H1086 H1086
To wear out, decay, or waste away; in the Piel, to consume or to spend/enjoy fully.
Balah begins with the image of fabric fraying and falling apart. Moses twice reminds Israel that their garments did not 'wear out' during forty years of wilderness wandering (Deut 8:4; 29:5), and the Gibeonites display worn-out clothes as deceptive proof of a long journey (Josh 9:13). From threadbare cloth the word expands to cosmic scale: the heavens will 'wear out like a garment' (Ps 102:26; Isa 51:6). The Piel intensifies the action -- God 'wastes' flesh and skin (Lam 3:4) -- but then takes a surprising positive turn in Job 21:13 and Isaiah 65:22, where the wicked or the blessed 'spend' their days fully, enjoying them to the end.
Senses
1. wear out, become old (Qal) — To wear out or decay intransitively -- said of garments, sandals, the human body, and even the cosmos wasting away over time. Deuteronomy's wilderness promise that clothes and sandals did not balah (Deut 8:4; 29:5; Neh 9:21) gives the word its most iconic setting. Isaiah and the Psalms extend it cosmically: the heavens will wear out 'like a garment' (Ps 102:26; Isa 51:6). Spanish 'se-desgastaron' and 'se-consume' mirror the intransitive decay. Eleven occurrences make this the primary sense. 11×
AR["بَليَت", "بَلِيَتْ", "تَبلى", "تَبْلَ", "تَبْلَى", "فَنَائِي", "يَبْلَوْنَ", "يَبْلَى"]·ben["ক্ষয়-হয়", "জীর্ণ", "জীর্ণ-হওয়ার-আমার", "জীর্ণ-হবে", "জীর্ণ-হয়নি", "জীর্ণ-হল"]·DE["[יבלה]", "[יבלו]", "[תבלה]", "ich-verwelkt-bin", "in-ihm", "sind-worn-heraus", "wasted-weg", "wird-wear-heraus", "wore-heraus"]·EN["I-am-worn-out", "are-worn-out", "wasted-away", "wastes-away", "will-wear-out", "wore-out"]·FR["Je-suis-worn-dehors", "[יבלו]", "[תבלה]", "dans-s'user", "s'user", "sont-worn-dehors", "taxe", "wore-dehors", "יבלה"]·heb["בלו", "בלתה", "בלתי-י", "יבלו", "ייבלה", "תבלה"]·HI["पुरानी-हुई", "पुरानी-हुईं", "पुरानी-हो-गईं", "पुरानी-हो-जाएगी", "पुराने-हुए", "पुराने-हो-गए", "पुराने-हो-जाएंगे", "पुराने-होंगे", "मेरि-बुधपे-के", "सड़-जाता-है"]·ID["aku-layu", "membusuk", "menjadi-usang", "usang"]·IT["[יבלו]", "[תבלה]", "consumo'", "in-a-lui", "io-am-worn-fuori", "sono-worn-fuori", "tassa", "wastes-away", "wore-fuori"]·jav["badhé-bosok", "badhé-lusuh", "dados-lawas", "kula-sampun-risak", "lawas", "risak", "rusak", "sami-risak", "sampun-aus"]·KO["낡았다", "낡으리라", "내가-닳은", "닳다", "닳았다", "닳으리라", "쇠하였나이다", "해어졌다"]·PT["envelhecer-eu", "envelheceram", "envelhecerá", "envelhecerão", "envelheceu", "gastaram-se", "gastou-se", "se-consome"]·RU["износилась", "износились", "истлевает", "обветшает", "обветшала", "обветшали", "обветшают", "увядания-моего"]·ES["haberme-marchitado", "se-consume", "se-desgastaron", "se-desgastó", "se-envejecerá", "se-envejecerán", "se-envejecieron", "se-envejeció", "se-gastaron", "se-gastarán", "se-han-gastado"]·SW["anaoza", "chakaa", "haikuchakaa", "ilichakaa", "itachakaa", "kuzeeka-kwangu", "vimechakaa", "watachakaa", "yalichakaa", "zitachakaa"]·TR["eski", "eskidi", "eskidiler", "eskir", "eskiyecekler", "yipranacak", "yıprandı", "yıpranmamdan", "çürüdü"]·urd["بوسیدہ-ہوتا-ہے", "بوڑھاپے-کے-میرے", "پرانا-ہوا", "پرانی-ہو-جائے-گی", "پرانے-ہو-جائیں-گے", "پرانے-ہو-گئے", "پرانے-ہوں-گے", "پھٹی", "پھٹے", "کمزور-ہو-گئیں", "گھسے"]
2. consume, wear out (Piel causative) — To consume, waste, or wear out transitively -- the Piel causative, where an agent inflicts decay on another. God wastes Jeremiah's flesh and skin (Lam 3:4); the wicked 'wear out' God's people (1 Chr 17:9); the body's form is consumed in Sheol (Ps 49:14). Spanish 'ha-consumido' and 'para-consumir' capture the active destruction. Three occurrences carry this intensified force. 3×
AR["بَلَى", "لِ-يُبَدِّدُوهُ", "لِـيَبْلى"]·ben["জীর্ণ-করেছেন", "দুষ্টতা-এর", "প্রতি-নাশ"]·DE["[לבלתו]", "in-ihr", "zu-decay"]·EN["He-wasted", "to-decay", "to-wear-them-out"]·FR["[בלה]", "[לבלתו]", "à-s'user"]·heb["בילה", "ל-בלות", "ל-בלתו-ו"]·HI["क्षय-होने-को", "नाश-करने", "सुखा-दिया"]·ID["Ia-membuat-layu", "untuk-menekan"]·IT["[בלה]", "[לבלתו]", "consumo'"]·jav["Panjenengan-ndadosaken-risak", "kanggé-ngrisak-ipun"]·KO["-소멸하기-위해", "그-가-닳아빠지게-했네", "에-소모하다-그-를"]·PT["Consumiu", "a-consumi-lo", "para-consumir"]·RU["Истощил", "для-истребления", "изнурять-его"]·ES["Ha-consumido", "destruirlo", "para-consumir"]·SW["Ameondoa", "kuwaharibu", "litaoza"]·TR["tüketmeye-onu", "Çürüttü", "çürümek-için"]·urd["اُسے-برباد-کرنے", "لِ-بوسیدہ-ہونے", "گھسا-دیا"]
3. spend, enjoy (Piel) — To spend or enjoy fully -- a striking semantic development from 'consuming' to 'making full use of' with a positive coloring. The wicked 'spend their days in prosperity' (Job 21:13), and in the new creation God's chosen ones 'shall enjoy the work of their hands' (Isa 65:22). Spanish 'disfrutaran' (they shall enjoy) stands in vivid contrast to the decay senses, revealing how completely the word's valence can invert. Two occurrences. 2×
AR["يُبْلُونَ", "يُقْضُونَ"]·ben["[তারা-ব্যয়-করে]", "তারা-ভোগ-করবে"]·DE["[[יבלו]]", "[יבלו]"]·EN["[they-wear-out]", "shall-enjoy"]·FR["[יבלו]"]·heb["יבלו", "יכלו"]·HI["भोगेंगे", "वे-बिताते-हैं"]·ID["K", "akan-menikmati"]·IT["[they-wear-out]", "[יבלו]"]·jav["[piyambakipun-nglampahi]", "badhe-nikmati"]·KO["[보내나니]", "누릴-것이다"]·PT["[Passam]", "gastarão"]·RU["завершают", "износят"]·ES["Pasan", "disfrutarán"]·SW["[wanatumia]", "wataifurahia"]·TR["[geçirirler]", "kullanacaklar"]·urd["برتیں-گے", "گزارتے ہیں"]
Related Senses
H0935 1. come, arrive (Qal) (2413×)H3117 1. day, specific time (2231×)G1473 1. first person singular pronoun (2084×)H5704 1. until, unto, as far as (1238×)H3318 1. Qal: go out, depart, come forth (891×)H8141 1. year, unit of time (880×)H7725 1. to return, come/go back (Qal) (874×)H5927 1. go up, ascend (Qal) (779×)H7971 1. to send, dispatch (Qal) (701×)G2064 1. come / arrive (physical movement toward) (588×)H6258 1. and now (421×)G2250 1. day (388×)H5307 1. Qal: fall down physically (339×)H5375 1. Qal: to lift up, raise (330×)H5975 1. to stand, stand up (310×)H5750 1. again, more, further (288×)H5769 1. forever, to eternity (280×)H6256 1. time, period (264×)H2320 1. month, calendar period (260×)H0310a 2. after (temporal) (258×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [בָּלָה] vb. become old and worn out (Arabic بَلِىَ, Aramaic בְּלֵי, ܒܠܴܐ, Ethiopic በልየ id.)— Qal Pf. בָּלְֽתָה Dt 8:4, בָּלוּ 29:4 +; Impf. יִבְלֶה Jb 13:28 etc.; Inf. c. sf. בְּלֹתִי Gn 18:12;—wear out (intr.), especially of garments Dt 8:4; 29:4(×2), all c. מֵעַל pregn. wear out (and fall) from upon … (hence Ne 9:21), Jos 9:13; fig. of the heavens (with sim. of garment) Is 50:9 ψ 102:27…