A compound preposition meaning 'apart from' or 'without.' It is used to set something in exclusion — establishing what lies outside a boundary, scope, or covenant relationship.
Bil'adey marks the absolute boundary of dependence. When Joseph declares, 'It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer' (Genesis 41:16), he uses this preposition to direct all glory away from himself. The word powerfully expresses total reliance on God alone. It reflects the biblical pattern of negation that exalts: apart from God, nothing. Beside Him, no savior. Without Him, no breath. The preposition becomes a doxology of dependence.