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בָּלָק

𐤁𐤋𐤒

Balaq

H1111 noun

SILEX Entry

Root בלק to devastate, to waste (root-level, conjectural)

Definition

Balak — a proper name referring specifically to a Moabite king in the late wilderness period, known primarily from the narrative in the Book of Numbers. The name's lexical meaning is uncertain, but is sometimes interpreted as 'devastator' or 'one who lays waste.' In the Hebrew Bible, it exclusively designates the historical king Balak, son of Zippor.

Semantic Range

proper name of a Moabite king (Balak); possibly, one who devastates (hypothetical root meaning, not directly attested in personal name use)

Root / Etymology

From the root בלק (uncertain meaning; possibly 'to waste, lay waste'). The precise derivation is unclear and the connection to a root meaning 'to devastate' is conjectural.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Balak is introduced as the king of Moab during the period when the Israelites camped on the plains of Moab opposite Jericho (Numbers 22–24). The narrative context is exclusively pre-monarchic and situates Balak as a regional leader who sought to employ the diviner Balaam against the Israelites. The name appears only in narrative about this specific person, and does not function as a common noun or adjective in biblical Hebrew. Balak is always described as a Moabite and his actions are consistently in the political/religious milieu of Late Bronze Age Transjordan. The traditional rendering 'Balak' is a direct transliteration. English translations sometimes interpret the name as meaning 'devastator' or 'waster' on the basis of possible derivation from an unattested Hebrew root, but this meaning is not confirmed in the biblical text itself. In later Jewish tradition and translation (e.g., LXX, Vulgate), the name remains a proper noun without further semantic development. There are no other known uses of the word as a common noun or title. The name Balak should not be confused with any Israelite or Judahite terminology, and it functions strictly as a Moabite king's name in the earliest biblical context.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from בָּלַק; waster; Balak, a Moabitish king; Balak.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

בלק (b-l-q) — to devastate, to waste (conjectural)

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1110 בָּלַק laid-waste one

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1111-01 בָּלָ֖ק balaq HNp Balak Balak 33
H1111-05 בָלָֽק valaq HNp Balak Balak 7
H1111-03 מִ/בָּלָ֥ק mibalaq HR/Np than Balak from Balak 1
H1111-04 וּ/בָלָ֧ק uvalaq HC/Np And Balak and Balak 1
H1111-02 לְ/בָלָ֗ק levalaq HR/Np to Balak to Balak 1

Occurrences in Scripture

43 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1111-01 Numbers 22:2 בָּלָ֖ק balaq HNp Balak Balak
H1111-04 Numbers 22:4 וּ/בָלָ֧ק uvalaq HC/Np And Balak and Balak
H1111-05 Numbers 22:7 בָלָֽק valaq HNp Balak Balak
H1111-01 Numbers 22:10 בָּלָ֧ק balaq HNp Balak Balak
H1111-05 Numbers 22:13 בָלָ֔ק valaq HNp Balak Balak
H1111-01 Numbers 22:14 בָּלָ֑ק balaq HNp Balak Balak
H1111-01 Numbers 22:15 בָּלָ֑ק balaq HNp Balak Balak
H1111-01 Numbers 22:16 בָּלָ֣ק balaq HNp Balak Balak
H1111-05 Numbers 22:18 בָלָ֔ק valaq HNp Balak Balak
H1111-05 Numbers 22:18 בָלָ֛ק valaq-2 HNp Balak Balak
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