Lexical Summary
balal: To mix, mingle, confuse
Original Word:בָּלַל
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:balal
Pronunciation:bah-LAHL
Phonetic Spelling:(baw-lal')
KJV: anoint, confound, X fade, mingle, mix (self), give provender, temper
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. to overflow (specifically with oil.)
2. (by implication) to mix
3. (also, denominatively from H1098) to fodder
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
anoint, confound, fade, mingle, mix self, give provender, temper
A primitive root; to overflow (specifically with oil.); by implication, to mix; also (denominatively frombliyl) to fodder -- anoint, confound, X fade, mingle, mix (self), give provender, temper.
see HEBREWbliyl
Brown-Driver-Briggs
I. (Arabic
moisten (with water), compare
moisture, Assyrian
balâlu, Dl
Pr 70; compare Phoenician name of a sacrifice, & Late Hebrew ; Aramaic ,
) —
PerfectGenesis 11:9,Psalm 92:11 (but compare below);Imperfect1plural =Genesis 11:7, compare Köi. 325;Participle passiveExodus 29:40 3t.,Leviticus 2:5 28t.,Exodus 29:2 4t.; —
mingle, confuse (object = speech, language, q. v.)Genesis 11:7,9 (J).
mix (cakes or flour, etc. always with oil) technical term of sacrifice, only P (HLeviticus 23:13), compare Di onLeviticus 2:4; usually as ,Exodus 29:40;Leviticus 2:5;Leviticus 14:10,21;Leviticus 23:13;Numbers 7:13,19,25,31,37,43,49,55,61,67,73,79;Numbers 8:8;Numbers 15:4,6,9;Numbers 28:5,9,12 (twice in verse);Numbers 28:13;Numbers 28:20;Numbers 28:28;Numbers 29:3;Numbers 23:9;Numbers 23:14,Leviticus 7:10 (opposed to )Leviticus 9:4,Exodus 29:2;Leviticus 7:12 (twice in verse), i.e. made by mixing with oil;Leviticus 2:4,Numbers 6:15, i.e. fine flour (in the form) of cakes so made.Psalm 92:11I shall be (am)anointed with fresh oil AV RV; verb not elsewhere in this sense; Hup Che read from , infinitive construct suffix, abstract for concrete,my wasting =my wasting strength, of declining age; Israel under figure of old man; this however is not favoured by context. The passage is therefore doubtful.
ImperfectHosea 7:8;Ephraim, among the peoples doth he mix himself; but Ew Now derive here from = (or )waste away, compare Hiph`il
ImperfectIsaiah 64:5and we faded away, but read perhaps from compare Di (De, less probably, derives from — compare Ew NowHosea 7:8 — or = ).
II. [] —
ImperfectJudges 19:21 Qr (Kt ) followed bygive provender to the asses.
Topical Lexicon
Root Concept and OverviewThe verb בָּלַל describes the action of mixing or blending distinct elements so that they become inseparably joined, and by extension the bewildering or confusing of what had been clear. Scripture employs the word in physical, ritual, poetic, historical, and prophetic settings, creating a rich tapestry of meaning that moves from kitchen and altar to the rise and fall of nations.
Confusion of Speech at Babel (Genesis 11:1-9)
The first and most dramatic appearance establishes the theological centerpiece. When humanity gathered on the plain of Shinar to build a city and tower “with its top in the heavens,” the Lord said, “Come, let Us go down and confuse their language” (Genesis 11:7). The verb occurs twice (11:7, 9), giving the city its name “Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of the whole earth” (11:9). Here בָּלַל signals divine judgment against proud self-exaltation and a merciful restraint that scatters people across the earth, curbing unified rebellion while preparing the later marvel of Pentecost, where languages are supernaturally understood in the proclamation of the gospel (Acts 2).
Ministry implication: God alone grants true unity; attempts to manufacture it apart from Him invariably descend into confusion.
Liturgical Mixing in the Tabernacle and Temple
The majority of occurrences belong to Leviticus, Exodus, and Numbers, where בָּלַל governs the preparation of grain offerings:
• “Unleavened bread, cakes mixed with oil” (Exodus 29:2).
• “Unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil” (Leviticus 2:4).
• “If your offering is a grain offering prepared on a griddle, it shall be of fine flour mixed with oil” (Leviticus 2:5).
• “Every grain offering, whether dry or mixed with oil, belongs equally to all the sons of Aaron” (Leviticus 7:10).
The action is simple—fine flour is blended with olive oil—but its symbolism is profound. Flour represents daily sustenance; oil, throughout Scripture, figures the Holy Spirit’s presence and consecration. The mixture therefore portrays a life wholly permeated by the Spirit and offered to God without division. Priests consumed part of the mingled portion, underscoring fellowship between worshiper, mediator, and God.
Incense preparation similarly requires meticulous mixing: “Make a fragrant blend of incense… seasoned with salt, pure and holy” (Exodus 30:35). The mingling safeguards proper ratio and ensures a pleasing aroma—an image later applied to the prayers of the saints (Revelation 5:8).
Poetic Imagery of Mixing
In the Psalms the verb extends to liquid metaphors:
• Judgment: “For a cup is in the hand of the LORD, full of foaming wine mixed with spices, and He pours from it; surely all the wicked of the earth will drain it to the dregs” (Psalm 75:8).
• Sorrow: “I eat ashes like bread and mingle my drink with tears” (Psalm 102:9).
The mingled cup can bless (wine spiced for feasting) or curse (a draught of wrath), revealing divine sovereignty over both joy and judgment.
Prophetic and Sapiential Examples
Prophets employ בָּלַל to picture moral and national disarray. One striking instance isIsaiah 19:14, where the Lord “has mixed within her a spirit of confusion, and they have made Egypt stagger.” The same vocabulary links moral compromise with the Babel-theme of disorder. Proverbs and Job also harness the verb to describe the inseparable blending of elements in daily life, illustrating wisdom’s call to proper discernment lest good be diluted by evil.
Historical Echoes and Redemptive Trajectory
The confusion at Babel stands as a negative mirror image to the Spirit’s outpouring in Acts. Languages once scrambled are now supernaturally understood, not to build another tower but to exalt the risen Christ. In between, the continual mingling of flour and oil in Israel’s worship foreshadows the perfect union of humanity and deity in Jesus Christ, “anointed with the oil of gladness” (Psalm 45:7;Hebrews 1:9). His life, death, and resurrection resolve the paradox: where sin mixes pride and futility, grace blends mercy and truth (Psalm 85:10).
Pastoral and Practical Applications
1. Worship: Offerings today are still to be “mixed with oil”—every act of service energized by the Holy Spirit, not performed in mere human strength.
2. Unity: Genuine fellowship arises from shared submission to God’s Word; forced or superficial alliances repeat Babel’s error.
3. Discernment: Believers must avoid syncretism. As incense required precise proportions, so doctrine and practice must preserve biblical purity lest the fragrance be spoiled.
4. Hope: Even when societies reel under “a spirit of confusion,” God remains able to reverse the curse, bringing clarity through the gospel.
Summary
בָּלַל maps a journey from the confusion of tongues to the harmony of Spirit-filled worship. Whether kneading bread for the altar or describing the rise and fall of empires, Scripture uses the verb to affirm that the Lord alone has authority to mix, to separate, and ultimately to reunite all things in Christ (Ephesians 1:10).
Forms and Transliterations
בְּלוּלָ֛ה בְּלוּלָ֣ה בְּלוּלָ֥ה בְּלוּלֹ֣ת בְּלוּלֹ֥ת בְלוּלָֽה־ בַּ֝לֹּתִ֗י בָּל֕וּל בָּל֥וּל בָּל֨וּל בָּלַ֥ל בלול בלולה בלולה־ בלולת בלל בלתי וְנָבְלָ֥ה וַיָּ֖בָל ויבל ונבלה יִתְבּוֹלָ֑ל יתבולל bā·lal bā·lūl bal·lō·ṯî baLal bālal balloTi ballōṯî baLul bālūl bə·lū·lāh ḇə·lū·lāh- bə·lū·lōṯ beluLah bəlūlāh ḇəlūlāh- beluLot bəlūlōṯ vaiYavol velulah venaveLah way·yā·ḇāl wayyāḇāl wə·nā·ḇə·lāh wənāḇəlāh yiṯ·bō·w·lāl yitboLal yiṯbōwlāl
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