1 Samuel 1:16

a daughter of Belial Rather, a worthless, or, wicked woman. Our translators have wrongly treated this word as a proper name in the historical books, but not elsewhere, though the alternative is generally given in the margin. It means worthlessness, and according to the usual Hebrew idiom a son or daughter of worthlessnesssignifies "a worthless man or woman," and with positively bad sense, a lawless, ungodly, wicked person. If "naughty," by which the word is rendered in Proverbs 6:12, had retained its archaic sense, it would be a fair equivalent. "Belial," or more correctly "Beliar," is used by St Paul in 2 Corinthians 6:15 as a name of Satan, the personification of all lawlessness and worthlessness. Milton naturally follows the E. V. in regarding Belial as the name of a spirit.

"Belial, than whom a spirit more lewd

Feel not from heaven, … to him no temple stood,

Or altar smoked, yet who more oft than he

In temples and at altars, when the priest

Turns atheist, as did Eli's sons, who filled

With lust and violence the house of God."

Paradise Lost, I. 490, ff.

grief Lit. "provocation" (cp. 1 Samuel 1:6), or "vexation" as the consequence of provocation.