H1101a H1101a
To mix or mingle; predominantly a cultic term for grain offerings mixed with oil, but also to confuse language and to mingle among nations.
Bālal is best known from two vivid biblical scenes: the priestly kitchen, where flour is mixed with oil for sacrifice, and the Tower of Babel, where God confuses human speech. The vast majority of its occurrences (38 of 42) use the Qal passive participle bĕlûlāh to describe grain offerings 'mixed with oil' — a technical sacrificial formula running through Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers. The Arabic cognate balla ('to moisten') illuminates the sole occurrence in Ps 92:10, where the psalmist says 'I am anointed with fresh oil,' and Hosea's metaphor of Ephraim 'mixing himself' among the nations (Hos 7:8) takes the Hitpael reflexive to express cultural assimilation.
Senses
1. to mix, mingle (with oil) — The dominant cultic-technical sense: grain offerings mixed or mingled with oil. Nearly all occurrences (38x) use the Qal passive participle bĕlûlāh in the Priestly source's sacrificial prescriptions — 'fine flour mixed with oil' (Lev 2:4-5; Num 7:13ff.). Spanish mezclada, French mélangé, and German gemischt all converge on straightforward physical mixing. This formulaic usage runs from Exod 29:2 through Numbers' dedicatory offerings. 38×
AR["مَخْلُوطٌ","مَخْلُوطَةً","مَخْلُوطَةٍ","مَلتوتاً","مَلتوتَةً","مَلْتُوتًا","مَلْتُوتَةً","مَلْتُوتَةٍ","مَلْتُوثًا","مَلْتُوثَةً"]·ben["মিশ্রিত","মেশানো"]·DE["gemischt","mischte"]·EN["mixed"]·FR["mélangé"]·heb["בלול","בלולה","בלולות"]·HI["अन्नबलि के लिए","मिला-हुआ","मिली-हुई","में-तेल","सना-हुआ","सनी-हुई"]·ID["diaduk","dicampur","yang-diaduk","yang-diaduk-dengan","yang-dicampur","yang-dicampur-dengan"]·IT["mescolato","mescolò"]·jav["ingkang-dipun-campur","ingkang-dipuncampur","kacampur","kang-dipun-cawisaken"]·KO["섞은","섞인"]·PT["misturada","misturado","misturados"]·RU["смешанная","смешанное","смешанной","смешанную","смешанные"]·ES["mezclada","mezcladas"]·SW["Blult","iliyochanganywa","uliochanganywa","yaliyochanganywa"]·TR["karıştırılmış","karışık"]·urd["ملا-ہوا","ملی-ہوئی"]
2. to confuse, confound (language/speech) — To confuse or confound language — the famous Babel etymology. In Gen 11:7 God says 'let us confuse their language' (cohortative nāvĕlāh), and Gen 11:9 derives the name Babel from this act of bālal. Spanish confundió, French confondit, and German verwirrte all capture the cognitive disruption. Only two occurrences carry this sense, but they gave the word its lasting fame. 2×
AR["بَلْبَلَ","وَ-نُبَلْبِلُ"]·ben["আর-গোলমাল-করি","গোলমাল-করলেন"]·DE["und-verwirren","verwirrte"]·EN["and-let-us-confuse","confused"]·FR["confondit","et-que-nous-confondre"]·heb["בלל","ו-נבלה"]·HI["और-हम-गदबद-दे","गदबदय"]·ID["dan-mengacaukan","mengacaukan"]·IT["confused","e-let-noi-confuse"]·jav["lan-kita-bingungaken","mbingungaken"]·KO["그리고-혼란시키자","혼란시켰다"]·PT["confundiu","e-confundamos"]·RU["и-смешаем","смешал"]·ES["confundió","y-confundamos"]·SW["alichanganya","na-tuichanganye"]·TR["karıştırdı","ve-karıştıralım"]·urd["اور-گڈبڑ-کریں","گڈبڑ-کیا"]
3. to be anointed, moistened (with oil) — To be anointed or moistened with oil, a rare sense attested only in Ps 92:10 (Heb. 92:11): 'I am anointed (ballōtî) with fresh oil.' This connects to the Arabic cognate balla 'to moisten' and may represent the oldest layer of the root's meaning — physical wetting rather than thorough mixing. Spanish he-sido-ungido ('I have been anointed') and English 'I-am-anointed' both highlight the anointing nuance distinct from cultic mixing. 1×
AR["دُهِنْتُ"]·ben["আমি-অভিষিক্ত-হয়েছি"]·DE["ich-bin-gesalbt"]·EN["I-am-anointed"]·FR["de-peur-que"]·heb["בלותי"]·HI["मैं-अभिषिक्त-हुआ"]·ID["aku-diurapi"]·IT["affinche'-non"]·jav["kula-kasiram"]·KO["내-가-바르셨도다"]·PT["fui-ungido"]·RU["умащусь-я"]·ES["he-sido-ungido"]·SW["nimepakwa"]·TR["ovuldum"]·urd["مجھے-چُپڑا-گیا"]
4. to mix oneself (among nations) — Reflexive mixing among peoples, attested only in the Hitpael in Hos 7:8: 'Ephraim mixes himself (yitbôlāl) among the nations.' The Hitpael stem gives this a deliberate, self-initiated quality — not passive assimilation but willing cultural mingling. Spanish se-mezcla ('he mixes himself') and French mélanger capture the reflexive force. Hosea uses this metaphorically to condemn Israel's loss of distinctiveness. 1×
AR["يَختَلِطُ"]·ben["মিশ্রিত-হয়"]·DE["[יתבולל]"]·EN["mixes-himself"]·FR["mélanger"]·heb["יתבולל"]·HI["मिलाया-जाता-है"]·ID["mencampur-diri"]·IT["[יתבולל]"]·jav["sami-campuran"]·KO["섞이는도다"]·PT["mistura-se"]·RU["смешивается"]·ES["se-mezcla"]·SW["anajichanganya"]·TR["karışır"]·urd["ملتا-ہے"]
Related Senses
G0846 1. third-person pronoun reference (5552×)H3605 1. all, every, whole (5352×)H???? 1. (4670×)H6213a 1. do, perform, act (2383×)H0259 1. one (cardinal numeral) (940×)H3548 1. priest, cultic officiant (750×)H8147 1. cardinal number two (666×)G3956 1. all (collective plural) (616×)H3967 1. cardinal numeral hundred (550×)G5547 1. Christ, Messiah, Anointed One (540×)H1419a 1. great, large (general quality) (486×)G4160 1. do, act, perform (473×)H7969 1. cardinal number three (431×)H0505 1. cardinal number thousand (427×)H7651 1. seven (cardinal number) (393×)H5221 1. Hifil: to strike in battle, smite enemies (362×)G1520 1. cardinal number one (339×)H6240 1. ten (cardinal number) (334×)H5030 1. Prophet, divine spokesperson (317×)H6242 1. twenty (cardinal number) (315×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. בָּלַל vb. mingle, mix, confuse, confound (Arabic بَلَّ moisten (with water), cf. بَلَلٌ moisture, Assyrian balâlu, DlPr 70; cf. Ph. בלל name of a sacrifice, & NH בִּלְבֵּל; Aramaic בַּלְבֵּל ܒܰܠܒܶܠ )— Qal Pf. בָּלַל Gn 11:9, בַּ֜לֹּתִ֗י ψ 92:11 (but cf. infr.); Impf. 1 pl. נָֽבְלָה = נָבֹ֫לָּה Gn 11:7, cf. Köi. 325; Pt. pass. בָּלוּל Ex 29:40 + 3 times, בְּלוּלָה Lv 2:5 + 28 times,…