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Strong's Concordance
Hebrew Word Study

Strong's H1104 בָּלַע (bala)

Bala means “destroy” — full meaning, definition, and every linked Bible usage across the indexed canon.

Same number, other testament: Strong's G1104 — gnesios (“naturally”) in the Greek Bible.

Strong's Number H1104
Language Hebrew
Linked Usages 48
Books 15

Strong's H1104 Quick Answer

Strong's H1104 בָּלַע (bala`) is a Hebrew Strong's word-study entry. bala` (baw-lah') v. 1. to make away with 2. (specifically) to take by swallowing, to devour It has 48 linked Bible usages across 15 books. Visible English usage signals include swallowed, swallow, destroy, make, and devoureth. Indexed coverage on this page includes Old Testament.

Meaning
bala` (baw-lah') v. 1. to make away with 2. (specifically) to take by swallowing, to devour
Usage
48 linked usages
Books
15 indexed books
Corpus
Old Testament
Usage Words
swallowed, swallow, destroy, make, and devoureth

Meaning and Definition

bala` (baw-lah') v. 1. to make away with 2. (specifically) to take by swallowing, to devour 3. (generally) to destroy [a primitive root] KJV: cover, destroy, devour, eat up, be at end, spend up, swallow down (up).

Original Word
בָּלַע
Transliteration
bala`
Derivation
Root: בלע
Morphology
verb

Across Lexicons

How independent scholarly lexicons define Strong's H1104. Each definition is shown with its source so you can compare and cite the original reference works.

Extended Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (Brown-Driver-Briggs based)

to swallow up

Usage: 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

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How Strong's H1104 Is Translated

The English word each shown verse actually uses to render bala`, taken from the interlinear word alignment (the same word underlined in the excerpts below). Where a rendering is used more than once, the count is shown.

swallowed Exodus 7:12 17× swallow Numbers 16:34 10× destroy Job 2:3 away Isaiah 25:8 devoureth Proverbs 19:28 make Numbers 16:30 covered Numbers 4:20 destroyed Isaiah 9:16 eateth Isaiah 28:4 end Psalms 107:27 spendeth Proverbs 21:20

How Strong's H1104 Usage Compares

Indexed coverage includes Old Testament. Each section below keeps corpus counts and sample passages visible so readers can compare the word across contexts instead of reading one flat concordance list.

  • The largest indexed corpus on this page is Old Testament with 48 linked usages.
  • The linked rows are Old Testament Hebrew usage, grouped by book for fast canonical scanning.

Strong's H1104 by Corpus

Indexed usage grouped by testament and extended corpus so readers can compare this word across the Bible, Septuagint, deuterocanonical books, and 1 Enoch where present.

Strong's H1104 in the Old Testament

48 indexed usages in Old Testament.

Genesis 41:7 KJV

And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.

Genesis 41:24 KJV

And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me.

Exodus 7:12 KJV

For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.

Usage Excerpts

First 48 linked usage excerpts for Strong's H1104.

Genesis 41:7 Old Testament, KJV
And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.
Genesis 41:24 Old Testament, KJV
And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me.
Exodus 7:12 Old Testament, KJV
For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.
Exodus 15:12 Old Testament, KJV
Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them.
Numbers 4:20 Old Testament, KJV
But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die.
Numbers 16:30 Old Testament, KJV
But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD.
Numbers 16:32 Old Testament, KJV
And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.
Numbers 16:34 Old Testament, KJV
And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.
Numbers 26:10 Old Testament, KJV
And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died, what time the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men: and they became a sign.
Deuteronomy 11:6 Old Testament, KJV
And what he did unto Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben: how the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and their tents, and all the substance that was in their possession, in the midst of all Israel:
2 Samuel 17:16 Old Testament, KJV
Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that are with him.
2 Samuel 20:19 Old Testament, KJV
I am one of them that are peaceable and faithful in Israel: thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother in Israel: why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of the LORD?
2 Samuel 20:20 Old Testament, KJV
And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy.
Job 2:3 Old Testament, KJV
And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.
Job 7:19 Old Testament, KJV
How long wilt thou not depart from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle?
Job 8:18 Old Testament, KJV
If he destroy him from his place, then it shall deny him, saying, I have not seen thee.
Job 10:8 Old Testament, KJV
Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me.
Job 20:15 Old Testament, KJV
He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly.
Job 20:18 Old Testament, KJV
That which he laboured for shall he restore, and shall not swallow it down: according to his substance shall the restitution be, and he shall not rejoice therein.
Job 37:20 Old Testament, KJV
Shall it be told him that I speak? if a man speak, surely he shall be swallowed up.
Psalms 21:9 Old Testament, KJV
Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the LORD shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them.
Psalms 35:25 Old Testament, KJV
Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed him up.
Psalms 55:9 Old Testament, KJV
Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
Psalms 69:15 Old Testament, KJV
Let not the waterflood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me.
Psalms 106:17 Old Testament, KJV
The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan and covered the company of Abiram.
Psalms 107:27 Old Testament, KJV
They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit's end.
Psalms 124:3 Old Testament, KJV
Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:
Proverbs 1:12 Old Testament, KJV
Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:
Proverbs 19:28 Old Testament, KJV
An ungodly witness scorneth judgment: and the mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity.
Proverbs 21:20 Old Testament, KJV
There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.
Ecclesiastes 10:12 Old Testament, KJV
The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.
Isaiah 3:12 Old Testament, KJV
As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.
Isaiah 9:16 Old Testament, KJV
For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.
Isaiah 19:3 Old Testament, KJV
And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards.
Isaiah 25:7 Old Testament, KJV
And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations.
Isaiah 25:8 Old Testament, KJV
He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.
Isaiah 28:4 Old Testament, KJV
And the glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be a fading flower, and as the hasty fruit before the summer; which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up.
Isaiah 28:7 Old Testament, KJV
But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.
Isaiah 49:19 Old Testament, KJV
For thy waste and thy desolate places, and the land of thy destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away.
Jeremiah 51:34 Old Testament, KJV
Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon hath devoured me, he hath crushed me, he hath made me an empty vessel, he hath swallowed me up like a dragon, he hath filled his belly with my delicates, he hath cast me out.
Lamentations 2:2 Old Testament, KJV
The LORD hath swallowed up all the habitations of Jacob, and hath not pitied: he hath thrown down in his wrath the strong holds of the daughter of Judah; he hath brought them down to the ground: he hath polluted the kingdom and the princes thereof.
Lamentations 2:5 Old Testament, KJV
The LORD was as an enemy: he hath swallowed up Israel, he hath swallowed up all her palaces: he hath destroyed his strong holds, and hath increased in the daughter of Judah mourning and lamentation.
Lamentations 2:8 Old Testament, KJV
The LORD hath purposed to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion: he hath stretched out a line, he hath not withdrawn his hand from destroying: therefore he made the rampart and the wall to lament; they languished together.
Lamentations 2:16 Old Testament, KJV
All thine enemies have opened their mouth against thee: they hiss and gnash the teeth: they say, We have swallowed her up: certainly this is the day that we looked for; we have found, we have seen it.
Hosea 8:7 Old Testament, KJV
For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk; the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up.
Hosea 8:8 Old Testament, KJV
Israel is swallowed up: now shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure.
Jonah 1:17 Old Testament, KJV
Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Habakkuk 1:13 Old Testament, KJV
Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?

All Indexed Usage Links

Every indexed verse link for Strong's H1104, grouped by book.

Genesis 2 usages, Old Testament
Exodus 2 usages, Old Testament
Numbers 5 usages, Old Testament
Deuteronomy 1 usage, Old Testament
2 Samuel 3 usages, Old Testament
Job 7 usages, Old Testament
Psalms 7 usages, Old Testament
Proverbs 3 usages, Old Testament
Ecclesiastes 1 usage, Old Testament
Isaiah 8 usages, Old Testament
Jeremiah 1 usage, Old Testament
Lamentations 4 usages, Old Testament
Hosea 2 usages, Old Testament
Jonah 1 usage, Old Testament
Habakkuk 1 usage, Old Testament

Strong's H1104 FAQ

What does bala (בָּלַע) mean?

Bala (Strong's H1104) is a Hebrew word most simply glossed "destroy". bala` (baw-lah') v. 1. to make away with 2. (specifically) to take by swallowing, to devour

How many times is bala (בָּלַע) used in the Bible?

This page currently indexes 48 linked usages for Strong's H1104 across 15 books.

Where can I study bala (בָּלַע) in context?

Use the linked verse references on this page to study Strong's H1104 in context. The indexed coverage includes Old Testament.

What English words translate bala (בָּלַע)?

The visible usage excerpts most often surface English words such as swallowed, swallow, destroy, make, devoureth, and away. These are scanning signals from the displayed verses, not replacements for the original-language definition.