לָהַם
𐤋𐤄𐤌
lâham
H3859 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To press or inflict a wound, especially through burning or branding; to inflict an injury that festers or causes enduring pain. The verb often connotes the act of causing a wound that is not merely physical but may also carry a sense of internalized or persistent pain, such as that which rankles or festers over time. This includes the sense of a literal wound, as well as a metaphorical use for emotional or psychological injury.
Semantic Range
to wound (by burning or impressing), to inflict a festering injury, to cause enduring or internal pain (literally or figuratively), to brand or sear
Root / Etymology
From the root להם, which likely conveys the core idea of pressing or impressing forcefully, often with connotations of burning or branding. The formation of לָהַם appears to derive from the root's sense of inflicting injury with lasting effect, either by fire (burning in) or through a wound that festers. The exact root meaning is not fully paralleled elsewhere in Biblical Hebrew, making its broader etymology somewhat uncertain, but the core concept seems to center on forceful or violent wounding.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Usage of לָהַם is rare in the Hebrew Bible, found primarily in poetic or wisdom literature (notably Job). The semantic field overlaps in some respects with other roots meaning 'to wound' (such as פצע or חבל), but לָהַם is distinguished by its connotation of a wound that 'burns in' or festers—either physically, as with a branding or cauterization, or figuratively, as with a lasting internal pain. In some contexts, English translations have rendered the term as 'wound,' 'burn,' or (more figuratively) 'rankle,' but these do not fully capture the sense of a wound that is enduring and potentially internalized. The word does not appear commonly in later Hebrew, and there is no evidence of a significant semantic shift across periods, likely due to its rarity. There is little evidence for use outside Hebrew or in later periods, and thus its context remains closely tied to rare biblical poetic usage.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; properly, to burn in, i.e. (figuratively) to rankle; wound.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
להם (l-h-m) — to wound, to burn in, to brand
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3859-01 |
כְּ/מִֽתְלַהֲמִ֑ים | kemitelahamim | HR/Vtrmpa |
like dainty morsels | like self-wounding ones | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3859-01 |
Proverbs 18:8 | כְּ/מִֽתְלַהֲמִ֑ים | kemitelahamim | HR/Vtrmpa |
like dainty morsels | like self-wounding ones |
H3859-01 |
Proverbs 26:22 | כְּ/מִֽתְלַהֲמִ֑ים | kemitelahamim | HR/Vtrmpa |
like delicious morsels | like self-wounding ones |