לָבַב
𐤋𐤁𐤁
lâbab
H3823 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To encourage, invigorate, or embolden; to stimulate emotional or mental faculties, often with the nuance of enlivening or causing the 'heart' (seat of intellect and emotion) to be stirred. In derived or denominative uses, to make or prepare round cakes (from לָבִיבָה). In certain contexts, it can mean to charm, captivate, or even to lead astray emotionally or mentally, whether for good or ill, depending on context.
Semantic Range
to enliven or embolden (the heart), to captivate or emotionally overwhelm, to lead astray emotionally, to make cakes (denominative)
Root / Etymology
From the root ל־ב־ב, closely related to לֵבָב (heart, mind, inner being) and its more common variant לֵב. The root conveys the sense of the inner person or seat of thought and feeling, and the verb developed with the meaning 'to stimulate, invigorate, embolden' — effectively 'to act upon the heart'. Through denominative usage, it can also mean 'to make cakes' (from לָבִיבָה, a type of round cake or wafer).
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, לָבַב appears as a verb a handful of times with slightly varying senses: (1) to embolden or encourage the heart (as in Deuteronomy 29:18), or to stimulate the mind emotionally or otherwise; (2) figuratively, to captivate or enrapture—most notably in the Song of Songs (4:9, 4:10), where it expresses being emotionally overwhelmed or 'captivated' by love. The denominative sense 'to make (round) cakes' (from לָבִיבָה) appears in later Hebrew. English translations sometimes render the term more narrowly than its full emotional-psychological scope in context, and can miss the nuance of emotional stirring, which can be positive (encouragement or deep affection) or negative (charming in a deceptive way). The word differs from the common verbal roots involving wisdom or physical action — focusing instead on affecting the seat of emotion and thought.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; properly, to be enclosed (as if with fat); by implication (as denominative from לֵבָב); to unheart; also as denominative from לָבִיבָה i.e.; (in a good sense) transport (with love), or (in a bad sense) stultify; to make cakes; make cakes, ravish, be wise.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
לבב (l-b-b) — heart, inner being, to stimulate or embolden, to captivate
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3820 | לֵב | in the inner core of |
| H3821 | לֵב | in my inner core |
| H3824 | לֵבָב | in the inner core |
| H3825 | לְבַב | your inner-self |
| H3826 | לִבָּה | in their hearts |
Word Forms
4 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3823-01 |
לִבַּבְתִּ֖/נִי | libavetini | HVpp2fs/Sp1cs |
you have ravished my heart | you have heart-stirred me | 2 |
H3823-04 |
יִלָּבֵ֑ב | yilavev | HVNi3ms |
would be wise | he will be heartened | 1 |
H3823-02 |
וּ/תְלַבֵּ֤ב | utelabev | HC/Vpi3fs |
and make heart-shaped cakes | and she intensifies the heart | 1 |
H3823-03 |
וַ/תְּלַבֵּ֣ב | vatelabev | HC/Vpw3fs |
and made cakes | and she emboldened | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
5 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3823-02 |
2 Samuel 13:6 | וּ/תְלַבֵּ֤ב | utelabev | HC/Vpi3fs |
and make heart-shaped cakes | and she intensifies the heart |
H3823-03 |
2 Samuel 13:8 | וַ/תְּלַבֵּ֣ב | vatelabev | HC/Vpw3fs |
and made cakes | and she emboldened |
H3823-04 |
Job 11:12 | יִלָּבֵ֑ב | yilavev | HVNi3ms |
would be wise | he will be heartened |
H3823-01 |
Song of Songs 4:9 | לִבַּבְתִּ֖/נִי | libavetini | HVpp2fs/Sp1cs |
you have ravished my heart | you have heart-stirred me |
H3823-01 |
Song of Songs 4:9 | לִבַּבְתִּ֨י/נִי֙ | libavetini-2 | HVpp2fs/Sp1cs |
you have ravished my heart | you have heart-stirred me |