Lexical Summary belo: worn-out Original Word: בְּלוֹא Strong's Exhaustive Concordance old Or (fully) blowy {bel-o'ee}; from balah; (only in plural construction) rags -- old. see HEBREW balah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom balah Definition worn-out things, rags NASB Translation worn-out (3). Brown-Driver-Briggs [בְּלוֺא] noun [masculine] worn out things, rags (Syriac  id.) plural construct בְּלֹויֵ Jeremiah 38:11 (twice in verse), בְּלוֺאֵי Jeremiah 38:12. Topical Lexicon Overview בְּלוֹא appears four times in the Old Testament (Jeremiah 2:11; 38:11 [twice]; 38:12). The word designates something worn-out, threadbare, or useless. Though materially insignificant, its contexts expose powerful theological motifs: the folly of idolatry, the compassionate rescue of God’s servant, and the divine ability to bring good from what the world discards. Occurrences and Narrative Settings 1. Jeremiah 2:11 portrays national apostasy: “But My people have exchanged their Glory for idols that are useless.” Here בְּלוֹא highlights the utter worthlessness of the alternatives Judah pursued in place of the living God. 2. Jeremiah 38:11–12 recounts Jeremiah’s extraction from a cistern: “So Ebed-melech took the men with him … and took from there old rags and worn-out clothes and lowered them with ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern. Ebed-melech the Cushite said to Jeremiah, ‘Put the worn-out rags and clothes under your arms to pad the ropes.’” Twice the term describes rags used to cushion the prophet’s body, turning refuse into an instrument of deliverance. Historical Significance Jeremiah ministered during Judah’s spiraling decline (late seventh to early sixth century B.C.). In chapter 2 he confronts the early stages of that decline; by chapter 38, Jerusalem is under Babylonian siege. בְּלוֹא bookends that trajectory: what begins as a spiritual exchange of glory for “useless” idols culminates in the physical misery of a prophet sinking into mud, rescued only through “worn-out” scraps. The link between moral decay and societal collapse is unmistakable. Theological Themes • Worthlessness of Idolatry: בְּלוֹא in Jeremiah 2:11 captures how anything substituted for God becomes empty and profitless. Ministry Implications 1. Discernment: Leaders must expose modern “glories” that seduce believers yet prove spiritually threadbare. Homiletical Insights • Sermons on idolatry can contrast Judah’s “exchange” (Jeremiah 2:11) with believers’ call to “count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ” (Philippians 3:8). Christological Reflections Jesus Christ, “despised and rejected by men” (Isaiah 53:3), embodies the ultimate reversal: the Stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone (Psalm 118:22). בְּלוֹא prepares hearts to see value where the world sees none, culminating in the cross where apparent weakness secures eternal salvation. Conclusion בְּלוֹא reminds readers that spiritual worth is not measured by outward appearance or societal appraisal. Whether exposing idols or cushioning ropes, the word testifies that God both judges empty substitutes and redeems discarded things—and people—for His glory. Forms and Transliterations בְּל֥וֹא בְּלוֹאֵ֨י בְּלוֹיֵ֣ בלוא בלואי בלוי וּבְלוֹיֵ֖ ובלוי bə·lō·w bə·lō·w·’ê bə·lō·w·yê beLo beloEi bəlōw bəlōw’ê bəlōwyê beloYe ū·ḇə·lō·w·yê ūḇəlōwyê uveloYeLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Jeremiah 2:11 HEB: הֵמִ֥יר כְּבוֹד֖וֹ בְּל֥וֹא יוֹעִֽיל׃ INT: have changed their glory old profit Jeremiah 38:11 Jeremiah 38:11 Jeremiah 38:12 4 Occurrences |
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