H1100 H1100
worthlessness, wickedness — an abstract noun for moral baseness, often compounded as 'sons of Belial'
Beliyya'al is a compound of beli ('without') and ya'al ('profit, worth'), yielding 'worthlessness.' Its 27 occurrences concentrate in the Deuteronomistic History, where 'sons of Belial' functions as a stock epithet for depraved persons: the corrupt sons of Eli (1 Sam 2:12), scoundrels who scorned Saul (1 Sam 10:27), Nabal whose nature matched the term (1 Sam 25:17, 25), and false witnesses suborned against Naboth (1 Kgs 21:10, 13). In the Psalms the word shifts toward cosmic menace: 'torrents of Belial' threaten to overwhelm (Ps 18:4; 2 Sam 22:5) — language that later tradition personified into a demonic figure. Nahum warns that 'one who plots Belial' shall not rise again (Nah 1:11). Spanish and French retain 'Belial' as a quasi-proper noun, while German 'Belial' similarly oscillates between abstract quality and personal evil.
Senses
1. worthlessness, wickedness (Belial) — Moral worthlessness or wickedness, characterizing base persons ('sons of Belial,' Deut 13:13; Judg 19:22; 1 Sam 2:12; 1 Kgs 21:10, 13) and wicked deeds ('a word/thing of Belial,' Ps 41:8; 101:3; Deut 15:9). Also appears in near-mythological imagery as 'torrents of Belial' threatening the psalmist with death (2 Sam 22:5; Ps 18:4). The construct phrase served as moral branding in covenant and judicial contexts. Later tradition personified it as a name for the arch-adversary (cf. 2 Cor 6:15). 27×
AR["الهَلاكِ", "الْهَلاَكِ", "بَليَّعال", "بَلِيَّعال", "بَلِيَّعالَ", "بَلِيَّعَال", "بَلِيَّعَالَ", "بَلِيَّعَلَ", "شَرٍّ", "لَئِيمٌ"]·ben["-এর-বেলিয়াল", "অযোগ্যতার", "দুর্নীতির", "নীচ-চরিত্রের", "নীচতার", "পাপী", "বলিয়ালের", "বলীয়াল", "বলীয়ালের", "বেলিয়ালের"]·DE["Belial", "Beliyaal", "destruction", "worthlessness"]·EN["Belial", "Beliyaal", "destruction", "the-worthless-one", "worthlessness"]·FR["Belial", "Beliyaal", "dans-vaurien", "méchant", "vanité", "vaurien"]·heb["בְלִיַּעַל", "בלייעל", "בליעל", "ה-בליעל"]·HI["दुष्ट", "नीच", "नीचता-के", "बलियाल", "बलियाल-की", "बेलियाल", "बेलियाल-का", "बेलियाल-की", "बेलियाल-के", "बेलीयाल-की"]·ID["-belial", "Belial", "Belial,", "Belial.", "beliaal", "belial", "jahat"]·IT["Belial", "Beliyaal", "vanità", "worthlessness"]·jav["Belial", "Bèlial", "Bélial", "bélial", "ingkang-tanpa-guna", "kang-nistha", "piawon", "tanpa-guna"]·KO["무의한", "벨리알의", "불량배", "불량배의", "불량의", "브리알의", "비리알-의", "비리알-이", "비릴-의", "비천한", "사악한", "악의", "악한", "악한-것-의"]·PT["Belial", "Beliya'al", "Beliyaal", "Beliyya'al", "belial", "de-Belial", "o-perverso", "perversidade", "vil"]·RU["-негодное", "-негодяй", "Белиала", "Белияала", "Велиала", "негодный", "негодный,", "негодных", "негодяев", "негодяи", "негодяй", "нечестивый", "нечестия", "пагубное", "погибели"]·ES["Belial", "de-Belial", "destrucción", "perversidad"]·SW["-uovu", "Beliali", "asiye-na-faida", "beliali", "belialu", "la-uovu", "mwovu", "uharibifu", "uovu", "wa-Beliali", "wa-uovu"]·TR["Belial", "Belial'in", "Belial'ın", "Belyal'in", "belial", "belial'in", "belial-ın", "değersiz", "değersizliğin", "kötü", "kötülüğün"]·urd["بدماش-کا", "بدماشی-کے", "بدمعاش-کے", "بدمعاشی-کی", "بدمعاشی-کے", "بدکار", "بدکاری-کا", "بلیعال", "بلیعال-کا", "بلیعال-کے", "بُری-کی", "بے-دین", "بے-دینی-کی", "بےلیعال", "تباہی-کے"]
Deut 13:13, Deut 15:9, Judg 19:22, Judg 20:13, 1 Sam 1:16, 1 Sam 2:12, 1 Sam 10:27, 1 Sam 25:17, 1 Sam 25:25, 1 Sam 30:22, 2 Sam 16:7, 2 Sam 20:1 (+15 more)
Related Senses
H5414 1. give, bestow (1855×)H3947 1. take, seize, grasp (Qal) (940×)G2192 1. possess / have (680×)G1325 1. give, bestow (336×)H5159 1. inherited land or property (170×)G2983 1. receive, obtain (134×)H3423 1. Qal: take possession of land (130×)G2983 2. take, take up (113×)G2398 1. one's own, belonging to oneself (91×)G3860 1. hand over, deliver to custody (78×)H7998 1. spoil, plunder, booty (74×)G1325 2. be given, be granted (70×)H5414 2. put, place, set (68×)H7999a 1. pay, repay, recompense (63×)H7069 1. Buy, purchase (59×)H1892 1. vanity, futility, absurdity (58×)H5159 2. heritage as covenant portion (52×)H6299 1. redeem or ransom (Qal active) (49×)H4376 1. Sell (Qal active) (47×)H1350a 1. Redeem, buy back (46×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† בְּלִיַּ֫עַל27 n.[m.] worthlessness (cpd. בְּלִי not, without and יַעַל worth, use, profit)—בּ׳ Dt 13:14 + 20 times; בְּלִיָּ֑עַל ψ 101:3 + 5 times;—the quality of being useless, good for nothing. 1. abstr. אִישׁ (ה)בליעל, אַנְשֵׁי הבליעל, worthless, good-for-nothing, base fellows 1 S 25:25; 2 S 16:7; 20:1; 1 K 21:13; Pr 16:27; = בֶּן־ב׳ 1 S 25:17, בְּנֵי ב׳ Dt 13:14; Ju 19:22; 20:13; 1 S 2:12;…