לְבָנָא
𐤋𐤁𐤍𐤀
Levana
H3838 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Personal name: Lebana (or Lebanah), identified as an individual among the Nethinim in post-exilic community lists (see Nehemiah 7:50; Ezra 2:45). The name likely means 'white' or 'whitish,' possibly describing physical appearance, ancestry, or functioning as a family designation. The name is not a common appellative noun but occurs in the Hebrew Bible exclusively as a proper noun.
Semantic Range
personal name (Lebana/Lebanah), 'white' as possible descriptive meaning
Root / Etymology
From the root ל־ב־ן (l-b-n), which carries the basic meaning 'to be white' or 'to make white.' לְבָנָא (Lebana/Lebanah) derives from this root, following a pattern similar to other personal names or place names, but used here for an individual classified among the Nethinim.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Lebana/Lebanah appears in post-exilic genealogical lists among the Nethinim (temple servants assigned to support Levites) who returned from Babylonian exile. The form לְבָנָא is identical to, and likely a variant spelling of, לְבָנָה, occurring in parallel passages (Ezra/Nehemiah). English translations typically render the name according to the Hebrew form, sometimes with the alternate spelling, but do not convey its etymological meaning ('white'). The name does not occur outside these lists; no additional context is provided regarding the individual's identity or role beyond group affiliation. The appearance of both spellings in the biblical record reflects scribal or dialectal variation, common in post-exilic name lists. The association with Nethinim underscores the social and cultic structures prevalent in the Second Temple period, where individuals or families bore names with descriptive or possibly referential significance, often preserved from earlier familial origins or given anew during exile or return.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or לְבָנָה; the same as לְבָנָה; Lebana or Lebanah, one of the Nethinim; Lebana, Lebanah.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
לבן (l-b-n) — to be white, to become white, to make white
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3828 | לְבוֹנָה | frankincense resin |
| H3829 | לְבוֹנָה | to Lebonah |
| H3835 | לָבַן | I will whiten |
| H3836 | לָבָן | the white one |
| H3837 | לָבָן | with Laban |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3838-01 |
לְבָנָ֥ה | levanah | HNp |
Lebanah | white | Levana | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3838-01 |
Ezra 2:45 | לְבָנָ֥ה | levanah | HNp |
Lebanah | white | Levana |
H3838-01 |
Nehemiah 7:48 | לְבָנָ֥ה | levanah | HNp |
Lebanah | white | Levana |