Belial

2024-03-23

The word Belial is a word that is often transliterated in the Bible, but it is also translated wicked, ungodly, or naughty. However, it also can be a name for Satan. “And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?” (2 Corinthians 6:15). Throughout the Bible, a very wicked person is referred to as a “son of Belial.” Here are usages:

  1. People who worship other gods and entice others to do so. Deuteronomy 13:13.
  2. The Benjamites that wanted to rape the Levite passing through Gibeah. Judges 19:22; 20:13.
  3. Hannah did not want to be considered a daughter of Belial because Eli thought she was a drunk. 1 Samuel 1:16.
  4. Hophni and Phineas, the sons of Eli, were sons of Belial. They misused and hated the sacrifice of the Lord and committed adultery with women at the tabernacle. 1 Samuel 2:12-17, 22.
  5. People who refused Saul as their king. 1 Samuel 10:27.
  6. Nabal was a son of Belial. Even his wife and servants thought so. He rejected David, who had looked after his welfare. People could not speak to him concerning any matter. He was a foolish man. 1 Samuel 25:17, 25.
  7. Those who did not want to share the spoil with those who were faint by the way. This was when David and his men were recovering the goods and families from the Amalekites. 1 Samuel 30:22.
  8. Shimei cursed David and called him a son of Belial when fleeing from Absalom. He said this because he accused him of blood of the house of Saul. 2 Samuel 16:7.
  9. Sheba was a son of Belial who rejected David’s return as king. 2 Samuel 20:1.
  10. Sons of Belial shall be rejected by God and burned as thorns. 2 Samuel 23:6.
  11. Sons of Belial falsely accused Naboth of blaspheming God and the king of Israel so that Ahab could get his vineyard. 1 Kings 21:10, 13.
  12. Abijam said that sons of Belial affected Rehoboam while he was young, which is why he lost the kingdom. 2 Chronicles 13:7.
  13. Belial seems to be Satan himself. Christ is associated with righteousness, light, faith, and the temple of God, while Belial is associated with unrighteousness, darkness, infidelity, and idols. 2 Corinthians 6:14-16.

Therefore, the son of Belial is one who draws people away from the Lord, a sexual pervert, a drunk, someone who hates the things of God, rejects authority, a fool, someone who will not listen to reason, a murderer, a rebel, a liar, someone who misleads vulnerable people, and is associated with Satan, unrighteousness, darkness, unbelief, and idolatry. These are rejected by God.

In many of the cases above, reprobation may be in scope. Like Hophni and Phineas, they will scoff at correction, and only destruction awaits them. “Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the LORD’S people to transgress. If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them” (1 Samuel 2:24-25).

They seem to have no conscience in what they do, like the false witnesses against Naboth. They seemed to have no problem lying to get Naboth killed. This is why Jezebel specifically wanted sons of Belial, because they would not flinch as they lied through their teeth. “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” (1 Kings 21:13).