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בִּלְתִּי

𐤁𐤋𐤕𐤉

biltîy

H1115 conjunction

SILEX Entry

Root בלה to wear out, use up, decay

Definition

A negational particle meaning 'not, except, without,' typically used to indicate exclusion, limitation, or absence. Functions adverbially or as a conjunction in legal, ritual, and poetic contexts, often paired with prepositions to express phrases such as 'except for,' 'without,' or 'unless.' Can also introduce clauses of exception or condition.

Semantic Range

not, except, without, unless, except that, save, lest, only, unless, save that, apart from, except for, until (in conditional clauses), phrases indicating exception or exclusion

Root / Etymology

From the root בלה (b-l-h), whose main sense is 'to wear out, become old or decay.' However, בלתי (biltîy) does not take this core meaning but arises as an abstract or feminine construct form, which became grammaticalized as a negational or exclusionary particle. The connection to the root is etymological but not semantic in Biblical usage.

Historical & Contextual Notes

בִּלְתִּי was used extensively in legal, ritual, and poetic texts to form idiomatic expressions of negation and exception (e.g., לְבִלְתִּי עֲשׂוֹת 'not to do'; בִּלְתִּי אִם 'except if'). It differs from לא (lo, simple negation) and אין (eyn, existential negation) in that it typically connotes exception or exclusion, not direct denial. Its meanings overlap with but are more nuanced than related expressions like בְּלִי (without); בִּלְתִּי often links to verbs or entire clauses, while בְּלִי is prepositional. Translations often flatten its range to a basic 'not' or 'without,' but in Hebrew, it is more specialized, becoming significantly formal or legalistic in tone, especially in Deuteronomy and legal materials. In later Hebrew (post-biblical), its use diminishes in favor of other particles. English 'except,' 'unless,' or 'without' sometimes render its distinction in context, but not always fully representing the idiomatic range.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

constructive feminine of בָּלָה (equivalent to בְּלִי); properly, a failure of, i.e. (used only as a negative particle, usually with a prepositional prefix) not, except, without, unless, besides, because not, until, etc.; because un(satiable), beside, but, [phrase] continual, except, from, lest, neither, no more, none, not, nothing, save, that no, without.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

בלה (b-l-h) — to wear out, use up, 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

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1115-03 לְ/בִלְתִּ֥י levileti HR/C not so as not to 78
H1115-02 בִּלְתִּ֥י bileti HC except except 23
H1115-05 וּ/לְ/בִלְתִּי ulevileti HC/R/C nor and without 8
H1115-04 מִ/בִּלְתִּ֞י mibileti HR/Tn because of not apart from 2
H1115-01 בִּלְתֶּ֑/ךָ biletekha HC/Sp2ms besides you apart from you 1

Occurrences in Scripture

112 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1115-03 Genesis 3:11 לְ/בִלְתִּ֥י levileti HR/C not so as not to
H1115-03 Genesis 4:15 לְ/בִלְתִּ֥י levileti HR/C lest so as not to
H1115-03 Genesis 19:21 לְ/בִלְתִּ֛י levileti HR/C not to so as not to
H1115-02 Genesis 21:26 בִּלְתִּ֥י bileti HC until except
H1115-03 Genesis 38:9 לְ/בִלְתִּ֥י levileti HR/C so as not so as not to
H1115-02 Genesis 43:3 בִּלְתִּ֖י bileti HC unless except
H1115-02 Genesis 43:5 בִּלְתִּ֖י bileti HC unless except
H1115-02 Genesis 47:18 בִּלְתִּ֥י bileti HC except except
H1115-03 Exodus 8:18 לְ/בִלְתִּ֥י levileti HR/C so that no so as not to
H1115-03 Exodus 8:25 לְ/בִלְתִּי֙ levileti HR/C by not so as not to
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