944. bul
Lexical Summary
bul: block, food

Original Word: בּוּל
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: buwl
Pronunciation: bool
Phonetic Spelling: (bool)
KJV: food, stock
NASB: block, food
Word Origin: [for H2981 (יְבוּל - produce)]

1. produce (of the earth, etc.)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
food, stock

For ybuwl; produce (of the earth, etc.) -- food, stock.

see HEBREW ybuwl

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from yabal
Definition
produce, outgrowth
NASB Translation
block (1), food (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
II. בּוּל noun masculine product, produce, see יבול.

בּוּל noun [masculine] produce, outgrowth (abbreviated or scribal error for foregoing) — only singular construct הָרִים ׳ב Job 40:20; also עֵץ ׳ב Isaiah 44:19 the produce of a tree, i.e. a block of wood.

Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Semantic Range

The term denotes that which issues forth from something else—either the natural “yield” that springs from the land (Job 40:20) or the leftover “block” or “lump” of wood that remains after fuel has been taken (Isaiah 44:19). The idea of “produce” or “that which is brought forth” unites both contexts: a positive, life-sustaining outflow in Job and a worthless residue in Isaiah.

Key Passages

Job 40:20 – “Surely the mountains yield him their produce, and all the animals of the field play nearby.”

Isaiah 44:19 – “I burned half of it in the fire; I also baked bread on its coals, I roasted meat and ate. Shall I now make an abomination of what is left? Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”

Biblical Usage

1. Provision of Creation (Job 40:20)
• “Yield” highlights the effortless abundance built into God’s world.
• The Behemoth’s sustenance symbolizes divine care for every creature (Psalm 104:14-15).
• Mountains—normally rugged and uninhabitable—are pictured as generous granaries, emphasizing that God’s provision transcends human limitations.

2. Worthlessness of Idolatry (Isaiah 44:19)
• The same tree that supplies warmth and food can also become a useless idol.
• The term underscores the irony: what once served a legitimate purpose is now degraded into spiritual emptiness (Jeremiah 10:3-5).
• The prophetic mockery exposes the folly of trusting the “residue” of creation instead of the Creator who provides true “yield.”

Historical and Cultural Background

Ancient agrarian societies relied on mountain terraces for pasture and cultivated “high-country” plots for grain and fruit. To see such terrain “yield produce” affirmed the covenant promise of blessing on the land (Deuteronomy 33:13-16). Wood, a critical daily commodity, was harvested from the same hills. Craftsmen turned felled trunks into beams, utensils, and religious images. Isaiah confronts a culture in which abundant resources tempted people to recast God’s gifts into counterfeit gods.

Theological Significance

• Creation as Abundant Gift: “Bul” in Job resonates with Genesis 1:29-30; the earth is designed to bring forth bounty for God’s creatures.
• Idolatry as Misuse of Gift: Isaiah shows how human sin redirects God’s provision toward self-made religion, echoing Romans 1:25.
• Revelation of the Divine Character: The contrast between generous provision and human perversion magnifies the holiness and patience of God, who continues to let the mountains “yield” despite widespread idolatry.

Practical Ministry Applications

1. Stewardship: Teach believers to receive and distribute God’s “yield” gratefully, avoiding both waste and idol-making consumerism.
2. Contentment: Job’s portrayal encourages trust in God’s hidden but faithful supply, especially in seemingly barren seasons.
3. Apologetics: Isaiah’s satire equips the church to expose modern idols—whether materialism, technology, or ideology—as merely the “block” left over after true needs are met.
4. Worship: Recognize every meal, paycheck, and harvest as evidence of divine generosity; channel thanksgiving toward the Giver, not the gift.

Illustrative Insights

• Just as the Behemoth never tills a field yet eats its fill, believers are reminded that “He gives food to every creature” (Psalm 136:25).
• A campfire log can warm a traveler, cook a supper, or invite misplaced devotion. The same fork in the wood still confronts modern hearts: will the remainder be a tool for service or an object of worship?

Related Themes and Cross-References

Provision: Psalm 65:9-13; Matthew 6:26

Idolatry: Exodus 20:4-5; 1 John 5:21

Stewardship: 1 Timothy 6:17-19

Futility of Humanly-Fashioned Gods: Psalm 115:4-8; Acts 17:29

Summary

“Bul” captures both the generosity and the misuse of creation. In Job it sings of mountains pouring out sustenance; in Isaiah it warns of hearts bending before the leftover scraps. Together these snapshots call God’s people to trust His provision, steward His gifts, and reserve worship for the One from whom every true “yield” originates.

Forms and Transliterations
ב֭וּל בול לְב֥וּל לבול ḇūl lə·ḇūl ləḇūl leVul vul
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Englishman's Concordance
Job 40:20
HEB: כִּֽי־ ב֭וּל הָרִ֣ים יִשְׂאוּ־
NAS: bring him food, And all
KJV: bring him forth food, where all the beasts
INT: for food the mountains bring

Isaiah 44:19
HEB: לְתוֹעֵבָ֣ה אֶעֱשֶׂ֔ה לְב֥וּל עֵ֖ץ אֶסְגּֽוֹד׃
NAS: I fall down before a block of wood!
KJV: shall I fall down to the stock of a tree?
INT: an abomination make A block of wood fall

2 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 944
2 Occurrences


lə·ḇūl — 1 Occ.
ḇūl — 1 Occ.

943
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