Lexical Summary beliyyaal: Worthlessness, wickedness, ungodliness Original Word: בְּלִיַּעַל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Belial, evil, naughty, ungodly men, wicked From bliy and ya'al; without profit, worthlessness; by extension, destruction, wickedness (often in connection with 'iysh, 'ishshah, ben, etc.) -- Belial, evil, naughty, ungodly (men), wicked. see HEBREW bliy see HEBREW ya'al see HEBREW 'iysh see HEBREW 'ishshah see HEBREW ben NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom beli and yaal Definition worthlessness NASB Translation base (1), destruction (1), rascally (1), scoundrels* (1), ungodliness (1), wicked (3), worthless (18), worthless one (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs בְּלִיַּ֫עַל27 noun [masculine] worthlessness (compound בְּלִי not, without and יַעַל worth, use, profit) — ׳בּ Deuteronomy 13:14 20t.; בְּלִיָּ֑עַל Psalm 101:3 5t.; — the quality of being useless, good for nothing. 1 abstract אִישׁ (ה)בליעל, אַנְשֵׁי הבליעל, worthless, good-for-nothing, base fellows 1 Samuel 25:25; 2 Samuel 16:7; 2 Samuel 20:1; 1 Kings 21:13; Proverbs 16:27; = ׳בֶּןבֿ 1 Samuel 25:17, ׳בְּנֵי ב Deuteronomy 13:14; Judges 19:22; Judges 20:13; 1 Samuel 2:12; 1 Samuel 10:27; 1 Kings 21:10,13; 2Chronicles 13:7; ׳בַּת ב 1 Samuel 1:16 (drunken woman); ׳עֵד ב base witness Proverbs 19:28; ׳דְּבַר ב base, wicked thing Psalm 41:9 (yet compare 3 below), Psalm 101:3 (add probably also 1 Samuel 29:10, so ᵐ5 We Dr); ׳דָּבָרב֗֗֗ (elliptical and in apposition) Deuteronomy 15:9. 2 concrete elliptical of ׳אישׁ ב 2 Samuel 23:6; Job 34:18; כָּלאִֿישׁ רַע וּבְלִיַּעַל 1 Samuel 30:22; אָדָם בְּלִיַּעַל Proverbs 6:12. 3 ruin, destruction: so Psalm 41:9 according to De Che and others, but see above; ׳יֹעֵץ ב counsellor of ruin Nahum 1:11; ׳ב alone a man of ruin, destroyer Nahum 2:1; ׳נַחֲלֵי ב floods of destruction ("" שְׁאוֺל) 2 Samuel 22:5 = Psalm 18:5. Topical Lexicon Overview Belial (בְּלִיַּעַל) appears about twenty-seven times in the Old Testament. The word serves both as a descriptive label (“worthless,” “lawless”) and, in a handful of texts, as a virtual proper name that personifies evil. In every usage Belial represents that which is diametrically opposed to covenant faithfulness, social order, and reverence for the LORD. Belial in the Pentateuch • Deuteronomy 13:13 introduces “sons of Belial” who entice an Israelite town into idolatry: “Some worthless men have arisen among you and led the inhabitants of their city astray, saying, ‘Let us go and worship other gods’—ones you have not known.” The phrase ties Belial to apostasy, stressing that the greatest threat can arise from within the covenant community itself. Belial in the Historical Books Belial surfaces repeatedly in the Former Prophets as a marker for disruptive individuals who fracture the well-being of God’s people. – 1 Samuel 2:12 brands the priestly sons of Eli as “wicked men; they had no regard for the LORD,” showing that religious office is no shelter from Belial’s corruption. – 1 Samuel 10:27 records detractors of Saul: “But some worthless men said, ‘How can this man save us?’” Belial tongues sow contempt for divinely appointed leadership. – Nabal is called “a worthless man” in 1 Samuel 25:17, 25; his churlish refusal of hospitality almost triggers bloodshed, underscoring the social fallout of Belial-spirit selfishness. – The rebel Sheba is described in 2 Samuel 20:1 as “a wicked man, a Benjamite,” whose seditious cry, “To your tents, O Israel!” imperils national unity. Belial in Poetry and Wisdom Literature • In Psalm 18:4 David laments that “the torrents of Belial” assailed him, using flood imagery to depict overwhelming evil. Belial as a Spiritual Power Although the Hebrew Bible generally uses Belial adjectivally, a conceptual shift toward personification is already nascent. The torrents (Psalm 18:4), cords (2 Samuel 22:6), and schemes (Nahum 1:11) of Belial function like coordinated assaults from an intelligent foe. Intertestamental literature (e.g., Dead Sea Scrolls) completes the transition by naming Belial as the prince of darkness, a development that the New Testament mirrors when Paul contrasts “Christ” with “Belial” (2 Corinthians 6:15). The Old Testament groundwork therefore anticipates the fuller revelation of spiritual warfare without breaching canonical consistency. Covenantal and Ethical Implications 1. Covenant Loyalty: Belial is antithetical to loving the LORD with heart, soul, and strength. Whether enticing idolatry (Deuteronomy 13) or despising priestly duty (1 Samuel 2), Belial corrodes covenant fidelity. Ministry Considerations • Discernment: Leaders must recognize Belial traits—recalcitrance, deceit, contempt for godly authority—and address them swiftly to protect the flock. Summary Belial functions as Scripture’s shorthand for all that is lawless, destructive, and opposed to the LORD. From hidden motives of greed to overt acts of idolatry and rebellion, Belial encapsulates sin’s multifaceted assault on God’s people. The biblical testimony calls believers to wholehearted loyalty, communal justice, and steadfast resistance, assured that in Christ the final triumph over Belial is secure. Forms and Transliterations בְּ֭לִיַּעַל בְּלִ֫יָּ֥עַל בְּלִיַּ֔עַל בְּלִיַּ֖עַל בְּלִיַּ֗עַל בְּלִיָּ֑עַל בְּלִיָּֽעַל׃ בְלִיַּ֔עַל בְלִיַּ֖עַל בְלִיַּ֗עַל בְלִיַּ֙עַל֙ בְלִיַּ֜עַל בְלִיַּ֣עַל בְלִיַּעַל֮ בְלִיָּ֑עַל בליעל בליעל׃ הַבְּלִיַּ֜עַל הַבְּלִיַּ֨עַל הַבְּלִיָּֽעַל׃ הבליעל הבליעל׃ וּבְלִיַּ֕עַל וּבְלִיַּ֗עַל ובליעל bə·lî·ya·‘al bə·lî·yā·‘al ḇə·lî·ya·‘al ḇə·lî·yā·‘al bəlîya‘al bəlîyā‘al ḇəlîya‘al ḇəlîyā‘al beliYaal hab·bə·lî·ya·‘al hab·bə·lî·yā·‘al habbəlîya‘al habbəlîyā‘al habbeliYaal ū·ḇə·lî·ya·‘al ūḇəlîya‘al uveliYaal veliYaalLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Deuteronomy 13:13 HEB: אֲנָשִׁ֤ים בְּנֵֽי־ בְלִיַּ֙עַל֙ מִקִּרְבֶּ֔ךָ וַיַּדִּ֛יחוּ NAS: some worthless men have gone KJV: the children of Belial, are gone out INT: men the children worthless among seduced Deuteronomy 15:9 Judges 19:22 Judges 20:13 1 Samuel 1:16 1 Samuel 2:12 1 Samuel 10:27 1 Samuel 25:17 1 Samuel 25:25 1 Samuel 30:22 2 Samuel 16:7 2 Samuel 20:1 2 Samuel 22:5 2 Samuel 23:6 1 Kings 21:10 1 Kings 21:13 1 Kings 21:13 2 Chronicles 13:7 Job 34:18 Psalm 18:4 Psalm 41:8 Psalm 101:3 Proverbs 6:12 Proverbs 16:27 Proverbs 19:28 27 Occurrences |