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בִּלְתִּי

𐤁𐤋𐤕𐤉

biltîy

H1115 conjunction

SILEX Entry

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

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, use up, decay
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

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H1115-03 לְ/בִלְתִּ֣י levileti HR/C not so as not to so as not to 78
H1115-02 בִּלְתִּ֥י bileti HC except except except 23
H1115-05 וּ/לְ/בִלְתִּ֥י ulevileti HC/R/Tn nor and without and so as not to 8
H1115-04 מִ/בִּלְתִּ֖י mibileti HR/Tn because of not apart from because of not 2
H1115-01 בִּלְתֶּ֑/ךָ biletekha HC/Sp2ms besides you apart from you besides you 1

Occurrences in Scripture

112 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H1115-03 1 Kings 15:17 לְ/בִלְתִּ֗י levileti HR/C to not so as not to so as not to
H1115-02 2 Kings 10:11 בִּלְתִּ֥י bileti HC not except except
H1115-03 2 Kings 12:9 לְ/בִלְתִּ֤י levileti HR/C not so as not to so as not to
H1115-05 2 Kings 12:9 וּ/לְ/בִלְתִּ֥י ulevileti HC/R/Tn nor and without and without
H1115-03 2 Kings 17:15 לְ/בִלְתִּ֖י levileti HR/C not so as not to so as not to
H1115-03 2 Kings 23:10 לְ/בִלְתִּ֗י levileti HR/C so that not so as not to so as not to
H1115-02 Isaiah 10:4 בִּלְתִּ֤י bileti HC without except except
H1115-02 Isaiah 14:6 בִּלְתִּ֣י bileti HC without except without
H1115-03 Isaiah 44:10 לְ/בִלְתִּ֖י levileti HR/C to no so as not to so as not to
H1115-03 Isaiah 48:9 לְ/בִלְתִּ֖י levileti HR/C lest so as not to lest
H1115-03 Isaiah 65:8 לְ/בִלְתִּ֖י levileti HR/C that not so as not to so as not to
H1115-03 Jeremiah 7:8 לְ/בִלְתִּ֖י levileti HR/C so-that-not so as not to so as not to
H1115-03 Jeremiah 16:12 לְ/בִלְתִּ֖י levileti HR/C so-as-not so as not to so as not to
H1115-03 Jeremiah 17:23 לְ/בִלְתִּ֣י levileti HR/C so as not so as not to so as not to
H1115-05 Jeremiah 17:23 וּ/לְ/בִלְתִּ֖י ulevileti HC/R/Tn nor and without nor
H1115-03 Jeremiah 17:24 לְ/בִלְתִּ֣י levileti HR/C not to so as not to so as not to
H1115-03 Jeremiah 17:24 לְ/בִלְתִּ֥י levileti-2 HR/C not to so as not to so as not to
H1115-05 Jeremiah 17:27 וּ/לְ/בִלְתִּ֣י ulevileti HC/R/Tn and not to and without and not to
H1115-03 Jeremiah 18:10 לְ/בִלְתִּ֖י levileti HR/C not so as not to so as not to
H1115-03 Jeremiah 19:15 לְ/בִלְתִּ֖י levileti HR/C so as not so as not to so as not to
H1115-03 Jeremiah 23:14 לְ/בִ֨לְתִּי levileti HR/C so that not so as not to so that not
H1115-03 Jeremiah 26:24 לְ/בִלְתִּ֛י levileti HR/C so that not so as not to so as not to
H1115-03 Jeremiah 27:18 לְ/בִלְתִּי levileti HR/C that not so as not to so as not to
H1115-03 Jeremiah 32:40 לְ/בִלְתִּ֖י levileti HR/C not so as not to so as not to
H1115-05 Jeremiah 33:20 וּ/לְ/בִלְתִּ֛י ulevileti HC/R/R and-for-not and without and for not
H1115-03 Jeremiah 34:9 לְ/בִלְתִּ֧י levileti HR/C so that not so as not to so as not to
H1115-03 Jeremiah 34:10 לְ/בִלְתִּ֥י levileti HR/C so as not so as not to so as not to
H1115-03 Jeremiah 35:8 לְ/בִלְתִּ֤י levileti HR/C not to so as not to not to
H1115-05 Jeremiah 35:9 וּ/לְ/בִלְתִּ֛י ulevileti HC/R/R nor to and without and not
H1115-03 Jeremiah 35:14 לְ/בִלְתִּ֣י levileti HR/C not to so as not to so as not to
H1115-03 Jeremiah 36:25 לְ/בִלְתִּ֥י levileti HR/C not to so as not to so as not to
H1115-03 Jeremiah 38:26 לְ/בִלְתִּ֧י levileti HR/C not so as not to so as not to
H1115-03 Jeremiah 42:13 לְ/בִלְתִּ֣י levileti HR/C so as not so as not to so as not to
H1115-03 Jeremiah 44:5 לְ/בִלְתִּ֥י levileti HR/C not-to so as not to so as not to
H1115-03 Jeremiah 44:7 לְ/בִלְתִּ֛י levileti HR/C not so as not to so as not to
H1115-03 Jeremiah 51:62 לְ/בִלְתִּ֤י levileti HR/C so-that-not so as not to so as not to
H1115-03 Ezekiel 3:21 לְ/בִלְתִּ֥י levileti HR/C not to so as not to so as not to
H1115-05 Ezekiel 13:3 וּ/לְ/בִלְתִּ֥י ulevileti HC/R/Tn and without and without and without
H1115-03 Ezekiel 13:22 לְ/בִלְתִּי levileti HR/C that not so as not to so as not to
H1115-04 Ezekiel 16:28 מִ/בִּלְתִּ֖י mibileti HR/Tn because-of-not apart from apart from
H1115-03 Ezekiel 17:14 לְ/בִלְתִּ֖י levileti HR/C so that not so as not to so as not to
H1115-03 Ezekiel 20:9 לְ/בִלְתִּ֥י levileti HR/C that it should not so as not to so as not to
H1115-03 Ezekiel 20:14 לְ/בִלְתִּ֤י levileti HR/C so that not so as not to so that not
H1115-03 Ezekiel 20:15 לְ/בִלְתִּי֩ levileti HR/C not so as not to so as not to
H1115-03 Ezekiel 20:22 לְ/בִלְתִּ֤י levileti HR/C not-to so as not to so as not to
H1115-03 Ezekiel 22:30 לְ/בִלְתִּ֣י levileti HR/C so that not so as not to so as not to
H1115-03 Ezekiel 24:8 לְ/בִלְתִּ֖י levileti HR/C so that not so as not to so as not to
H1115-03 Ezekiel 29:15 לְ/בִלְתִּ֖י levileti HR/C so that not so as not to so as not to
H1115-03 Ezekiel 33:15 לְ/בִלְתִּ֖י levileti HR/C without so as not to so as not to
H1115-03 Ezekiel 46:20 לְ/בִלְתִּ֥י levileti HR/C lest so as not to so as not to
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