H1104 H1104
To swallow, gulp down; to devour, engulf; to destroy; passive: to be swallowed up; also: to confuse, confound
A verb of sudden, total consumption, bala conveys the terrifying quickness of being swallowed whole. Pharaoh's magicians watched their serpents 'swallowed' by Aaron's rod (Exod 7:12), the earth 'swallowed' Korah and his rebels (Num 16:30-32), and Pharaoh's chariots were 'swallowed' by the sea (Exod 15:12). The Piel intensifies this into forceful devouring — enemies 'swallow up' Israel (Jer 51:34), and death itself 'will be swallowed up forever' (Isa 25:8), a passage Paul quotes in triumph (1 Cor 15:54). A surprising semantic branch leads to 'confuse' or 'confound' (Ps 55:9; Isa 3:12), as if swallowing someone's speech or counsel leaves them bewildered. The Arabic balaa, Ethiopic balaa ('to eat'), and Assyrian belu (Pi. 'to destroy') confirm the ancient Semitic core of sudden, overwhelming ingestion.
6. sense 6 — A single Hitpael reflexive occurrence (Ps 107:27) describing sailors who 'stagger' or 'are engulfed' in a storm — 'all their wisdom was swallowed up,' meaning their seamanship was overwhelmed and rendered useless. Spanish se confundia confirms the reflexive-middle voice, and the sense bridges the swallowing and confounding meanings: the storm 'swallows up' their skill, leaving them reeling. The Hitpael morphology adds self-involvement absent from the purely passive Nifal/Pual forms. 1×
AR["ابتُلِعَت"]·ben["গিলে-ফেলা-হত"]·DE["Krieg-verschlungen-hinauf"]·EN["was-swallowed-up"]·FR["engloutir"]·heb["תתבלע"]·HI["निगल-जाती-है"]·ID["tertelan"]·IT["inghiotti'"]·jav["dipunkuntal"]·KO["삼켜졌도다"]·PT["era-tragada"]·RU["исчезает"]·ES["se-confundía"]·SW["ilimezwa"]·TR["yutuldu"]·urd["ضائع-ہو-جاتی-تھی"]
▼ 5 more senses below
Senses
1. swallow (Qal physical) — The basic Qal active sense of physical swallowing or engulfing (21 occurrences) — the foundational meaning. Aaron's rod 'swallowed' the magicians' rods (Exod 7:12), the earth 'swallowed' Korah's company (Num 16:30, 32; Deut 11:6), and Pharaoh's thin cows 'swallowed' the fat ones in the dream (Gen 41:7, 24). The sea 'swallowed' Egypt at the Exodus (Exod 15:12). Arabic balaa, Korean samkida, and Swahili -meza all map uniformly to this concrete sense. The emphasis is on suddenness and totality — what is swallowed is gone. 21×
AR["أَبْلَعَ","ابتَلَعونا","ابْتَلَعَ","ابْتَلَعَتْهُمْ","ابْتَلَعَنِي","تَبْتَلِعَنَا","تَبْتَلِعْني","فَابْتَلَعَتْ","لِيَبْتَلِعَ","وَ-ابتَلَعَت","وَ-ابْتَلَعَتِ","وَ-ابْتَلَعَتْ","وَابْتَلَعَتْهُمْ","يَبتَلِعونَهُ","يَبْتَلِعُهَا","يَبْلَعُ"]·ben["(আমাকে-গিলে-ফেলেছে)","[আমাকে-গিলে-ফেলেছে]","আর-গ্রাস-করল-তারা","এবং-গিলে-ফেলল","এবং-গিলে-ফেলে","এবং-গ্রাস-করল","ও-গিলে-ফেলল","গিলে-ফেলবে","গিলে-ফেলবে-তা","গিলে-ফেলে-এটাকে","গ্রাস-করত-আমাদের,","গ্রাস-করতে","গ্রাস-করুক-আমাকে","তাদের-গ্রাস-করল","নিগলে-ফেলা","সে-গিলবে","সে-গিলেছে"]·DE["sie-würde-haben-verschlungen-uns","und-swallows","und-verschlangen","und-verschluckte","und-verschluckte-ihnen","und-verschlungen","verschlang","verschlingen","verschlingen-mich","verschlucken-uns","verschluckte-ihnen"]·EN["(he-swallowed-me)","I-swallow","[ketiv:he-swallowed-me]","and-swallowed","and-swallowed-them","and-swallows","and-they-swallowed","he-swallowed","he-swallows-it","swallow-me","swallow-us","swallowed-them","they-would-have-swallowed-us","to-swallow","will-swallow-it"]·FR["dans-engloutir","engloutir","engloutir-moi","engloutir-nous","engloutit-eux","et-engloutir","et-engloutit","et-engloutit-eux","et-ils-engloutit","et-swallows"]·heb["(בלעני)","[בלענו]","בלע","בלעונו","בלעי","ו-בלעה","ו-יבלע","ו-תבלע","ו-תבלעם","ו-תבלען","ו-תבלענה","יבלע","יבלעוהו","יבלענה","ל-בלוע","תבלעמו","תבלענו","תבלעני"]·HI["उसने-निगल-लिया-मुझे","उसने-निगला","और-निगल-गई","और-निगल-गई-उन्हें","और-निगल-गईं","और-निगल-लिया","और-निगलेगी","निगल-जाए-हमें","निगल-जाएंगे-उसे","निगल-जाता-है-उसे","निगल-लिया-उन्हें","निगल-लिया-होता-हमें","निगलने-के-लिए","निगलने-तक-मेरे-","वह-निगलेगा"]·ID["Dan-menelanlah","[menelan-aku]","akan-menelannya","aku-menelan","biarlah-menelan-aku","dan-menelan","dan-menelan-mereka","ia-menelan","ia-menelannya","ia-telan","menelan-aku","menelan-kita","menelan-mereka","mereka-menelan-kami","untuk-menelan"]·IT["[(בלעני)]","[[בלענו]]","[יבלעהו]","[יבלענה]","[לבלע]","e-essi-inghiottì","e-inghiotti","e-inghiotti'","e-inghiotti-loro","e-inghiottì","e-swallows","inghiotti'","inghiottire","inghiottire-mio","inghiottire-noi","inghiottì-loro"]·jav["Lan-sami-nelen","[ketib]","dipun-ulu","dipunulu","kanggé-ngulu","kawula-nguntal","lan-ngulu","lan-nguntal","lan-nguntal-piyambakipun","ngulu-kita-sadaya","ngulu-piyambakipun-sedaya","nguntal-kawula","sami-ngulu-kita","sampun-nguntal-kula"]·KO["(삼쯄다-나를)","[삼쯄다-우리를]","그가-삼킨다","그러나-삼켰다","그리고-삼켰느니라-그들을","그리고-삼켰다","그리고-삼켰도다","그리고-삼킨다","나의-삼킴","삼켰다","삼켰다가","삼켰으리로다-우리-를","삼키리라-그것을","삼키지-마소서","삼키지-않으리라","삼킬-것이다","위하여-삼키기"]·PT["(engoliu-me)","[engoliu-me]","a-engolirá","e-engolir","e-engoliram","e-engoliu","e-engoliu-os","engolir","engolir-nos","engolirá","engolirão-o","engoliu","me-trague","nos-teriam-engolido","os-engoliu","para-engolir"]·RU["(поглотил-меня)","[поглотил-меня]","и-поглотил","и-поглотила","и-поглотила-их","и-поглотили","и-поглотит","поглотила-их","поглотила-нас","поглотили-бы-они-нас","поглотит-меня","поглотят-его","проглотил","проглотит","проглотит-его","проглочу-я","чтобы-проглотить"]·ES["Y-tragaron","[kethiv]","lo-tragará;","lo-tragarán","los-tragó","me-ha-tragado","me-trague","nos-habrían-tragado","nos-trague","para-tragar","se-la-traga","trague","tragó","y-los-traga","y-los-tragó","y-tragaron","y-tragó"]·SW["-kumezwa","[amenimeza]","alimeza","amenimeza","ataimeza","hamezi","ikawameza","kummeza","na-ikameza","na-ikammeza","na-ikawameza","na-kuwameza","na-yakameza","nchi-ikawameza","nimeze","usinimeze","wangetumeza","wataimeza"]·TR["(yuttu-beni)","Ve-yuttular","[yuttu-beni]","ve-yutarsa","ve-yuttu","ve-yuttu-onları","yutacak-onu","yutana-dek","yutar","yutar-bizi","yutar-onu","yutarlardı-bizi","yutmak-için","yutsun-beni","yuttu","yuttu-onları"]·urd["(اُس-نے-نگلا-مجھے)","[اُس-نے-نگلا-مجھے]","اور-نگل-گئی","اور-نگل-گئی-اُنہیں","اور-نگل-گئیں","اور-نگلا","اور-نگلے","تھوک-نگلنے","نگل-جائیں-گے-اُسے","نگل-جائے-گا","نگل-جاتے-ہمیں","نگل-لیا-انہیں","نگل-لے-ہمیں","نگلنے-کو","نگلی","نگلے-مجھے","نگلےگا"]
2. devour/swallow up (Piel intensive) — The Piel intensive stem expressing forceful devouring or swallowing up (15 occurrences), where the action is more deliberate and overwhelming than the basic Qal. Nebuchadnezzar 'has swallowed me up like a dragon' (Jer 51:34), enemies 'swallow up' Israel (Ps 124:3), and fire 'devours' the wicked (Ps 21:9). The Piel retains the swallowing imagery but intensifies the force. Arabic ibtala'a (Form VIII intensive) and Korean samkida still apply, though German shifts from verschlingen to verschlang to mark the heightened consumption. Numbers 4:20 warns that the Kohathites must not enter to look 'even for a moment' lest they be 'swallowed up.' 15×
AR["أَبْتَلِعَ","ابْتَلَعَ","ابْتَلَعَهُ","ابْتَلَعْناهُ","ابْتَلَعْنَاهَا","بِـ-بَلعِ","تَبْتَلِعُ","تِبَلّْعِنُّو","كَبَلْعَ","مُبتَلِعُوكِ","يَبْتَلِعُهُ","يَبْتَلِعُهُمْ","يَبْلَعُ-"]·ben["-তে-গিলে-ফেলা","-তোমার-ধ্বংসকারীরা","আমি-গ্রাস-করি","গিলে-ফেলবে-তা","গিলে-ফেলে","গিলে-ফেলেছি-তাকে","গ্রাস-করবে","গ্রাস-করলাম","গ্রাস-করেছেন","গ্রাসে-করতে","তাকে-গিলে-ফেলে","তাদের-গ্রাস-করবেন","সে-উৎপাটিত-হয়"]·DE["ich-swallow-hinauf","verschlang","verschlingen","verschlingt-ihnen","wie-seiend-verschluckte","wir-haben-verschlungen-ihn-hinauf","wuerde-du-swallow-hinauf"]·EN["Has-swallowed","He-has-swallowed","I-swallow-up","as-being-swallowed","one-swallows-him","swallow-him","swallows","swallows-it-up","swallows-them","we-have-swallowed","we-have-swallowed-him-up","when-swallows","would-you-swallow-up","your-swallowers"]·FR["comme-étant-engloutit","dans-engloutir","engloutir","ferait-tu-swallow-en-haut","je-swallow-en-haut"]·heb["אבלע","ב-בלוע","בילע","בילענו","בלענו-אותו","יבלע־","יבלעם","יבלענו","כ-כבלע","מבלעיך","תבלע","תבלענו"]·HI["जब-निगला-जाए","तेरे-निगलने-वाले","निगल-जाएँगे-उसे","निगल-जाएगा-उन्हें","निगल-जाता-है-उसे","निगल-लिया","निगल-लिया-हमने","निगल-लिया-हमने-उसे","निगलता-है-","निगलने-में-","निगलूँ","निगलेगा","वह-उसे-निगल-जाए"]·ID["Ia-menelan","aku-menelan","ditelan","engkau-akan-menelan","kami-telah-menelannya","ketika-ditutupi","ketika-menelan","menelan","menelan-dia","menelannya","yang-menelan-engkau"]·IT["[בבלע]","[בלענו]","[מבלעיך]","come-essendo-inghiotti","inghiotti'","inghiottire","ingoiare","io-inghiotti-su","vorrebbe-tu-inghiotti-su"]·jav["Panjenengan-nguntal","badhé-nguntal","kita-sampun-ngulu-piyambakipun","kita-sampun-nguntal","kula-nguntal","nalika-nguntal","nalika-nutup","ngrisak-piyambakipun","ngulu-piyambakipun","nguntal","nguntal-piyambak-ipun","panjenengan-nguntal","para-ingkang-ngulu-panjenengan"]·KO["그-가-삼켰네","내가-삼킨다면","너를-삼키는-자들이","당신이-삼키려-하는가","삼켰네","삼켰다고","삼키느니라-","삼키느니라-그것을","삼키면-그를-그가","삼키시리로다","삼킨다-그를","에-삼키는-것같이","에서-삼키는데","우리-가-삼켰네"]·PT["Devoramos!","Engolimo-lo","Engoliu","como-engolir","engole-","engolir","engolirás","engoliu","o-engole","o-engolir","os-engolirá","quando-engole","teus-devoradores"]·RU["Мы-поглотили-её","Поглотил","когда-поглощает","когда-покрывают","мы-поглотили-его","поглотил","поглотит-его","поглотит-их","поглотишь","поглотят-его.","поглощает-его","поглощают-","поглощающие-тебя","поглощу"]·ES["Ha-devorado","como-envolver","cuando-traga","devora-","ha-devorado","hemos-devorado","lo-arranca","lo-destruyen","lo-devora","lo-hemos-devorado","los-tragará","tragarás","trago","tus-devoradores"]·SW["Amemeza","Tumemeza","Tumemmeza","amemeza","atawameza","huimeza","ikimezwa","inamzamisha","kinameza","nimeze","utameza","wakati-anapomeza","wakati-wa-kufunika","waliokumeza"]·TR["Yuttu","bir-an-bile-","yutacak-onları","yutanlarin","yutar-","yutar-onu","yutarsa-onu","yutarsam","yutarsın","yuttu","yuttuk","yuttuk-onu","yuttuğunda"]·urd["اُنہیں-نگل-جائے-گا","تُو-نگلے-گا","تیرا-نگلنے-والے","جب-نگلتا-ہے","جب-ڈھانپا-جائے","میں-نگلوں","نگل-جائے-اُسے","نگل-جاتا-ہے-اُسے","نگل-جاتے-ہیں-اُسے","نگل-گیا","نگلتا-ہے-","ہم-نے-اُسے-نگل-لیا","ہم-نے-نگل-لیا"]
Num 4:20, 2 Sam 20:19, 2 Sam 20:20, Job 8:18, Ps 21:9, Ps 35:25, Prov 19:28, Prov 21:20, Eccl 10:12, Isa 49:19, Lam 2:2, Lam 2:5 (+3 more)
3. destroy/annihilate (Piel metaphorical) — A fully metaphorical Piel sense meaning to destroy or annihilate (5 occurrences), where the swallowing image has faded and pure destruction remains. Job 2:3 has God telling Satan 'you incited me against him to destroy him without cause.' Isaiah 25:7-8 promises God 'will swallow up the covering over all peoples' and 'will swallow up death forever' — destruction deployed as salvation. Arabic yuzilu ('to remove') and Korean pagoeham ('destruction') confirm the shift from ingestion to annihilation. Lamentations 2:8 uses this sense for God 'destroying' Zion's ramparts. 5×
AR["لِأُهْلِكَهُ","مِنَ-الابْتِلاَعِ","وَتَبْتَلِعُني","وَيُزِيلُ","يَبْلَعُ"]·ben["এবং-আমাকে-গ্রাস-করেন","ও-গ্রাস-করবেন","গ্রাস-করতে-তাকে","গ্রাস-করবেন","গ্রাস-করা-থেকে"]·DE["und-verschlang","und-verschlingen","verschlang","verschlingen"]·EN["And-He-shall-destroy","He-shall-swallow-up","and-You-swallow-me","from-destroying","to-swallow-him-up"]·FR["engloutir","et-engloutir","et-engloutir-moi","à-engloutir-lui"]·heb["בילע","ו-בילע","ו-בלעתני","ל-בלעו","מ-בלע"]·HI["और-तू-मुझे-निगल-गया","और-निगल-जाएगा","निगल-जाएगा","निगलने-को-उसको","निगलने-से"]·ID["Dan-Dia-akan-menelan","Dia-menelan","dan-Engkau-menelanku","dari-menelan","untuk-menelannya"]·IT["[מבלע]","e-inghiottire-mio","e-ingoiare","ingoiare","per-inghiottire-suo"]·jav["dipun-sirnakaken","lan-dipun-sirnakaken","lan-ngrisak-kawula","saking-ngrisak","supados-ngrisak-piyambakipun"]·KO["그리고-당신이-나를-삼키셨다","그리고-삼키시리니","멸하게-하려고","삼키시리니","파괴함-에서"]·PT["Destruiu","E-destruirá","de-devorar","e-me-destróis","para-destruí-lo"]·RU["и-поглотил-меня","и-уничтожит","от-поглощения","поглотит","погубить-его"]·ES["Destruirá","Y-destruirá","de-destruir","para-destruirlo","¿y-me-destruyes?"]·SW["Ataiumeza","Na-ataharibu","kumwangamiza","kutoka-kumeza","na-unaniangamiza"]·TR["Ve-yutacak","Yuttu","ve-yutarsın-beni","yok-etmek-için-onu","yutmaktan"]·urd["اور-نگلتا-ہے-مجھے","اور-نگلے-گا","نگل-لے-گا","نگلنے","نگلنے-سے"]
4. be swallowed up (Nifal/Pual passive) — Passive stems — Nifal and Pual (5 occurrences) — expressing the state of being swallowed up, consumed, or overwhelmed. David's army is warned not to stay at the fords 'lest the king be swallowed up' (2 Sam 17:16), Israel has been 'swallowed up among the nations' (Hos 8:8), and the drunkard prophets are 'swallowed up by wine' (Isa 28:7). Arabic passive forms ubtuli'a and yubla'a, Korean samkyeojida (passive of swallow), and Swahili -mezwa all preserve the passive construction. Job 37:20 asks whether God should be told 'that a man would be swallowed up.' 5×
AR["ابتُلِعَ","ابْتُلِعُوا","مَبْلُوعُونَ","يُبْتَلَعُ","يُبْلَعَ"]·ben["গিলে-ফেলা-হয়েছে","গ্রাস-করা-হয়","গ্রাস-হয়েছে","গ্রাসিত","সে-গ্রাস-হবে"]·DE["sein-swallowed-hinauf","verschlang","verschlingen"]·EN["Is-swallowed-up","are-swallowed-up","be-swallowed-up","he-should-be-swallowed-up","swallowed-up"]·FR["engloutir","être-swallowed-en-haut"]·heb["יבולע","מבולעים","נבלע","נבלעו"]·HI["निगल-गए","निगल-जाएगा","निगल-लिया-जाए","निगला-गया","निगले-गए-हैं"]·ID["Ditelan","ditelan","ia ditelan"]·IT["[מבלעים]","[נבלע]","[נבלעו]","essere-inghiottì-su","inghiottire"]·jav["dipun-ulu","dipun-untal","dipuntelè","piyambak-ipun-kauntalan"]·KO["그가-삼켜지리라","삼켜졌느니라","삼켜졌다","삼켜졌도다","삼켜질까봐"]·PT["Engolido-foi","destruidos","foram-engolidos","seja-engolido","será-engolido?"]·RU["был-поглощён","погибающими","поглощены","поглощён","поглощён-будет"]·ES["confundidos","devorado","fueron-confundidos","sea-tragado","será-tragado"]·SW["akamezwa","amemezwa","imemezwa","wamemezwa","wanamezwa"]·TR["yutuldu","yutuldular","yutulmus","yutulur"]·urd["نگل-لیا-جائے","نگل-لیے-گئے","نگلا-گیا","نگلے-گئے","وہ نگل لیا جائے گا"]
5. confuse/confound (Piel) — A distinct Piel sense of confusing, confounding, or leading astray (3 occurrences) — a remarkable semantic development where swallowing up someone's speech or judgment produces bewilderment. David prays 'confuse their tongues' (Ps 55:9), Isaiah charges that Israel's leaders 'confuse' the people (Isa 3:12), and Egypt's counsel 'will be confounded' (Isa 19:3). Spanish confundir replacing the usual tragar/devorar, and Swahili -potosha ('to mislead') replacing -meza, confirm this as a genuinely separate sense rather than a metaphorical extension of devouring. 3×
AR["أُبَلِّعُ","ابتَلَعُوا","ابتَلِع"]·ben["গিলে-ফেলেছে","গ্রাস-কর","গ্রাস-করব"]·DE["confuse","verschlingen"]·EN["I-will-confuse","confuse","your-paths"]·FR["dans-engloutir","engloutir"]·heb["אבלע","בילעו","בלע"]·HI["उन्होंने-निगल-लिया","निगल-दूँगा"]·ID["Aku-akan-membingungkan","mereka-menelan"]·IT["[אבלע]","[בלעו]","inghiotti'"]·jav["kawula-ndadosaken-bingung","kula-badhé-kesusu","piyambakipun-ngrusak"]·KO["삼켜-주소서","삼켰도다","삼키리라"]·PT["Devora","destruirei","destruição"]·RU["поглоти","поглотили","поглощу"]·ES["confunden","confundiré","devora"]·SW["Wameze","nitameza","wamepotosha"]·TR["yut","yutacagim","yuttular"]·urd["انہوں-نے-نگل-لیا","نِگَل-جا","نگل-جاؤں-گا"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† בָּלַע vb. swallow down, swallow up, engulf (idea of quickness, suddenness) (NH id., Arabic بَلِعَ swallow, Ethiopic በልዐ eat, Aramaic בְּלַע ܒܠܰܥ; Assyrian belû, Pi. destroy ZimBP 27)— Qal Pf. בָּלַע Jb 20:15, sf. בְּלָעַנִי Je 51:34 (Qr, cf. 𝔊 Kt -נוּ); 3 fs. בָּֽלְעָה Nu 16:30; 3 pl. sf. בְּלָעוּנוּ ψ 124:3; Impf. יִבְלָ֑ע Jb 20:18, וַיִּבְלַע Ex 7:12, sf. יִבְלָעֶנָּה Is 28:4; 3 fs.…