1086. balah
Strong's Lexicon
balah: To wear out, to waste away, to decay

Original Word: בָּלָה
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: balah
Pronunciation: bah-LAH
Phonetic Spelling: (baw-law')
Definition: To wear out, to waste away, to decay
Meaning: to fail, to wear out, decay

Word Origin: A primitive root

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: - G3822 (palaioō): To make old, to become obsolete

- G5351 (phthora): Corruption, decay

Usage: The Hebrew verb "balah" primarily conveys the idea of wearing out or decaying. It is often used in the context of physical deterioration, whether of garments, human strength, or life itself. The term can also imply the passage of time leading to a state of exhaustion or depletion.

Cultural and Historical Background: In ancient Hebrew culture, the concept of wearing out or decaying was a vivid metaphor for the transient nature of life and material possessions. The Israelites, living in a harsh and often unforgiving environment, were acutely aware of the impermanence of physical things. This understanding was reflected in their language and literature, where "balah" served as a reminder of human mortality and the need for reliance on God, who is eternal and unchanging.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to become old, wear out
NASB Translation
become old (1), consume (1), decaying (1), spend (1), waste (1), waste away (1), wasted away (1), wear (6), worn (3).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
[בָּלָה] verb become old and worn out (Arabic , Aramaic בְּלֵי, , Ethiopic id.) —

Qal Perfect בָּ˜לְתָה Deuteronomy 8:4, בָּלוּ Deuteronomy 29:4 +; Imperfect יִבְלֶה Job 13:28 etc.; Infinitive with suffix בְּלֹתִי Genesis 18:12; — wear out (intransitive), especially of garments Deuteronomy 8:4; Deuteronomy 29:4 (twice in verse), all with מֵעַל pregnantly wear out (and fall) from upon... (hence Nehemiah 9:21), Joshua 9:13; figurative of the heavens (with simile of garment) Isaiah 50:9; Psalm 102:27 כַּבֶּגֶד יִבְלוּ, the earth Isaiah 51:6 כַּבֶּגֶד תִּבְלֶה; the bones (through suffering) Psalm 32:3; afflicted man Job 13:28 וְהוּא כְּרָקָב יִבְלֶה ("" כְּבֶגֶד אֲכָלוֺ עָשׁ); of an aged and decrepit woman Genesis 18:12 (J) אַחֲרֵי בְלֹתִי after I am worn out.

Pi`el causative of Qal.

a. wear out (transitive), figurative Lamentations 3:4 בִּלָּה בְשָׂרִי וְעוֺרִי, Psalm 49:15 and their form לְבַלּוֺת שְּׁאוֺל is for Sh®°ôl to consume away (others read לִבְלוֺת is for wasting away [Dr§ 204], connecting ׳שׁ with following), 1 Chronicles 17:9 לְבַלֹּתוֺ to wear it (Israel) out (altered from לְעַנּוֺתוֺ 2 Samuel 7:10), compare Daniel 7:25 Aramaic

b. wear out by use, use to the full, Isaiah 65:22 and the work of their hands יְבַלּוּ they shall use to the full, enjoy, Job 21:13 they wear out their days in prosperity (Qr here יְכַלּוּ complete, which perhaps is the true reading in both passages; compare Exodus 5:13; Job 36:11). — On ַ™בּלּוֺתֹּי Psalm 92:11, see below בָּלַל.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
consume, enjoy long, become make, wax old, spend, waste

A primitive root; to fail; by implication to wear out, decay (causatively, consume, spend) -- consume, enjoy long, become (make, wax) old, spend, waste.

Forms and Transliterations
בְלֹתִי֙ בִּלָּ֤ה בָּל֕וּ בָּל֣וּ בָֽלְתָה֙ בָל֔וּ בָל֤וּ בָלְתָ֖ה בלה בלו בלתה בלתי וּֽמְבַהֲלִ֥ים ומבהלים יְבַלּ֥וּ יְכַלּ֣וּ יִבְל֑וּ יִבְל֔וּ יִבְלֶ֑ה יבלה יבלו יכלו לְבַלֹּת֔וֹ לְבַלּ֥וֹת לבלות לבלתו תִּבְלֶ֔ה תבלה ḇā·lə·ṯāh bā·lū ḇā·lū ḇāləṯāh baLu bālū ḇālū ḇə·lō·ṯî ḇəlōṯî bil·lāh bilLah billāh lə·ḇal·lō·ṯōw lə·ḇal·lō·wṯ ləḇallōṯōw ləḇallōwṯ levalLot levalloTo tiḇ·leh tiḇleh tivLeh ū·mə·ḇa·hă·lîm ūməḇahălîm umevahaLim valTah vaLu veloTi yə·ḇal·lū yə·ḵal·lū yəḇallū yechalLu yəḵallū yevalLu yiḇ·leh yiḇ·lū yiḇleh yiḇlū yivLeh yivLu
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Englishman's Concordance
Genesis 18:12
HEB: לֵאמֹ֑ר אַחֲרֵ֤י בְלֹתִי֙ הָֽיְתָה־ לִּ֣י
NAS: After I have become old, shall I have
KJV: After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure,
INT: saying After have become have have pleasure

Deuteronomy 8:4
HEB: שִׂמְלָ֨תְךָ֜ לֹ֤א בָֽלְתָה֙ מֵֽעָלֶ֔יךָ וְרַגְלְךָ֖
NAS: Your clothing did not wear out on you, nor
KJV: Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot
INT: your clothing nor wear and your foot

Deuteronomy 29:5
HEB: בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר לֹֽא־ בָל֤וּ שַׂלְמֹֽתֵיכֶם֙ מֵעֲלֵיכֶ֔ם
NAS: your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandal
KJV: your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe
INT: the wilderness have not worn your clothes on

Deuteronomy 29:5
HEB: וְנַֽעַלְךָ֥ לֹֽא־ בָלְתָ֖ה מֵעַ֥ל רַגְלֶֽךָ׃
NAS: out on you, and your sandal has not worn out on your foot.
KJV: upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot.
INT: and your sandal has not worn on your foot

Joshua 9:13
HEB: שַׂלְמוֹתֵ֙ינוּ֙ וּנְעָלֵ֔ינוּ בָּל֕וּ מֵרֹ֥ב הַדֶּ֖רֶךְ
NAS: and our sandals are worn out because
KJV: and our shoes are become old by reason of the very
INT: our clothes and our sandals are worn long journey

1 Chronicles 17:9
HEB: בְנֵי־ עַוְלָה֙ לְבַלֹּת֔וֹ כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר בָּרִאשׁוֹנָֽה׃
NAS: and the wicked will not waste them anymore
KJV: of wickedness waste them any more,
INT: shall the children of wickedness will not waste as formerly

Ezra 4:4
HEB: [וּמְבַלַהִים כ] (וּֽמְבַהֲלִ֥ים ק) אוֹתָ֖ם
INT: the people of Judah consume building

Nehemiah 9:21
HEB: שַׂלְמֹֽתֵיהֶם֙ לֹ֣א בָל֔וּ וְרַגְלֵיהֶ֖ם לֹ֥א
NAS: Their clothes did not wear out, nor
KJV: nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet
INT: their clothes nor wear their feet nor

Job 13:28
HEB: וְ֭הוּא כְּרָקָ֣ב יִבְלֶ֑ה כְּ֝בֶ֗גֶד אֲכָ֣לוֹ
NAS: While I am decaying like a rotten thing,
KJV: And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment
INT: he A rotten I am decaying A garment eaten

Job 21:13
HEB: [יְבַלּוּ כ] (יְכַלּ֣וּ ק) בַטּ֣וֹב
NAS: They spend their days in prosperity,
INT: consume prosperity their days

Psalm 32:3
HEB: כִּֽי־ הֶ֭חֱרַשְׁתִּי בָּל֣וּ עֲצָמָ֑י בְּ֝שַׁאֲגָתִ֗י
NAS: [about my sin], my body wasted away Through my groaning
KJV: my bones waxed old through my roaring
INT: When kept wasted my body my groaning

Psalm 49:14
HEB: (וְ֭צוּרָם ק) לְבַלּ֥וֹת שְׁא֗וֹל מִזְּבֻ֥ל
NAS: shall be for Sheol to consume So that they have no
KJV: and their beauty shall consume in the grave
INT: the morning beauty to consume Sheol habitation

Psalm 102:26
HEB: וְ֭כֻלָּם כַּבֶּ֣גֶד יִבְל֑וּ כַּלְּב֖וּשׁ תַּחֲלִיפֵ֣ם
NAS: And all of them will wear out like a garment;
KJV: but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment;
INT: and all A garment will wear clothing will change

Isaiah 50:9
HEB: כֻּלָּם֙ כַּבֶּ֣גֶד יִבְל֔וּ עָ֖שׁ יֹאכְלֵֽם׃
NAS: they will all wear out like a garment;
KJV: me; who [is] he [that] shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment;
INT: will all A garment wear the moth will eat

Isaiah 51:6
HEB: וְהָאָ֙רֶץ֙ כַּבֶּ֣גֶד תִּבְלֶ֔ה וְיֹשְׁבֶ֖יהָ כְּמוֹ־
NAS: And the earth will wear out like a garment
KJV: and the earth shall wax old like a garment,
INT: and the earth A garment will wear inhabitants like

Isaiah 65:22
HEB: וּמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יְדֵיהֶ֖ם יְבַלּ֥וּ בְחִירָֽי׃
NAS: And My chosen ones will wear out the work
KJV: and mine elect shall long enjoy the work
INT: the work of their hands will wear and my chosen

Lamentations 3:4
HEB: בִּלָּ֤ה בְשָׂרִי֙ וְעוֹרִ֔י
NAS: and my skin to waste away, He has broken
KJV: and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken
INT: to waste my flesh and my skin

17 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 1086
17 Occurrences


bā·lū — 2 Occ.
bil·lāh — 1 Occ.
lə·ḇal·lō·wṯ — 1 Occ.
lə·ḇal·lō·ṯōw — 1 Occ.
tiḇ·leh — 1 Occ.
ū·mə·ḇa·hă·lîm — 1 Occ.
ḇā·lə·ṯāh — 2 Occ.
ḇā·lū — 2 Occ.
ḇə·lō·ṯî — 1 Occ.
yə·ḵal·lū — 1 Occ.
yə·ḇal·lū — 1 Occ.
yiḇ·leh — 1 Occ.
yiḇ·lū — 2 Occ.















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