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תְּבַּלֻּל

𐤕𐤁𐤋𐤋

tᵉballul

H8400 noun

SILEX Entry

Root בלל to mix, to confuse, to mingle

Definition

An opaque spot or clouding in the eye, impairment or obscuration of the eye, often resulting in partial or full blindness; refers either to a physical blemish or milky film over the pupil, as in a cataract, which is considered a defect for ritual or cultic purposes in the biblical context.

Semantic Range

cloudiness of the eye, cataract, milky film on the eye, impairment causing partial blindness, ritual blemish (specifically disqualification of a priest due to physical imperfection)

Root / Etymology

From the root בָּלַל (balal), which primarily means 'to mix, mingle, confuse.' The noun תְּבַּלֻּל (tᵉballul) appears to derive from the concept of mixing or muddling, here applied to impaired vision such as occurs in a cataract — the mingling or clouding over the eye's surface.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Appearing only in Leviticus 21:20 as a physical defect that disqualifies a priest from cultic service, תְּבַּלֻּל designates a specific eye disorder, likely a cataract or similar condition causing milky opacity or clouding, seen as a blemish by the ritual purity regulations of the priesthood. This term does not have a broader metaphorical or symbolic usage in the Hebrew Bible. English translations often render it as 'cataract,' 'blemish,' or 'film,' but the Hebrew term specifically highlights the visual impairment due to blurring, linking to the root meaning ('to mix/confuse') in the sense of visual confusion or loss of clarity. There are other Hebrew terms for physical defects and eye ailments, such as עִוֵּר (ivver, 'blind'), but תְּבַּלֻּל is particular to this type of clouding. Use is limited to the priestly code and reflects ancient Israelite concern with ritual purity and physical perfection in cultic officiants.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from בָּלַל in the original sense of flowing; a cataract (in the eye); blemish.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

בלל (b-l-l) — to mix, to mingle, to confuse

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1098 בְּלִיל mixed grain-fodder
H1101 בָּלַל he mixed
H8397 תֶּבֶל illicit mixture
H894 בָּבֶל Babel
H895 בַּבֶל Babel/Babylon

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H8400-01 תְּבַלֻּ֣ל tevalul HNcmsa growth eye-clouding mixture 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H8400-01 Leviticus 21:20 תְּבַלֻּ֣ל tevalul HNcmsa growth eye-clouding mixture
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