1102. balam

Lexical Summary

balam: To restrain, to hold back, to stop

Original Word: בָּלַם
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: balam
Pronunciation: bah-LAHM
Phonetic Spelling: (baw-lam')
KJV: be held in
NASB: hold them in check
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to muzzle

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

be held in

A primitive root; to muzzle -- be held in.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to curb, hold in
NASB Translation
hold them in check (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

[בָּלַם] verb curb, hold in (Late Hebrew id.,) Aramaic בְּלַם, ) —

Qal Infinitive לִבְלוֺם Psalm 32:9, compare Che.

בלס (compare Ethiopic fig, Arabic a kind of fig, compare Lag^{M. i. 59 f.}68f.; hence following).

Topical Lexicon

Biblical Usage

בָּלַם appears only once, in Psalm 32:9, where David warns, “Do not be like a horse or mule, without understanding; they must be controlled with bit and bridle, or they will not come near you”. The verb pictures the forcible closing of an animal’s mouth so that its strength is governed by an external restraint. Within the psalm’s flow—from the joy of forgiven sin (Psalm 32:1-2) to the call to Spirit-led obedience (Psalm 32:8)—בָּלַם serves as a vivid contrast: the forgiven life should be guided willingly, not by compulsion.

The Flow of Redemption History

1. Patriarchal and Mosaic Eras: Israel’s sacrificial system required the physical restraint of animals destined for offering (Exodus 12:5; Leviticus 1:5). Though the verb בָּלַם is not used, the concept of bridling foreshadows humanity’s need for an inner transformation that mere outward controls cannot supply.
2. Wisdom Literature: Proverbs repeatedly contrasts the wise who accept correction with the fool who must be coerced (Proverbs 26:3). Psalm 32:9 crystallizes that wisdom motif in a single verb—if the heart is unyielding, God’s discipline becomes bit and bridle.
3. Prophetic Warnings: The prophets announce a day when rebellious Israel will “be led away with hooks” (Amos 4:2), escalating the imagery of enforced restraint. בָּלַם therefore hints at the trajectory from gentle guidance to severe judgment when covenant people refuse voluntary submission.
4. New Covenant Fulfillment: Under the New Covenant the Spirit internalizes God’s law (Jeremiah 31:33). The self-control that the bit and bridle once supplied externally is now a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:23). James draws the same lesson: “If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide the whole animal” (James 3:3). Psalm 32:9 anticipates this moral empowerment.

Theological Themes

• Human stubbornness: בָּלַם exposes the fallen tendency to resist divine instruction until forced.
• Divine patience: Before resorting to coercion, God offers counsel and promise (Psalm 32:8). His initial posture is gracious guidance.
• Discipline as mercy: Even the “bit and bridle” are instruments of love, preserving the sinner from greater ruin (Hebrews 12:6).
• Heart over ritual: A tamed mouth without an enlightened mind remains spiritually fruitless; true worship begins within (Isaiah 29:13).

Practical Ministry Applications

• Discipleship: Leaders are to shepherd by the persuasive power of truth, not by oppressive control (1 Peter 5:3). Psalm 32:9 warns against manipulative ministry models.
• Pastoral care: When counseling the resistant, appeal first to understanding before applying firmer boundaries, mirroring the psalm’s order.
• Personal sanctification: Memorizing Psalm 32 encourages believers to seek the Spirit’s “gentle yoke” (Matthew 11:29) rather than experiencing curbing providences.
• Corporate worship: Congregations can pray Psalm 32 responsively, reminding all that stewardship of freedom is a covenant privilege.

Christological Perspective

Messiah embodies the opposite of the brute creature that must be muzzled. “I delight to do Your will, O my God” (Psalm 40:8). His voluntary obedience secures atonement, enabling His people to serve God “willingly” (Hebrews 10:5-10). The imagery of bridling therefore heightens the glory of the One whose mouth never needed restraint (Isaiah 53:9; 1 Peter 2:22-23).

Eschatological Vision

In the consummated kingdom, knowledge of the Lord fills the earth (Isaiah 11:9). External muzzles give way to universal inward harmony. The isolated use of בָּלַם ultimately points beyond itself—to a future where every creature freely responds to its Creator’s voice.

Forms and Transliterations

לִבְל֑וֹם לבלום liḇ·lō·wm liḇlōwm livLom

Englishman's Concordance

Psalm 32:9
HEB: וָרֶ֣סֶן עֶדְי֣וֹ לִבְל֑וֹם בַּ֝֗ל קְרֹ֣ב
NAS: and bridle to hold them in check, [Otherwise] they will not come near
KJV: whose mouth must be held in with bit
INT: and bridle trappings to hold lest come

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 1102
1 Occurrence

liḇ·lō·wm — 1 Occ.