Strong's Lexicon
balaq: Balak
Original Word:בָּלַק
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:balaq
Pronunciation:bah-LAHK
Phonetic Spelling:(baw-lak')
Definition:Balak
Meaning:to annihilate
Word Origin:Derived from the Hebrew root בָּלַק (balaq), meaning "to waste" or "to lay waste."
Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries:There is no direct Greek equivalent for Balak in the Strong's Greek Dictionary, as Balak is a specific historical figure from the Old Testament.
Usage:Balak is a proper noun referring to a Moabite king mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. His name is associated with the narrative in the Book of Numbers, where he seeks to curse the Israelites through the prophet Balaam.
Cultural and Historical Background:Balak was the king of Moab during the time when the Israelites were journeying to the Promised Land. The Moabites were descendants of Lot, Abraham's nephew, and had a complex relationship with the Israelites. Balak, fearing the encroaching Israelites due to their victories over neighboring nations, sought to protect his kingdom by hiring Balaam, a prophet, to curse them. This reflects the ancient Near Eastern practice of using divination and curses in warfare and diplomacy.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto waste, lay waste
NASB Translationdevastates (1), waste (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
[] (Assyrian
balâ‡u, Pi`el
destroy, Lyon
Sargon 61; compare Arabic
a desert) —
Participle without , suffixIsaiah 24:1 ("" , subject , object ); — on form (which might also be Qal Participle) compare Ol§ 254 LagGN 1882, 403; also Po.Jeremiah 51:2, and intensive use of Infinitive absolute Niph`alIsaiah 24:3; further Punic (i.e. intensive) ParticipleNahum 2:11 (this however perhaps largely influenced by assonance).
ParticipleNahum 2:11 (),devastated, or as substantivea devastated city.
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
make waste
A primitive root; to annihilate -- (make) waste.
Forms and Transliterations
וּבֽוֹלְקָ֑הּ וּמְבֻלָּקָ֑ה ובולקה ומבלקה ū·ḇō·wl·qāh ū·mə·ḇul·lā·qāh ūḇōwlqāh ūməḇullāqāh umevullaKah uVolKah
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