לָהַהּ
𐤋𐤄𐤄
lâhahh
H3856 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To burn or be enflamed, often in a figurative sense such as being mad or frenzied; by extension, to languish or faint, especially as a result of fever, exhaustion, or extreme agitation. The verb denotes intense heat, whether literal or metabolic, which may manifest as overwhelming emotion, delirium, or physical debility.
Semantic Range
to burn (literally or figuratively), to be enflamed, to rage with fever, to be mad or frenzied, to languish, to faint from exhaustion or agitation
Root / Etymology
Root is להה, with the primary sense of 'to burn' or 'to be enflamed.' The verb conveys not only physical burning but also internal burning typical of feverish or manic states, and thus may extend to emotional or psychological conditions marked by agitation or delirium.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Usage of לָהַהּ is rare and primarily poetic or descriptive of extreme states; it appears in contexts describing physical fevers, overwhelming frenzy, or madness (cf. Deut 28:28; Isa 19:14). In some cases, it connects to the imagery of burning—either literal fever or figurative burning with emotion or madness. The term is distinct from other roots like חלה (to be sick) or קדח (to burn, as by fever), focusing on a more agitated, feverish, or rabid state rather than simple illness. English versions often render it as 'mad', 'faint', or 'raving,' though these glosses cannot capture the full semantic overlap with burning heat and delirium. Greek Septuagint translations often use terms for madness or disorder. Later interpretive traditions sometimes identified the condition as a form of divine punishment or curse, especially in Deuteronomic curse narratives, but the word’s base meaning remains rooted in burning/wasting agitation rather than theological diagnosis. Notably, the word is not common in later Hebrew literature, signaling a restriction mainly to biblical usage.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root meaning properly, to burn, i.e. (by implication); to be rabid (figuratively, insane); also (from the exhaustion of frenzy) to languish; faint, mad.
Bantu Hebrew
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להה (l-h-h) — to burn, to be inflamed, to be feverish, to be mad
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3856-01 |
כְּֽ֭/מִתְלַהְלֵהַּ | kemitelaheleha | HR/Vfrmsa |
like a madman | like a self-enflaming one | 1 |
H3856-02 |
וַ/תֵּ֜לַהּ | vatelah | HC/Vqw3fs |
and it languished | and she burned | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3856-02 |
Genesis 47:13 | וַ/תֵּ֜לַהּ | vatelah | HC/Vqw3fs |
and it languished | and she burned |
H3856-01 |
Proverbs 26:18 | כְּֽ֭/מִתְלַהְלֵהַּ | kemitelaheleha | HR/Vfrmsa |
like a madman | like a self-enflaming one |