Lexical Summary
beliyyaal: Worthlessness, wickedness, ungodliness
Original Word:בְּלִיַּעַל
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:bliya`al
Pronunciation:beh-lee-yahl
Phonetic Spelling:(bel-e-yah'-al)
KJV: Belial, evil, naughty, ungodly (men), wicked
NASB:worthless, wicked, base, destruction, rascally, ungodliness, worthless one
Word Origin:[fromH1097 (בְּלִי - without) andH3276 (יַעַל - profit)]
1. without profit, worthlessness
2. by extension, destruction, wickedness (often in connection with H0376, H0802, H1121, etc.)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Belial, evil, naughty, ungodly men, wicked
Frombliy andya'al; without profit, worthlessness; by extension, destruction, wickedness (often in connection with'iysh,'ishshah,ben, etc.) -- Belial, evil, naughty, ungodly (men), wicked.
see HEBREWbliy
see HEBREWya'al
see HEBREW'iysh
see HEBREW'ishshah
see HEBREWben
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
beli and
yaalDefinitionworthlessness
NASB Translationbase (1), destruction (1), rascally (1), scoundrels* (1), ungodliness (1), wicked (3), worthless (18), worthless one (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
27 (compound
not, without and
worth, use, profit) —
Deuteronomy 13:14 20t.;
Psalm 101:3 5t.; — the quality of
being useless, good for nothing. abstract , ,worthless, good-for-nothing, base fellows1 Samuel 25:25;2 Samuel 16:7;2 Samuel 20:1;1 Kings 21:13;Proverbs 16:27; =1 Samuel 25:17,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;1 Samuel 1:16 (drunken woman);base witnessProverbs 19:28;base, wicked thingPsalm 41:9 (yet compare below),Psalm 101:3 (add probably also1 Samuel 29:10, so We Dr); (elliptical and in apposition)Deuteronomy 15:9.
concrete elliptical of2 Samuel 23:6;Job 34:18;1 Samuel 30:22;Proverbs 6:12.
ruin, destruction: soPsalm 41:9 according to De Che and others, but see above;counsellor of ruinNahum 1:11; alonea man of ruin, destroyerNahum 2:1;floods of destruction ("" )2 Samuel 22:5 =Psalm 18:5.
Topical Lexicon
OverviewBelial (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.
•Deuteronomy 15:9 warns against an inner attitude of Belial—“Be careful that you do not harbor this wicked thought in your heart”—linking the term to a hard-hearted refusal to help the poor on the eve of the Sabbatical year. Belial here reveals itself as an internal moral posture before it becomes outward rebellion.
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.
•Judges 19:22 portrays the depraved men of Gibeah: “the men of the city, some worthless men, surrounded the house and pounded on the door.” Their violence precipitates civil war, illustrating how Belial-like sin can unravel the nation.
• 1 Samuel supplies multiple portraits:
–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” in1 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 in2 Samuel 20:1 as “a wicked man, a Benjamite,” whose seditious cry, “To your tents, O Israel!” imperils national unity.
• Naboth’s trial in1 Kings 21 relies on two “worthless men” to bear false witness, revealing how Belial animates judicial injustice to legitimize covetous power.
•2 Chronicles 13:7 notes that “worthless men” rallied around Jeroboam to challenge Davidic legitimacy, again tying Belial to schism.
Belial in Poetry and Wisdom Literature
• InPsalm 18:4 David laments that “the torrents of Belial” assailed him, using flood imagery to depict overwhelming evil.
•Psalm 41:8 employs Belial of a destructive disease wished upon the righteous: “A vile thing has been poured into him.”
•Proverbs 6:12–15 describes “a worthless [Belial] person” whose deceitful gestures and divisive speech produce sudden calamity. Wisdom literature thus equates Belial with moral chaos that invites divine judgment.
•Nahum 1:11 prophesies against Nineveh: “From you, O Nineveh, comes forth a plotter of evil against the LORD, a counselor of Belial.” Imperial oppression is branded as Belial strategy, demonstrating the term’s elasticity—from individual misconduct to state-level wickedness.
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.
2. Social Justice: Texts likeDeuteronomy 15:9 and1 Kings 21 show Belial operating where mercy and equity should prevail. Neglect of the poor and exploitation of the vulnerable are branded as Belial acts.
3. Authority and Unity: Belial surfaces in challenges to legitimate authority (1 Samuel 10:27;2 Samuel 20:1). Submission to God-ordained structures is thus framed as a bulwark against Belial disruption.
Ministry Considerations
• Discernment: Leaders must recognize Belial traits—recalcitrance, deceit, contempt for godly authority—and address them swiftly to protect the flock.
• Church Discipline: Old Testament precedents validate corrective measures (cf.Deuteronomy 13;Matthew 18) when Belial-like influences threaten corporate holiness.
• Mercy Ministry: Refusal to aid the needy is branded as Belial (Deuteronomy 15). Generosity is therefore not ancillary but essential to break the grip of worthlessness in Christian community.
• Spiritual Warfare: While the New Covenant believer rests in Christ’s victory, vigilance remains necessary. Paul’s contrast of Christ and Belial (2 Corinthians 6:15) exhorts separation from alliances that compromise faithfulness.
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 veliYaal
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