בָּבֶל
𐤁𐤁𐤋
Bavel
H894 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Babel/Babylon—a city in southern Mesopotamia, also used later for the wider region of Babylonia or the Babylonian empire. Initially, בָּבֶל refers to the famed city on the Euphrates River, recognized for its significance as a political, cultural, and religious capital. In broader usage, it designates the wider Neo-Babylonian and Babylonian empires, or territory under their influence. In some contexts, it carries symbolic connotations of imperial power and foreign domination over Israel and Judah.
Semantic Range
city of Babylon, region of Babylonia, the city referred to in the Babel narrative, the Babylonian empire or its capital, occasionally symbolic for foreign or oppressive power
Root / Etymology
From the Akkadian 'Bāb-ilim' meaning 'Gate of (the) God' or 'Gate of the gods'. The Hebrew spelling reflects an association with the root בָּלַל (to mix, confuse), based on the biblical narrative in Genesis 11:9, but linguistically is borrowed from Akkadian rather than deriving directly from the Hebrew root. Thus, although the root בָּלַל is evoked in the Hebrew literary context, the actual etymology is foreign.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the earliest textual traditions (Genesis 10–11), 'Babel' denotes the city associated with the legendary 'tower of Babel' and the origin of human language diversity. In later periods, especially from the monarchy onwards (e.g., 2 Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel), it overwhelmingly refers to the imperial capital city, and by extension, to Babylonia or the ruling power of that region. The city of Babylon became the principal seat of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, under rulers such as Nebuchadnezzar II, and figured prominently in the exilic experience of the Judahite population. English translations often render בָּבֶל as 'Babylon'; however, in Genesis 11 it is commonly 'Babel' to mark the different context. The term is distinct from names or terms like שִׁנְעָר (Shinar), which can refer more broadly to lower Mesopotamia. In Second Temple period literature and later, 'Babylon' sometimes carries strong symbolic implications of exile, oppression, or foreignness, which can color its interpretation, but such meanings are context-dependent and not inherent to the term itself. Later English use of 'Babylon' as a symbol for corruption or worldliness arises out of post-biblical associations.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from בָּלַל; confusion; Babel (i.e. Babylon), including Babylonia and the Babylonian empire; Babel, Babylon.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
בלל (Bavel) — to mix, mingle, confuse
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1098 | בְּלִיל | mixed grain-fodder |
| H1101 | בָּלַל | he mixed |
| H8397 | תֶּבֶל | illicit mixture |
| H8400 | תְּבַּלֻּל | eye-clouding mixture |
| H895 | בַּבֶל | Babel/Babylon |
Word Forms
9 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H894-01 |
בָּבֶ֗ל | bavel | HNp |
of Babylon | Babel | Bavel | 184 |
H894-02 |
בָּבֶֽלָ/ה | bavelah | HNp/Sd |
to Babylon | toward Babylon | in Bavel | 24 |
H894-08 |
בָבֶֽל | vavel | HNp |
Babylon | Babel | Bavel | 19 |
H894-05 |
מִ/בָּבֶ֡ל | mibavel | HR/Np |
from Babylon | from Babel | from Bavel | 12 |
H894-04 |
לְ/בָבֶ֖ל | levavel | HR/Np |
to Babylon | to Babylon | to Bavel | 8 |
H894-03 |
בְּ/בָבֶֽל | bevavel | HR/Np |
in Babylon | in Babylon | in Bavel | 6 |
H894-07 |
וּ/בָבֶ֣ל | uvavel | HC/Np |
and to Babylon | and Babel | and Bavel | 4 |
H894-09 |
בָבֶ֔לָ/ה | vavelah | HNp/Sd |
to Babylon | toward Babel | in Bavel | 4 |
H894-06 |
מִ/בָּבֶ֖לָ/ה | mibavelah | HR/Np/Sd |
from Babylon | from Babylon | from in Bavel | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
262 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H894-01 |
Genesis 10:10 | בָּבֶ֔ל | bavel | HNp |
Babel | Babel | Bavel |
H894-01 |
Genesis 11:9 | בָּבֶ֔ל | bavel | HNp |
Babel | Babel | Bavel |
H894-05 |
2 Kings 17:24 | מִ/בָּבֶ֡ל | mibavel | HR/Np |
from Babylon | from Babel | from Bavel |
H894-08 |
2 Kings 17:30 | בָבֶ֗ל | vavel | HNp |
Babylon | Babel | Bavel |
H894-01 |
2 Kings 20:12 | בָּבֶ֛ל | bavel | HNp |
of Babylon | Babel | Bavel |
H894-05 |
2 Kings 20:14 | מִ/בָּבֶֽל | mibavel | HR/Np |
from Babylon | from Babel | from Bavel |
H894-02 |
2 Kings 20:17 | בָּבֶ֑לָ/ה | bavelah | HNp/Sd |
to Babylon | toward Babylon | in Bavel |
H894-01 |
2 Kings 20:18 | בָּבֶֽל | bavel | HNp |
Babylon | Babel | Bavel |
H894-01 |
2 Kings 24:1 | בָּבֶ֑ל | bavel | HNp |
of Babylon | Babel | Bavel |
H894-01 |
2 Kings 24:7 | בָּבֶ֗ל | bavel | HNp |
of Babylon | Babel | Bavel |
H894-01 |
2 Kings 24:10 | בָּבֶ֖ל | bavel | HNp |
of Babylon | Babel | Bavel |
H894-01 |
2 Kings 24:11 | בָּבֶ֖ל | bavel | HNp |
of Babylon | Babel | Bavel |
H894-01 |
2 Kings 24:12 | בָּבֶ֔ל | bavel | HNp |
of Babylon | Babel | Bavel |
H894-01 |
2 Kings 24:12 | בָּבֶ֔ל | bavel-2 | HNp |
of Babylon | Babel | Bavel |
H894-02 |
2 Kings 24:15 | בָּבֶ֑לָ/ה | bavelah | HNp/Sd |
to Babylon | toward Babylon | in Bavel |
H894-02 |
2 Kings 24:15 | בָּבֶֽלָ/ה | bavelah-2 | HNp/Sd |
to Babylon | toward Babylon | in Bavel |
H894-01 |
2 Kings 24:16 | בָּבֶ֛ל | bavel | HNp |
of Babylon | Babel | Bavel |
H894-02 |
2 Kings 24:16 | בָּבֶֽלָ/ה | bavelah | HNp/Sd |
to Babylon | toward Babylon | in Bavel |
H894-01 |
2 Kings 24:17 | בָּבֶ֛ל | bavel | HNp |
of Babylon | Babel | Bavel |
H894-01 |
2 Kings 24:20 | בָּבֶֽל | bavel | HNp |
of Babylon | Babel | Bavel |
H894-01 |
2 Kings 25:1 | בָּבֶ֜ל | bavel | HNp |
of Babylon | Babel | Bavel |
H894-01 |
2 Kings 25:6 | בָּבֶ֖ל | bavel | HNp |
of Babylon | Babel | Bavel |
H894-01 |
2 Kings 25:7 | בָּבֶֽל | bavel | HNp |
Babylon | Babel | Bavel |
H894-01 |
2 Kings 25:8 | בָּבֶ֑ל | bavel | HNp |
of-Babylon | Babel | Bavel |
H894-01 |
2 Kings 25:8 | בָּבֶ֖ל | bavel-2 | HNp |
of-Babylon | Babel | Bavel |
H894-01 |
2 Kings 25:11 | בָּבֶ֔ל | bavel | HNp |
of Babylon | Babel | Bavel |
H894-02 |
2 Kings 25:13 | בָּבֶֽלָ/ה | bavelah | HNp/Sd |
to-Babylon | toward Babylon | in Bavel |
H894-01 |
2 Kings 25:20 | בָּבֶ֖ל | bavel | HNp |
of Babylon | Babel | Bavel |
H894-01 |
2 Kings 25:21 | בָּבֶ֧ל | bavel | HNp |
of Babylon | Babel | Bavel |
H894-01 |
2 Kings 25:22 | בָּבֶ֑ל | bavel | HNp |
of Babylon | Babel | Bavel |
H894-01 |
2 Kings 25:23 | בָּבֶל֙ | bavel | HNp |
of Babylon | Babel | Bavel |
H894-01 |
2 Kings 25:24 | בָּבֶ֖ל | bavel | HNp |
of Babylon | Babel | Bavel |
H894-01 |
2 Kings 25:27 | בָּבֶ֜ל | bavel | HNp |
of Babylon | Babel | Bavel |
H894-03 |
2 Kings 25:28 | בְּ/בָבֶֽל | bevavel | HR/Np |
in Babylon | in Babylon | in Bavel |
H894-01 |
Isaiah 13:1 | בָּבֶ֑ל | bavel | HNp |
of Babylon | Babel | Bavel |
H894-08 |
Isaiah 13:19 | בָבֶל֙ | vavel | HNp |
Babylon | Babel | Bavel |
H894-01 |
Isaiah 14:4 | בָּבֶ֖ל | bavel | HNp |
of Babylon | Babel | Bavel |
H894-04 |
Isaiah 14:22 | לְ/בָבֶ֜ל | levavel | HR/Np |
from-Babylon | to Babylon | to Bavel |
H894-01 |
Isaiah 21:9 | בָּבֶ֔ל | bavel | HNp |
Babylon | Babel | Bavel |
H894-01 |
Isaiah 39:1 | בָּבֶ֛ל | bavel | HNp |
of Babylon | Babel | Bavel |
H894-05 |
Isaiah 39:3 | מִ/בָּבֶֽל | mibavel | HR/Np |
from Babylon | from Babel | from Bavel |
H894-01 |
Isaiah 39:6 | בָּבֶ֑ל | bavel | HNp |
to Babylon | Babel | Bavel |
H894-01 |
Isaiah 39:7 | בָּבֶֽל | bavel | HNp |
Babylon | Babel | Bavel |
H894-09 |
Isaiah 43:14 | בָבֶ֗לָ/ה | vavelah | HNp/Sd |
to Babylon | toward Babel | in Bavel |
H894-01 |
Isaiah 47:1 | בָּבֶ֔ל | bavel | HNp |
of Babylon | Babel | Bavel |
H894-03 |
Isaiah 48:14 | בְּ/בָבֶ֔ל | bevavel | HR/Np |
on Babylon | in Babylon | in Bavel |
H894-05 |
Isaiah 48:20 | מִ/בָּבֶל֮ | mibavel | HR/Np |
from Babylon | from Babel | from Bavel |
H894-01 |
Jeremiah 20:4 | בָּבֶ֔ל | bavel | HNp |
Babylon | Babel | Bavel |
H894-02 |
Jeremiah 20:4 | בָּבֶ֖לָ/ה | bavelah | HNp/Sd |
to-Babylon | toward Babylon | in Bavel |
H894-02 |
Jeremiah 20:5 | בָּבֶֽלָ/ה | bavelah | HNp/Sd |
to Babylon | toward Babylon | in Bavel |