בָּטֵל
𐤁𐤈𐤋
bâṭêl
H988 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To cease, stop, or desist from activity, especially work; to become inactive or come to a halt. The word conveys the idea of something coming to a standstill or being discontinued, whether through one's own action or external circumstance. It may carry nuances of not working, resting from labor, or becoming idle.
Semantic Range
to stop activity, to desist from work, to become idle, to have work cease (by decree or force), to discontinue official or communal labor
Root / Etymology
From the root ב-ט-ל (בטל), whose core meaning is 'to cease, be idle, discontinue.' The root expresses the idea of stoppage or inactivity, and the verb בָּטֵל (bâtêl) is a stative verb pattern indicating entry into a state of cessation or inactivity. Some modern Hebrew usage develops additional senses, but the biblical meaning is focused on ceasing or desisting.
Historical & Contextual Notes
בָּטֵל is a rare verb, occurring exclusively in late biblical Hebrew (notably in exilic and post-exilic texts such as Ezra and Nehemiah). It is used especially in administrative and legal contexts to denote work or governmental activities coming to a stop, often due to external decrees or force. It does not imply the positive sense of rest (as in שָׁבַת, shavat), but rather stoppage or disruption of normal activity. The root is the source of later Hebrew terms for 'idleness' or 'negation' (such as modern Hebrew בָּטָלָה, unemployment or idleness), but in the Tanakh its sense is situational and administrative. English translations such as 'cease,' 'stop,' or 'desist' generally reflect the basic meaning, but do not always capture the context of forced or imposed inactivity. The verb's distribution marks it as distinctive to the evolving vocabulary of the Persian period, especially regarding construction work on the Jerusalem temple or city walls.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to desist from labor; cease.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
בטל (b-ṭ-l) — cease, desist, become idle, discontinue
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H989 | בְּטֵל | ceasing one |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H988-01 |
וּ/בָטְל֤וּ | uvatelu | HC/Vqq3cp |
and cease | and they ceased | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H988-01 |
Ecclesiastes 12:3 | וּ/בָטְל֤וּ | uvatelu | HC/Vqq3cp |
and cease | and they ceased |