Lexical Summary bilade: Without, except, apart from Original Word: בִּלְעֲדֵי Strong's Exhaustive Concordance beside, not in, save, without Or balmadey {bal-ad-ay'}; constructive plural from bal and ad, not till, i.e. (as preposition or adverb) except, without, besides -- beside, not (in), save, without. see HEBREW bal see HEBREW ad NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom bal and ad Definition apart from, except, without NASB Translation besides (3), besides* (5), nothing except (1), other than (1), without (3), without* (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs בִּלְעֲדֵי (perhaps from בַּל and עַד, עֲדֵי unto; Syriac  = ἄνευ, χωρίς; Nabataean בלעד except, EutNab 3, 9) — suffix בִּלְעָדַי (3 t.), בַּלְעָדַי (4 t.), בִּלְעָדֶיךָ (once) — properly not unto, hence apart from, except, without: a. Job 34:32 בִּלְעֲדֵי אֶחֱזֶה except, apart from (what) I see myself, do thou instruct me. With suffix Genesis 41:44 בִּלְעָדֶיךָ apart from thee, without thee, no one shall lift up the head, Isaiah 45:6 for there is none בִּלְעָדָ֑י except me. Also with suffix, as a particle of deprecation, Genesis 14:24 בִּלְעָדַי not to me ! i.e. I claim nothing, (in our idiom) not at all ! Genesis 41:16. b. with מִן, מִבַּלְעֲדֵי (so Topical Lexicon Semantic Focus and Function בִּלְעֲדֵי draws a clear line of separation: it highlights what stands alone, what is unmatched, or what is done “apart from” anyone or anything else. When the word appears, readers are invited to notice an exclusive relationship or an absolute distinction that must not be blurred. Historical Distribution • Patriarchal era – Genesis 14:24; 41:16; 41:44 The word surfaces in every major Old Testament period, underscoring a timeless theological theme: Yahweh stands apart, and His people must live accordingly. Divine Exclusivity Isaiah’s repeated refrain is the most concentrated use of בִּלְעֲדֵי. These declarations dismantle polytheism, affirm Israel’s monotheistic confession, and anticipate the New Testament proclamation that salvation is found in no one else (Acts 4:12). The word therefore serves as a linguistic bulwark guarding the uniqueness of God’s nature, name, and saving work. Human Humility and Dependence Joseph models proper self-abasement: “I myself cannot do it, but God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.” (Genesis 41:16). Job echoes the same spirit: “Teach me what I do not see.” (Job 34:32). In each text בִּלְעֲדֵי exposes human insufficiency and directs attention to divine adequacy. Ministry that forgets this point drifts toward self-reliance. Covenant Purity and Worship Integrity Numbers 5:20 and Joshua 22:19 use the term in marital and cultic settings to forbid rival allegiances. Faithlessness in marriage or the building of an alternate altar is not merely social disorder; it is covenant violation. Jeremiah 44:19 shows the tragic reversal—Judean women claimed they acted “without our husbands’ approval” when honoring the Queen of Heaven, flaunting both marital and covenantal bonds. The word therefore polices the boundary line of holy devotion. Authority Rightly Delegated Pharaoh’s edict, “Without your consent no one in all the land of Egypt shall lift his hand or foot” (Genesis 41:44), and Sennacherib’s boast, “Was it without the LORD that I have come up…?” (2 Kings 18:25; Isaiah 36:10), illustrate the use of בִּלְעֲדֵי in political speech. Legitimate authority recognizes its limits; illegitimate authority claims a divine mandate it does not possess. Discernment in leadership today still hinges on testing every mandate against Scripture. Liturgical Echoes David’s hymn asks, “For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?” (2 Samuel 22:32; Psalm 18:31). Worship leaders can employ these questions to anchor praise in the unshared glory of God, steering congregations away from man-centered songs toward doxology that mirrors Isaiah’s vision of the incomparable Lord. Christological Trajectory Though the term appears only in the Hebrew Bible, its theological thrust culminates in the exclusive claims of Jesus Christ: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” The Old Testament vocabulary of “no one besides” conditions hearts to receive the singular Mediator of the New Covenant. Pastoral and Practical Implications 1. Preaching – Emphasize the absolute uniqueness of God and the futility of substitutes. Summary בִּלְעֲדֵי is a small word with sweeping theological weight. Whether declaring that no God exists besides Yahweh, that no salvation can be found apart from Him, or that no human endeavor succeeds without His favor, the term advances a single, uncontested truth: God stands in a category all His own, and His people thrive only when they acknowledge that distinction in faith, obedience, and worship. Forms and Transliterations בִּלְעֲדֵ֣י בִּלְעָדַ֗י בִּלְעָדָ֑י בלעדי הֲמִֽבַּלְעֲדֵ֣י הֲמִבַּלְעֲדֵ֣י המבלעדי וּבִלְעָדֶ֗יךָ וּמִבַּלְעָדַ֖י ובלעדיך ומבלעדי מִֽבַּלְעֲדֵ֔י מִֽבַּלְעֲדֵ֖י מִֽבַּלְעֲדֵ֥י מִבַּלְעֲדֵ֣י מִבַּלְעָדַ֔י מִבַּלְעָדַ֖י מבלעדי bil‘āḏay bil‘āḏāy bil‘ăḏê bil·‘ā·ḏay bil·‘ā·ḏāy bil·‘ă·ḏê bilaDai bilaDei hă·mib·bal·‘ă·ḏê hămibbal‘ăḏê hamibbalaDei mib·bal·‘ā·ḏay mib·bal·‘ă·ḏê mibbal‘āḏay mibbal‘ăḏê mibbalaDai mibbalaDei ū·ḇil·‘ā·ḏe·ḵā ū·mib·bal·‘ā·ḏay ūḇil‘āḏeḵā ūmibbal‘āḏay umibbalaDai uvilaDeichaLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 14:24 HEB: בִּלְעָדַ֗י רַ֚ק אֲשֶׁ֣ר NAS: I will take nothing except what KJV: Save only that which the young men INT: nothing but what Genesis 41:16 Genesis 41:44 Numbers 5:20 Joshua 22:19 2 Samuel 22:32 2 Samuel 22:32 2 Kings 18:25 Job 34:32 Psalm 18:31 Isaiah 36:10 Isaiah 43:11 Isaiah 44:6 Isaiah 44:8 Isaiah 45:6 Isaiah 45:21 Jeremiah 44:19 17 Occurrences |
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without). (α) apart from, especially with the collateral idea of without the knowledge and consent,