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לְבֵנָה

𐤋𐤁𐤍𐤄

lᵉbênâh

H3843 noun

SILEX Entry

Root לבן to be white, to make white, to shine

Definition

A brick formed from clay, typically molded and sun-dried or kiln-fired, used as a basic building material in construction. The term indicates a manufactured, rectangular unit distinct from naturally hewn stone, and can refer to both individual bricks and structures built of bricks. In rare cases, it may also refer to flat tiles or pavers in construction.

Semantic Range

brick, manufactured clay building block, tile, paver, altar of brick

Root / Etymology

Root: לבן. The root לבן primarily means 'to be white,' referring originally to color or shining. The noun לְבֵנָה derives from this root, likely due to the pale or whitish color of most ancient bricks made from unfired or lightly burned clay. The semantic development is from the idea of 'whiteness' to 'white clay,' and then to the specific baked or sun-dried block for building.

Historical & Contextual Notes

לְבֵנָה is found primarily in contexts describing construction materials and methods, especially in opposition to stone (אֶבֶן). For example, Gen 11:3 (the construction at Babel) juxtaposes לְבֵנָה with stone, emphasizing technological or cultural differences in building practices. In the Israelite context, stone construction was preferred for significant structures (e.g., temples, city walls), while brick construction was more common in Mesopotamia and Egypt. The word also appears in Isa 9:10 to symbolize human effort or pride in the face of disaster, again contrasting bricks (as replaceable/man-made) with naturally quarried stone. Later, in Second Temple and post-biblical texts, the manufactured nature of לְבֵנָה sometimes came to be associated metaphorically with human creations versus divine acts. English translations as 'brick' are accurate, but may miss nuances where the Israelite perception of man-made versus God-created construction materials is in view.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from לָבַן; a brick (from the whiteness of the clay); (altar of) brick, tile.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

לבן (l-b-n) — to be white, to make white, to shine

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

7 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3843-04 לְבֵנִ֔ים levenim HNcfpa bricks white clay bricks 3
H3843-02 הַ/לְּבֵנִ֖ים halevenim HTd/Ncfpa bricks the white-clay bricks 3
H3843-07 וּ/בִ/לְבֵנִ֔ים uvilevenim HC/R/Ncfpa and in brick, and in clay-bricks 1
H3843-03 לְבֵנָ֔ה levenah HNcfsa a brick white clay brick 1
H3843-01 הַ/לְּבֵנָה֙ halevenah HTd/Ncfsa the brick the white clay-brick 1
H3843-05 מִ/לִּבְנֵי/כֶ֖ם miliveneykhem HR/Ncfpc/Sp2mp from your bricks from your bricks 1
H3843-06 וּ/לְבֵנִ֛ים ulevenim HC/Ncfpa yet bricks and white-clay bricks 1

Occurrences in Scripture

11 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3843-04 Genesis 11:3 לְבֵנִ֔ים levenim HNcfpa bricks white clay bricks
H3843-01 Genesis 11:3 הַ/לְּבֵנָה֙ halevenah HTd/Ncfsa the brick the white clay-brick
H3843-07 Exodus 1:14 וּ/בִ/לְבֵנִ֔ים uvilevenim HC/R/Ncfpa and in brick, and in clay-bricks
H3843-02 Exodus 5:7 הַ/לְּבֵנִ֖ים halevenim HTd/Ncfpa bricks the white-clay bricks
H3843-02 Exodus 5:8 הַ/לְּבֵנִ֜ים halevenim HTd/Ncfpa bricks the white-clay bricks
H3843-06 Exodus 5:16 וּ/לְבֵנִ֛ים ulevenim HC/Ncfpa yet bricks and white-clay bricks
H3843-04 Exodus 5:18 לְבֵנִ֖ים levenim HNcfpa bricks white clay bricks
H3843-05 Exodus 5:19 מִ/לִּבְנֵי/כֶ֖ם miliveneykhem HR/Ncfpc/Sp2mp from your bricks from your bricks
H3843-04 Isaiah 9:9 לְבֵנִ֥ים levenim HNcfpa bricks white clay bricks
H3843-02 Isaiah 65:3 הַ/לְּבֵנִֽים halevenim HTd/Ncfpa the bricks the white-clay bricks
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