Lexical Summary baleh: To wear out, to decay, to waste away Original Word: בָּלֶה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance old From balah; worn out -- old. see HEBREW balah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom balah Definition worn-out NASB Translation worn (1), worn-out (4). Brown-Driver-Briggs [בָּלֶה] adjective worn out; feminine בָּלָה Ezekiel 23:43 (of a woman, compare Genesis 18:12 above); plural בָּלִים Joshua 9:4 (sacks), Joshua 9:4 (wine-skins), בָּלוֺת Joshua 9:5 (sandals), Joshua 9:5 (garments). Topical Lexicon Occurrences and Immediate ContextJoshua 9:4-5 (twice in each verse) presents בָּלֶה describing the “worn-out” luggage, wineskins, sandals, and clothing the Gibeonites chose to stage their ruse. Ezekiel 23:43 applies the same term figuratively to a woman “worn out by adultery,” portraying Jerusalem’s moral decay. The word therefore spans both literal decay of objects and the spiritual exhaustion produced by sin. Narrative Significance in Joshua The Gibeonite deception (Joshua 9) stands as a cautionary episode in Israel’s early conquest. By exhibiting items “worn-out” (בָּלֶה), the envoys convinced Israel that they had traveled from a distant land, securing a treaty that Israel had been expressly warned against making with local inhabitants (Deuteronomy 7:1-3). The term intensifies the contrast between appearance and reality: • Visual Persuasion. The “worn-out sacks” and “old wineskins, cracked and mended” (Joshua 9:4) projected hardship and distance. Prophetic Imagery in Ezekiel Ezekiel 23:43 exposes Jerusalem’s spiritual adultery: “Then I said about the one worn out by adultery, ‘Now let them carry on their prostitution with her, for that is all she is!’”. Here בָּלֶה depicts: • Moral Exhaustion. Sin is shown to erode vitality; the city is pictured as spent, having squandered covenant blessings. Theological Themes 1. Frailty of External Appearances Objects fade, and deceptive facades crumble. Disciples must therefore “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). 2. Erosion Caused by Sin Like fabric that frays over time, habitual disobedience progressively weakens spiritual resolve (Hebrews 3:13). 3. Need for Renewal God offers garments that do not wear out: “Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 13:14). The antithesis of בָּלֶה is the “new self, created to be like God” (Ephesians 4:24). Practical Ministry Applications • Discernment. Leaders must evaluate circumstances prayerfully rather than relying solely on what looks credible. Christological Connections Jesus taught that “no one pours new wine into old wineskins” (Matthew 9:17), echoing the imagery of worn containers in Joshua 9. New life in Christ cannot be contained by the deteriorating forms of self-righteousness. In Him, the believer receives “an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade” (1 Peter 1:4). Summary בָּלֶה signals more than physical deterioration; it mirrors the deceptive potential of appearances and the corrosive effect of sin. Whether highlighting Gibeonite trickery or Jerusalem’s prostitution, Scripture employs the term to urge God’s people toward discernment, covenant fidelity, and the renewing grace found in the Lord. Forms and Transliterations בָּל֖וֹת בָּל֤וֹת בָּלִ֔ים בָּלִים֙ בלות בלים לַבָּלָ֖ה לבלה bā·lîm bā·lō·wṯ baLim bālîm baLot bālōwṯ lab·bā·lāh labbaLah labbālāhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Joshua 9:4 HEB: וַיִּקְח֞וּ שַׂקִּ֤ים בָּלִים֙ לַחֲמ֣וֹרֵיהֶ֔ם וְנֹאד֥וֹת NAS: and took worn-out sacks KJV: and took old sacks INT: and took sacks worn-out their donkeys and wineskins Joshua 9:4 Joshua 9:5 Joshua 9:5 Ezekiel 23:43 5 Occurrences |
    |