בַּבְלִי
𐤁𐤁𐤋𐤉
Baveli
H896 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Pertaining to Babylon, a person originating from Babylon (Babylonian), or relating to the land or territory of Babylon (Babylonia). Used primarily to identify an individual of Babylonian descent, or to describe something characteristic of Babylon such as language, culture, or territory. Sometimes functions more broadly to denote association with the region controlled by Babylon in the exilic and post-exilic periods.
Semantic Range
Babylonian person, citizen of Babylon, from Babylon, belonging to Babylonia, pertaining to Babylonian culture or administration
Root / Etymology
From the proper noun בָּבֶל (Babel/Babylon), with the adjectival suffix -ִי (–î) indicating belonging or origin. The root of בבל most likely relates to Akkadian 'Bāb-ilu' (‘gate of god’), though folk etymology in the Hebrew Bible links it with בָּלַל (to confuse), as in Genesis 11:9. The term בַּבְלִי is thus formed as an adjective/patrial ('one from Babylon' or 'of Babylon').
Historical & Contextual Notes
בַּבְלִי occurs chiefly in late biblical texts, particularly in books written or set during and after the Babylonian exile (e.g., Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah). It designates origin or association with Babylon and can refer to a person ('Babylonian') or to things pertaining to Babylonian culture or administration. In some instances in Daniel, 'Babylonian' (בַּבְלִי) contrasts with 'Chaldean' (כַּשְׂדִּים), which can refer more specifically to an ethnic group or caste within Babylonia; elsewhere, Chaldean comes to denote all Babylonians. English translations often obscure this nuance, sometimes rendering the term simply as 'Babylonian' or 'of Babylon'. In rabbinic and later Jewish tradition, 'Babylonian' may take on religious and scholarly connotations ('Babylonian Talmud'), but such meanings are post-biblical and should not be read into biblical contexts. The term does not have ethnic or religious implications beyond geographic or administrative association in the biblical texts.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) patrial from בַּבֶל; a Babylonian; Babylonia.
Bantu Hebrew
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בבל (b-b-l) — to confuse, confound; association with Babylon (gate of god)
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H896-01 |
בָבְלָיֵ/א֙ | vavelaye | ANgmpd/Td |
the Babylonians | the Babylonian men | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H896-01 |
Ezra 4:9 | בָבְלָיֵ/א֙ | vavelaye | ANgmpd/Td |
the Babylonians | the Babylonian men |