What does בְּלִי (bĕliy) mean in the Bible?
בְּלִי (bĕliy): Negation rooted in absence or failure; expresses lack, deprivation, or non-existence rather than mere prohibition.
Hebrew · H1097
בְּלִי
Properly, failure , i.e. nothing or destruction ; usually (with preposition) without , not yet , because not , as long as , etc.
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בְּלִי H1097
Pronunciation bĕliy
What does בְּלִי (bĕliy) mean in the Bible?
בְּלִי (bĕliy): Negation rooted in absence or failure; expresses lack, deprivation, or non-existence rather than mere prohibition.
Full entry for בְּלִי (H1097) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H1097?
The BSB source-word alignment has 59 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include without (15), for lack (3), . . . (2), accidentally (2), for lack of (2).
Where does בְּלִי (bĕliy) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 31:20. Its strongest book concentrations include Job (22), Isaiah (6), Deuteronomy (4), Hosea (4).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It without 15× Job 6:6, Job 8:11, Job 24:7, Job 24:10
for lack 3× Job 4:11, Job 31:19, Hosea 4:6
. . . 2× Psalms 19:3, Hosea 9:16
accidentally 2× Deuteronomy 19:4, Joshua 20:5
for lack of 2× Job 38:41, Ezekiel 34:5
so no 2× Jeremiah 9:10, Jeremiah 9:12
vvv 2× Job 30:8, Hosea 7:8
with no 2× Job 39:16, Zephaniah 3:6
[Is it] because 1× 2 Kings 1:3
because he has nothing 1× Deuteronomy 28:55
because no one 1× Lamentations 1:4
by not 1× Genesis 31:20
devoid of 1× Job 41:33
fails 1× Hosea 8:7
Fire 1× Job 18:15
For no 1× Psalms 59:4
for their lack 1× Isaiah 5:13
for want 1× Job 24:8
has no 1× Job 41:26
Is it because 1× 2 Kings 1:6
is no more 1× Psalms 72:7
Is there really no 1× 2 Kings 1:16
no longer 1× 2 Samuel 1:21
nothing 1× Job 26:7
of oblivion 1× Isaiah 38:17
or accidentally 1× Joshua 20:3
there were no 1× Exodus 14:11
though I am without 1× Job 34:6
unintentionally 1× Deuteronomy 4:42
unnoticed 1× Job 4:20
was not 1× Deuteronomy 9:28
wide its enormous 1× Isaiah 5:14
will not 1× Isaiah 32:10
with no man 1× Ezekiel 14:15
with no one 1× Zephaniah 3:6
with relentless 1× Isaiah 14:6
yet 1× Ecclesiastes 3:11
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 31:20 בְּלִי֙ to by not Adverb Exodus 14:11 הַֽמִבְּלִ֤י to there were no Preposition | Adverb Deuteronomy 4:42 בִּבְלִי־ to unintentionally Preposition-b | Adverb Deuteronomy 9:28 מִבְּלִי֙ to was not Preposition-m | Adverb Deuteronomy 19:4 בִּבְלִי־ to accidentally Preposition-b | Adverb Deuteronomy 28:55 מִבְּלִ֥י to because he has nothing Preposition-m | Adverb Joshua 20:3 בִּבְלִי־ to or accidentally Preposition-b | Adverb Joshua 20:5 בִבְלִי־ to accidentally Preposition-b | Adverb 2 Samuel 1:21 בְּלִ֖י to no longer Adverb 2 Kings 1:3 הַֽמִבְּלִ֤י to [Is it] because Preposition | Adverb
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 31:20
Aligned rows 59
Books represented 16
Genesis 1 Exodus 1 Deuteronomy 4 Joshua 2 2 Samuel 1 2 Kings 3 Job 22 Psalms 4 Ecclesiastes 1 Isaiah 6 Jeremiah 4 Lamentations 1 Ezekiel 2 Hosea 4 Zephaniah 2 Malachi 1
Source forms
מִבְּלִ֣י 6x mib·bə·lî Job 24:7, Job 31:19, Ezekiel 14:15, Ezekiel 34:5
מִבְּלִי־ 6x mib·bə·lî- Job 4:11, Job 6:6, Job 18:15, Isaiah 5:13
בִּבְלִי־ 4x biḇ·lî- Deuteronomy 4:42, Deuteronomy 19:4, Joshua 20:3, Job 35:16
בְּלִ֥י 4x bə·lî Psalms 72:7, Isaiah 14:6, Isaiah 32:10, Hosea 7:8
בְלִי־ 4x ḇə·lî- Job 8:11, Job 30:8, Job 31:39, Job 34:6
בְּלִי־ 4x bə·lî- Job 26:7, Job 39:16, Psalms 63:1, Malachi 3:10
הַֽמִבְּלִ֤י 4x ha·mib·bə·lî Exodus 14:11, 2 Kings 1:3, 2 Kings 1:6, 2 Kings 1:16
בְּלִ֣י 3x bə·lî Job 24:10, Job 41:26, Hosea 8:7
Parsing patterns
Adverb 22x Genesis 31:20, 2 Samuel 1:21, Job 8:11, Job 24:10
Preposition-m | Adverb 20x Deuteronomy 9:28, Deuteronomy 28:55, Job 4:11, Job 4:20
Preposition | Adverb 5x Exodus 14:11, 2 Kings 1:3, 2 Kings 1:6, 2 Kings 1:16
Preposition-b | Adverb 5x Deuteronomy 4:42, Deuteronomy 19:4, Joshua 20:3, Joshua 20:5
Noun - masculine singular construct 2x Psalms 72:7, Malachi 3:10
Preposition-l | Adverb 2x Job 38:41, Isaiah 5:14
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Adverb 1x Job 24:8
Noun - masculine singular 1x Isaiah 38:17
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Negation rooted in absence or failure; expresses lack, deprivation, or non-existence rather than mere prohibition.
Source Gloss
properly, failure , i.e. nothing or destruction ; usually (with preposition) without , not yet , because not , as long as , etc.
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Negation rooted in absence or failure; expresses lack, deprivation, or non-existence rather than mere prohibition.
properly, failure, i.e. nothing or destruction; usually (with preposition) without, not yet, because not, as long as, etc. BDB: wearing out Usage: corruption, ig(norantly), for lack of, where no...is, so that no, none, not, un(awares), without.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Word Origins
בְּלִי is built from this root:
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain