לוּשׁ
𐤋𐤅𐤔
lûwsh
H3888 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To knead, especially to work or mix a pliable substance—most often dough—by hand, pressing and folding to distribute ingredients and prepare for baking or cooking. In Hebrew usage, לוּשׁ refers primarily to the process of making bread or other baked goods by manipulating flour and liquid until a uniform dough is formed, but can extend to similar manual processing of other malleable materials.
Semantic Range
to knead dough, to mix and work flour and water, to prepare dough for baking, to combine materials by hand
Root / Etymology
The root ל-ו-שׁ (lush) is attested as a verbal root meaning 'to knead.' It is a denominative root, and is not clearly associated with other roots or broader verb families in Hebrew; its etymology within Semitic languages is obscure but it appears without clear cognates in neighboring languages. The primary, literal use is attested in the Qal stem (active).
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, לוּשׁ is used in contexts related to food preparation, particularly breadmaking (e.g., Genesis 18:6, 1 Samuel 28:24). The action involves combining flour and water (sometimes with oil or other ingredients) into a single, workable mass. The vocabulary is closely associated with daily domestic and ritual life in ancient Israel, reflecting the centrality of bread as staple food. While primarily literal, in later Hebrew (post-biblical) some metaphorical extensions appear (e.g., shaping or forming people or communities), but these are not attested in biblical usage. English translations as 'knead' accurately reflect the basic sense, but do not always bring out the specific social and ritual context of bread preparation in ancient Israelite society. The use of לוּשׁ is consistent throughout the ancient corpus, with little evidence for major semantic shift over time. Related terms include גבל (gabal, 'to knead, mix,' often with clay), which sometimes overlaps but may emphasize mixing rather than manipulation by hand.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to knead; knead.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
לושׁ (l-w-sh) — to knead, to work by hand, to mix by hand
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3918 | לַיִשׁ | mighty lion |
Word Forms
5 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3888-04 |
וַ/תָּ֔לָשׁ | vatalash | HC/Vqw3fs |
and kneaded | and she kneaded | 2 |
H3888-03 |
מִ/לּ֥וּשׁ | milush | HR/Vqc |
from the kneading | from kneading | 1 |
H3888-02 |
ל֖וּשִׁי | lushi | HVqv2fs |
knead it | Knead! | 1 |
H3888-05 |
ו/תלוש | vtlvsh | HC/Vqw3fs |
and kneaded [it] | and she kneaded | 1 |
H3888-01 |
לָשׁ֣וֹת | lashot | HVqrfpa |
knead | kneading women | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
6 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3888-02 |
Genesis 18:6 | ל֖וּשִׁי | lushi | HVqv2fs |
knead it | Knead! |
H3888-04 |
1 Samuel 28:24 | וַ/תָּ֔לָשׁ | vatalash | HC/Vqw3fs |
and-she-kneaded | and she kneaded |
H3888-05 |
2 Samuel 13:8 | ו/תלוש | vtlvsh | HC/Vqw3fs |
and kneaded [it] | and she kneaded |
H3888-04 |
2 Samuel 13:8 | וַ/תָּ֨לָשׁ֙ | vatalash | HC/Vqw3fs |
and kneaded | and she kneaded |
H3888-01 |
Jeremiah 7:18 | לָשׁ֣וֹת | lashot | HVqrfpa |
knead | kneading women |
H3888-03 |
Hosea 7:4 | מִ/לּ֥וּשׁ | milush | HR/Vqc |
from the kneading | from kneading |