988. batal
Strong's Lexicon
batal: To cease, to be idle, to be inactive, to be useless

Original Word: בָּטֵל
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: batel
Pronunciation: bah-TAHL
Phonetic Spelling: (baw-tale')
Definition: To cease, to be idle, to be inactive, to be useless
Meaning: to desist from labor

Word Origin: A primitive root

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The Greek equivalent that captures a similar sense of ceasing or becoming idle is ἀργός (argos), Strong's Greek #692, which means idle or inactive.

Usage: The Hebrew verb "batal" primarily conveys the idea of ceasing or becoming idle. It is used to describe situations where activity stops or where something becomes ineffective or useless. In the context of the Bible, it often refers to the cessation of work or the nullification of plans or efforts.

Cultural and Historical Background: In ancient Israelite society, work and productivity were highly valued, both in agricultural settings and in religious observance. The concept of ceasing from work, as seen in the Sabbath rest, was a divinely instituted practice that allowed for physical rest and spiritual reflection. However, the idea of becoming idle or useless carried a negative connotation, as it was often associated with laziness or failure to fulfill one's responsibilities.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to cease
NASB Translation
stand idle (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
[בָּטַל] verb cease (Late Hebrew בָּטֵל, Arabic , Ethiopic both be futile, vain, but Assyrian ba‰âlu, cease LotzTP 68, so Aramaic בְּטֵיל, ) —

Qal Perfect וּבָֽטְליּ consecutive Ecclesiastes 12:3 and the grinders cease.

I. בטן (meaning dubious; √ of following).

[בְּטֵל] verb cease (late Biblical Hebrew); —

Pe`al Perfect3feminine singular בְּטִלַת Ezra 4:24, Participle feminine singular בָּֽטְלָא Ezra 4:24 (both of work).

Pa`el make to cease, accusative of person: Perfect3masculine plural בַּטִּ֫לוּ Ezra 4:23; Ezra 5:5; Infinitive לְבַטָּלָא Ezra 4:21, accusative of person omitted Ezra 6:3.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
cease

A primitive root; to desist from labor -- cease.

Forms and Transliterations
וּבָטְל֤וּ ובטלו ū·ḇā·ṭə·lū ūḇāṭəlū uvateLu
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Ecclesiastes 12:3
HEB: אַנְשֵׁ֣י הֶחָ֑יִל וּבָטְל֤וּ הַטֹּֽחֲנוֹת֙ כִּ֣י
NAS: the grinding ones stand idle because
KJV: themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few,
INT: men and mighty stand the grinding because

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 988
1 Occurrence


ū·ḇā·ṭə·lū — 1 Occ.















987
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