Some words have quite a fascinating range of meaning. Take, for example, the word “puzzle”. This word refers to a wooden game for preschoolers with only a handful of shapes. It also refers to the challenging pastime for adults involving thousands of pieces.

It can refer to word games played casually for fun and also diplomatic conundrums which might bring the world to the brink of war. If one word can have such a range of meaning in English, it is no wonder that Bible translators can find their task quite… puzzling.

One Hebrew word with a wide range of possible meaning is “beliyyaal” which occurs 27 times in the Old Testament. The word comes from a combination of “without” and “worth”. This gives us the usual translation (especially in the ESV) of “worthless”:

Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the Lord.

I Samuel 2:12 (ESV)

This word is best understood, however, as implying a whole spectrum of meaning. Other translations call Eli’s sons “scoundrels”(NIV, NRSV), “evil”(NCV), and “corrupt”(NKJV). In English, I might refer to something as worthless–like wooden nickels or Blockbuster gift cards –but not mean wicked. This is why we are so blessed to live at a time where we have free and easy access to so many translations.

When we consider the choices of multiple translators, we begin to see that “beliyyaal”points toward many shades of meaning – and none of them are good.

David’s use of the word in Psalm 101 is especially helpful. He writes:

I will walk with integrity of heart within my house; I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless.

Psalm 101:2-3, ESV

The contrast here is important. David wants his heart to dwell on the things of God – things that are holy and blameless. He will not set his eyes on things that are “beliyyaal”. He does not specify whether he means things that are just meaningless or things that are overtly evil.

In David’s mind, even the worthless things could cause him to stumble. He doesn’t want to dabble in anything on that spectrum from wicked to worthless.

The New Testament recalls this word in one specific place and the contrast is the same. Paul asks, “What fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial?” (II Corinthians 6:14-15, ESV). By Paul’s time, this word had become personified as a symbol of worldliness and Paul says Christ followers should have nothing to do with it.

Let’s follow the example of David and Paul… let’s push away anything from wicked to worthless that might pull our gaze away from a full devotion to Christ.