Lexical Summary belimah: Nothing, without, emptiness Original Word: בְּלִימָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance nothing From bliy and mah; (as indef.) Nothing whatever -- nothing. see HEBREW bliy see HEBREW mah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom beli and mah Definition nothingness NASB Translation nothing (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs בְּלִימָה noun [masculine] nothingness (from בְּלִי & מָה, literally not-aught) Job 26:7 who hangeth the earth on ׳בְּ. Topical Lexicon Scriptural Setting The noun בְּלִימָה appears once, in Job 26:7, within Job’s majestic hymn that magnifies the Lord’s creative power: “He stretches out the north over empty space; He hangs the earth upon nothing” (Job 26:7). In the flow of the chapter, Job contrasts human inability to fathom God’s ways with the ease by which the Almighty orders the cosmos. The single use of בְּלִימָה, rendered “nothing,” underscores the total absence of any physical support beneath the earth, drawing attention to God’s unrivaled sovereignty. Imagery of Suspension Ancient peoples commonly pictured the earth resting on pillars, mountains, or a primordial sea. Job defies these notions by describing a globe hanging in a vast void. The imagery is not a scientific treatise; it is a poetic declaration that the universe rests solely on God’s word. The term בְּלִימָה accentuates this paradox: the most substantial object known to humanity depends on literally “nothing” material yet is perfectly secure because it is upheld by God alone. Creation ex Nihilo and Divine Sovereignty Job 26:7 anticipates later biblical revelation that creation came from “nothing” and is sustained by divine fiat: Taken together, these passages expand the insight of Job: from the beginning and even now, God maintains all things without reliance on pre-existing matter or external support. בְּלִימָה therefore becomes a linguistic signpost pointing toward the doctrine of creation ex nihilo and the ongoing providence of God. Historical Insights Job is set in the patriarchal era, long before formalized astronomy. Yet Job’s poem speaks of an earth suspended in space, language remarkably consonant with later scientific discovery. This does not suggest that Job possessed modern cosmology; rather, the Spirit inspired a description that exalts divine power in terms accurate enough to withstand the scrutiny of subsequent generations. Intercanonical Echoes Other writers allude to the concept embodied in בְּלִימָה without using the term itself: These passages collectively reinforce Job’s testimony: God’s will alone sustains the cosmos, rendering any idea of “supports” irrelevant. Practical and Pastoral Implications 1. Assurance in God’s Support. If the earth itself is secure while resting on “nothing,” the believer’s life is no less secure in the hands of the Creator (John 10:28–29). Messianic Foreshadowing While Job does not mention the Messiah explicitly, the revelation that all things hang upon “nothing” prepares the way for New Testament teaching that they are ultimately upheld by a Person—Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:3). בְּלִימָה, then, not only points backward to creation but forward to the One who will consummate and renew it (Revelation 21:5). Summary בְּלִימָה, though occurring only once, encapsulates a rich biblical theme: the universe depends on God alone. From Job’s poetic vision to the New Testament’s Christ-centered fulfillment, Scripture consistently portrays the Creator as both origin and sustainer, worthy of trust, fear, and praise. Forms and Transliterations בְּלִי־ בלי־ bə·lî- beli bəlî-Links Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
    |