Bible Lexicons

בְּלִיַּעַל (comp. of בְּלִי not, without, and יַעַל benefit, profit, compare הוֹעִיל to be useful, and Arab. وَعْلُ and وَِعلُ i.q. شريف noble, prince; and not as said by Fischer, in Proluss. De Verss. Græc. p. 93, from בְּלִי and עוֹל a yoke, as if impatience of the yoke, contumacy) pr. unprofitableness, worthlessness, what is useless, of no fruit (compare Arabic غير طايل useless, of no profit, little worth). Hence

(1) wickedness, vileness; אִישׁ בְּלִיַּעַל “a wicked man.” 1 Samuel 25:25, 30:22 אָדָם בְּלִיַּעַל Proverbs 6:12, and בֶּן־בְּלִיַּעַל 1 Samuel 25:17 id. Pl. often בְּנֵי־בְלִיַּעַל 1 Samuel 2:12, and אֲנָשִׁים בְּנֵי בְלִיַּעַלּ, אַנְשֵׁי בְנֵי בְלִיַּעַל Deuteronomy 13:14; Judges 19:22, 20:13. בַּת בְּלִיַּעַל “a wicked woman,” 1 Samuel 1:16 דְּבַר בְּלִיַּעַל “an evil, wicked thing,” Psalms 41:9, 101:3 compare Deuteronomy 15:9. פֶּן יִהְיֶה דָבָר עִם לְבָֽבְךָ בְלִיַּעַל “lest there arise a wicked thought in thy heart.”

(2) destruction, Nahum 1:11, יוֹעֵץ בְּלִיַעַל “who plans destruction;” Psalms 18:5, נַהֲלֵי בְלִיַּעַל יְבַעֲתוּנִי “the streams of destruction make me afraid” a metaphor taken from waves, which is not unfrequent in the sacred writers. LXX. χείμαῤῥοι ἀνομίας, i.e. enemies rushing like torrents. Some moderns incorrectly render “torrents of hell.”

(3) Ellipt. for אִישׁ בְּלִיַּעַל a wicked man (see No. 1), 2 Samuel 23:6; Job 34:18, a destroyer, causer of destruction.

[“Note. Hence was derived in later usage and in New Test. the pr.n. Βελίαλ, or Βελιάρ, Belial, i.q. ὁ πονηρὸς, Satan. The English version also gives בְּלִיַּעַל in the Old Test. as a pr.n. Belial, but incorrectly[?]. See Thes. page 210.”]

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 veliYaal