed one mixed one
H1101-04 Numbers 7:25 בְּלוּלָ֥ה belulah HVqsfsa mixed mixed one mixed one
H1101-04 Numbers 7:31 בְּלוּלָ֥ה belulah HVqsfsa mingled mixed one mixed one
H1101-04 Numbers 7:37 בְּלוּלָ֥ה belulah HVqsfsa mixed mixed one mixed one
H1101-04 Numbers 7:43 בְּלוּלָ֥ה belulah HVqsfsa mingled mixed one mixed one
H1101-04 Numbers 7:49 בְּלוּלָ֥ה belulah HVqsfsa mixed mixed one mixed one
H1101-04 Numbers 7:55 בְּלוּלָ֥ה belulah HVqsfsa mixed mixed one mixed one
H1101-04 Numbers 7:61 בְּלוּלָ֥ה belulah HVqsfsa mingled mixed one mixed one
H1101-04 Numbers 7:67 בְּלוּלָ֥ה belulah HVqsfsa mingled mixed one mixed one
H1101-04 Numbers 7:73 בְּלוּלָ֥ה belulah HVqsfsa mingled mixed one mixed one
H1101-04 Numbers 7:79 בְּלוּלָ֥ה belulah HVqsfsa mixed mixed one mixed one
H1101-04 Numbers 8:8 בְּלוּלָ֣ה belulah HVqsfsa mixed mixed one mixed one
H1101-03 Numbers 15:4 בָּל֕וּל balul HVqsmsa mixed mixed mixed
H1101-04 Numbers 15:6 בְּלוּלָ֥ה belulah HVqsfsa mixed mixed one mixed one
H1101-03 Numbers 15:9 בָּל֥וּל balul HVqsmsa mixed mixed mixed
H1101-04 Numbers 28:5 בְּלוּלָ֛ה belulah HVqsfsa mixed mixed one mixed one
H1101-04 Numbers 28:9 בְּלוּלָ֥ה belulah HVqsfsa mixed mixed one mixed one
H1101-04 Numbers 28:12 בְּלוּלָ֣ה belulah HVqsfsa mixed mixed one mixed one
H1101-04 Numbers 28:12 בְּלוּלָ֣ה belulah-2 HVqsfsa mixed mixed one mixed one
H1101-04 Numbers 28:13 בְּלוּלָ֣ה belulah HVqsfsa mixed mixed one mixed one
H1101-04 Numbers 28:20 בְּלוּלָ֣ה belulah HVqsfsa mixed mixed one mixed one
H1101-04 Numbers 28:28 בְּלוּלָ֣ה belulah HVqsfsa mixed mixed one mixed one
H1101-04 Numbers 29:3 בְּלוּלָ֣ה belulah HVqsfsa mixed mixed one mixed one
H1101-04 Numbers 29:9 בְּלוּלָ֣ה belulah HVqsfsa mixed mixed one mixed one
H1101-04 Numbers 29:14 בְּלוּלָ֣ה belulah HVqsfsa mixed mixed one mixed one
H1101-06 Judges 19:21 וַ/יָּ֖בָול vayavavl HC/Vqw3ms and gave provender and he mixed and he gave provender
H1101-09 Hosea 7:8 יִתְבּוֹלָ֑ל yitebolal HVri3ms mixes-himself he will intermingle himself will intermingle himself
H1101-02 Psalms 92:11 בַּ֝לֹּתִ֗י baloti HVqp1cs I-am-anointed I mixed I am anointed
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