Lexical Definition

‎בָּלַע‎ bâlaʻ (baw-lah') to swallow up ^H:V
a primitive root

cover, destroy, devour, eat up, be at end, spend up, swallow down (up).

• to make away with (specifically by swallowing)
• generally, to destroy

1) to swallow down, swallow up, engulf, eat up
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to swallow down
1a2) to swallow up, engulf
1b) (Niphal) to be swallowed up
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to swallow
1c2) to swallow up, engulf
1c3) squandering (fig.)
1d) (Pual) to be swallowed up
1e) (Hithpael) to be ended

See Greek: ἀπόλλυμι · γεύομαι · ἐξάπινα · καταπίνω · καταποντίζω · κατεσθίω · παίω · συνάγω · ταράσσω

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎בָּלַע‎ verb swallow down, swallow up, engulf (idea of quickness, suddenness) (Late Hebrew id., Arabic swallow, Ethiopic eat, Aramaic ‎בְּלַע‎, ; Assyrian bêlû, Pi`el destroy Zim^{BP 27}) —

Qal Perfect ‎בָּלַע‎ Job 20:15, suffix ‎בְּלָעַנִי‎ Jer 51:34 (Qr, compare ᵐ5 Kt ‎נוּ‎-); 3 feminine singular ‎בָּֽלְעָה‎ Num 16:30 3 plural suffix ‎בְּלָעוּנוּ‎ Ps 124:3 Imperfect ‎יִבְלָ֑ע‎ Job 20:18, ‎וַיִּבְלַע‎ Exod 7:12, suffix ‎יִבְלָעֶנָּה‎ Isa 28:4 3 feminine singular ‎וַתִּבְלַע‎ Num 16:32 + 2 t.; suffix ‎תִּבְלָעֵנִי‎ Ps 69:16*, ‎תִּבְלָעֵנוּ‎ Num 16:34, ‎וַתִּבְלָעֵם‎ Deut 11:6, ‎תִּבְלָעֵמוֺ‎ Exod 15:12 3 masculine plural suffix ‎יִבְלָעֻהוּ‎ Hos 8:7 3 feminine plural ‎וַתִּבְלַעְנָה‎ Gen 41:7, ‎וַתִּבְלַעְןָ‎ Gen 41:24 1 plural suffix ‎נִבְלָעֵם‎ Prov 1:12 Infinitive ‎לִבְלֹעַ‎ Jonah 2:1* suffix ‎בִּלְעִי‎ Job 7:19 —

1. swallow down, with accusative Job 7:19; Isa 28:4, subject ‎דָּג‎ Jonah 2:1* subject ‎שִׁבֳּלִים‎ Gen 41:7; Gen 41:24 ‎מַטֶּה‎ Exod 7:12.

2. swallow up, engulf, subject ‎אֶרֶץ‎ Exod 15:12; Num 16:30; Num 16:32; Num 16:34; Num 26:10; Deut 11:6; Ps 106:17 figurative of greed Job 20:15 (object ‎חַיִל‎; opposed to ‎קיא‎ vomit); of violence, extortion Prov 1:12 (‎כִּשְׁאוֺל‎); of devastation by enemy Hos 8:7; Jer 51:34; Ps 124:3 over-whelming by calamity Ps 69:16* (subject ‎מצולה‎); of full enjoyment, profit Job 20:18 (no object) Niph`al Perfect ‎נִבְלַע‎ Hos 8:8, ‎נִבְלְעוּ‎ Isa 28:7 — swallowed up, i.e. devastated Hos 8:8 engulfed by wine (yet compare Pi`el Isa 3:12) Isa 28:7 (‎מןהֿיין‎ ‎׳‎‎נ‎, || ‎שָׁגוּ בַשֵּׁכָר‎). Pi`el Perfect ‎בִּלַּע‎ Isa 25:8 + 3 t.; ‎וּבִלַּע‎ consecutive Isa 25:7 3 plural ‎בִּלֵּ֑עוּ‎ Isa 3:12 1 plural ‎בִּלָּ֑עְנוּ‎ Lam 2:16, suffix ‎בִּלַּעֲנוּהוּ‎ Ps 35:25 Imperfect ‎יְבַלַּעֿ‎ Prov 19:28, suffix 3 masculine singular ‎יְבַלְּעֶנּוּ‎ Job 8:18; Prov 21:20 ‎יְבַלְּעֵם‎ Ps 21:10* 3 feminine singular suffix 3 masculine singular ‎תְּבַלְּעֶנּוּ‎ Eccl 10:12 2 masculine singular ‎תְּבַלַּע‎ 2Sam 20:19, suffix ‎וַתְּבַלְּעֵנִי‎ Job 10:8 1 singular ‎אֲבַלַּע‎ 2Sam 20:20, ‎אֲבַלֵּ֑עַ‎ Isa 19:3 Imperative ‎בַּלַּע‎ Ps 55:10* Infinitive ‎בַּלַּע‎ Num 4:20; Hab 1:13, ‎בַּלֵּ֑עַ‎ Lam 2:8, suffix ‎בַּלְּעוֺ‎ Job 2:3 Participle suffix ‎מְבַלְּעָ֑יִךְ‎ Isa 49:19 —

1. swallow Num 4:20 (‎כְּבַלַּע‎ as a swallowing = for an instant); elsewhere

2. swallow up, engulf, usually with accusative,
a. figurative of destruction, ruin, Isa 3:12 (object ‎דֶּרֶךְ‎); (Ba from a √ II. ‎בלע‎ confound, compare Di; see also Isa 9:15*; Isa 19:3; Isa 28:7; Ps 55:10*; Ps 107:27); subject ‎׳‎‎י‎ Lam 2:2; Lam 2:5 (twice in verse); Lam 2:8; Job 2:3; Job 10:8; Ps 21:10* (|| ‎אכל‎), Isa 19:3 (object ‎עֵצָה‎), i.e. confuse, confound; so Ps 55:10* ‎בַּלַּע אֲדֹנָי פַּלַּג לְשׁוֺנָם‎ confuse, Lord, divide their speech (compare ‎בלל‎ Gen 11:7; Gen 11:9 & see De Che); subject wicked men, enemies Ps 35:25; Isa 49:19 compare Lam 2:16 (absolute) Hab 1:13 object reflexive in sense Eccl 10:12 = annihilate Isa 25:7; Isa 25:8
b. literally = destroy 2Sam 20:19; 2Sam 20:20 (|| ‎הִשְׁחִית‎); indefinite subject Job 8:18 ‎ממקמו‎ ‎׳‎‎יב‎;
c. figurative for greedily (seize, adopt) practise Prov 19:28, for extravagance, squandering Prov 21:20. Pu`al Imperfect ‎יְבֻלַּע‎ 2Sam 17:16, ‎יְבֻלָּ֑ע‎ Job 37:20 Participle ‎מְבֻלָּעִים‎ Isa 9:15* — be swallowed up, i.e. destroyed Job 37:20 compare ‎פֶּןיְֿבֻלַּע לַמֶּלֶךְ‎ 2Sam 17:16 (impersonal); ruined Isa 9:15* (yet compare below Pi`el) Hithpa`el Imperfect 3 feminine singular ‎תִּתְבַּלָּ֑ע‎ Ps 107:27 (subject ‎חכמה‎) their wisdom is all gone, 'they are at their wit's end' (compare below Pi`el)

Brown-Driver-Briggs References