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לָבִיא

𐤋𐤁𐤉𐤀

lâbîyʼ

H3833 noun

SILEX Entry

Root לבא to be strong, fierce (root uncertain; possibly 'lion')

Definition

A term for 'lion,' primarily indicating either a mature (often male) or particularly formidable lion; in some contexts distinguished from other lion terms by sense of strength, majesty, or predatory power. While the form is masculine, it may at times refer generically to any lion and is rarely specifically feminine (lioness) in ancient usage. May carry associations of power, violence, or nobility in metaphorical or poetic use.

Semantic Range

lion (adult, mature, or distinguished by strength); figuratively: powerful or noble person; metaphor of predatory force; sometimes (rarely) lioness; poetic or emblematically fierce creature

Root / Etymology

Root is uncertain. The word לָבִיא appears related to, but distinct from, the more common lion term אֲרִי ('aryeh'). Its form is thought to derive from an unused or lost Semitic root, possibly related to Proto-Semitic *lby ('lion').

Historical & Contextual Notes

לָבִיא occurs relatively infrequently in the Hebrew Bible, with poetic and metaphorical force, often used in parallel with אֲרִי and כְּפִיר to evoke the image of a powerful, mature, or formidable lion. Though sometimes merged in English translations as 'lion' or 'lioness,' the term can denote a sense of strength or nobility in its context, such as in blessing and lament literature (e.g., Genesis 49:9, Ezekiel 19:2). In some later periods, לָבִיא was less frequently used, as other lion terms prevailed. Unlike אֲרִי, לָבִיא is not typically a generic term for any lion, nor specifically for a young lion (כְּפִיר), though the boundaries between these terms are sometimes fluid. In modern Hebrew, לָבִיא is standard for 'lion,' but this usage is anachronistic to the biblical period. The English 'lioness' is occasionally used in some translations, but the Hebrew forms rarely mark gender in this term; context and grammatical agreement determine nuance.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or (Ezekiel 19:2) לְבִיָּא; irregular masculine plural לְבָאִים; irregular feminine plural לְבָאוֹת; from an unused root meaning; compare אֲרִי; to roar; a lion (properly, a lioness as the fiercer (although not a roarer;)); (great, old, stout) lion, lioness, young (lion).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

לבא (l-b-ʾ) — strength, fierceness, leonine power

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3822 לְבָאוֹת and Lionesses
H935 בּוֹא lion

Word Forms

8 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3833-03 לָבִ֧יא lavi HNcbsa the lioness fierce lion 4
H3833-02 כְּ/לָבִ֣יא kelavi HR/Ncbsa like a lion like a fierce lion 3
H3833-08 וּ/כְ/לָבִ֖יא ukhelavi HC/R/Ncbsa and like a lioness and like a fierce lion 2
H3833-06 לְבָאִם֮ levaim HNcbpa lions fierce lions 1
H3833-01 כַּ/לָּבִ֑יא kalavi HRd/Ncbsa like a lion like a fierce lion 1
H3833-05 לְ/לִבְאֹתָ֑י/ו leliveotayv HR/Ncbpc/Sp3ms his lionesses his fierce lions 1
H3833-04 לְ/לָבִ֣יא lelavi HR/Ncbsa for the lioness to a mighty lion 1
H3833-07 לְבִיָּ֔א leviya HNcfsa a lioness fierce lioness 1

Occurrences in Scripture

14 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3833-08 Genesis 49:9 וּ/כְ/לָבִ֖יא ukhelavi HC/R/Ncbsa and like a lioness and like a fierce lion
H3833-02 Numbers 23:24 כְּ/לָבִ֣יא kelavi HR/Ncbsa like a lioness like a fierce lion
H3833-08 Numbers 24:9 וּ/כְ/לָבִ֖יא ukhelavi HC/R/Ncbsa and like a lioness and like a fierce lion
H3833-02 Deuteronomy 33:20 כְּ/לָבִ֣יא kelavi HR/Ncbsa like a lion like a fierce lion
H3833-01 Isaiah 5:29 כַּ/לָּבִ֑יא kalavi HRd/Ncbsa like a lion like a fierce lion
H3833-03 Isaiah 30:6 לָבִ֧יא lavi HNcbsa lioness fierce lion
H3833-07 Ezekiel 19:2 לְבִיָּ֔א leviya HNcfsa a lioness fierce lioness
H3833-02 Hosea 13:8 כְּ/לָבִ֔יא kelavi HR/Ncbsa like a lion like a fierce lion
H3833-03 Joel 1:6 לָבִ֖יא lavi HNcbsa a lioness fierce lion
H3833-03 Nahum 2:12 לָבִ֥יא lavi HNcbsa the lioness fierce lion
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