Bible Dictionary
BALL
A ball is mentioned in Isaiah as something wound up and tossed into a distant land. The image portrays forceful removal and exile.
Definition
A ball is represented in Isaiah by a rare Hebrew word describing something wound round and round and thrown into a distant land. The image conveys forceful removal and casting away.
Biblical Usage
The term occurs in a saying about an individual being wound up and tossed like a ball into a large country. It functions as an image of expulsion.
Historical Background
The word is used in this sense only in Isaiah 22:18. Some interpreters proposed another Hebrew term, but the supplied material regards that identification as possibly incorrect.
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>bol (dur): A rare Hebrew word used in this sense only in Isa 22:18, and correctly rendered in the American Standard Revised Version "He will surely wind thee round and round, and toss thee like a ball into a large country." De Or, Bottcher, Jastrow, following Talmud, regard the noun as kaddur, but perhaps incorrectly.</p><p>See also GAMES.</p>