SG Heritage Dictionary

Belial [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1828

As a noun, unprofitableness; wickedness. As an adjective, worthless; wicked. In a collective sense, wicked men.

Belial [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1913

An evil spirit; a wicked and unprincipled person; the personification of evil.

Belial Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary

The phrase, “sons of Belial,” signifies _wicked, worthless men_. It was given to the inhabitants of Gibeah, who abused the Levite’s wife, Judges xix, 22; and to Hophni and Phineas, the wicked and profane sons of Eli, 1 Samuel ii, 12. In later times the name Belial denoted the devil: “What concord hath Christ with Belial?” 2 Cor. vi, 15; for as the word literally imports “one who will do no one good,” the positive sense of a doer of evil was applied to Satan, who is the author of evil, and, eminently, “the Evil One.”

Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary
[96 words — estimated reading time: 1 minute]

King James Bible KJV Bible

Berean Standard Bible BSB Bible

16 KJV and 1 BSB verses contain “belial”

Deuteronomy 13:13

Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known;

that wicked men have arisen from among you and have led the people of their city astray, saying, “Let us go and serve other gods” (which you have not known),

Judges 19:22

Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him.

While they were enjoying themselves, suddenly the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they said to the old man who owned the house, “Bring out the man who came to your house, so we can have relations with him!”

Judges 20:13

Now therefore deliver us the men, the children of Belial, which are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel:

Hand over the wicked men of Gibeah so we can put them to death and purge Israel of this evil.” But the Benjamites refused to heed the voice of their fellow Israelites.

1 Samuel 1:16

Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.

Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; for all this time I have been praying out of the depth of my anguish and grief.”

1 Samuel 2:12

Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.

Now the sons of Eli were wicked men; they had no regard for the LORD

1 Samuel 10:27

But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.

But some worthless men said, “How can this man save us?” So they despised him and brought him no gifts; but Saul remained silent about it.

1 Samuel 25:17

Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him.

Now consider carefully what you must do, because disaster looms over our master and all his household. For he is such a scoundrel that nobody can speak to him!”

1 Samuel 25:25

Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send.

My lord should pay no attention to this scoundrel Nabal, for he lives up to his name: His name means Fool, and folly accompanies him. I, your servant, did not see my lord’s young men whom you sent.

1 Samuel 30:22

Then answered all the wicked men and men of Belial, of those that went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them ought of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away, and depart.

but all the wicked and worthless men among those who had gone with David said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not share with them the plunder we recovered, except for each man’s wife and children. They may take them and go.”

2 Samuel 16:7

And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial:

And as he yelled curses, Shimei said, “Get out, get out, you worthless man of bloodshed!

2 Samuel 20:1

And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew a trumpet, and said, We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel.

Now a worthless man named Sheba son of Bichri, a Benjamite, happened to be there, and he blew the ram’s horn and shouted: “We have no share in David, no inheritance in Jesse’s son. Every man to his tent, O Israel!”

2 Samuel 23:6

But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands:

But the worthless are all like thorns raked aside, for they can never be gathered by hand.

1 Kings 21:10

And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die.

But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify, ‘You have cursed both God and the king!’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”

1 Kings 21:13

And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died.

And the two scoundrels came in and sat opposite Naboth, and these men testified against him before the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed both God and the king!” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death.

2 Chronicles 13:7

And there are gathered unto him vain men, the children of Belial, and have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them.

Then worthless and wicked men gathered around him to resist Rehoboam son of Solomon when he was young, inexperienced, and unable to resist them.

2 Corinthians 6:15

And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?