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לַח

𐤋𐤇

lach

H3892 adjective

SILEX Entry

Root לחח (uncertain) to be moist, to be fresh, to retain sap or moisture

Definition

Fresh, green, moist; describes something that retains natural moisture or is not yet dried out, not aged or withered. Often used specifically of vegetation, wood, branches, food, or objects indicating their freshness, newness, or suitability for certain uses.

Semantic Range

moist, fresh, green, recently cut, new, youthful (metaphorical), full of vitality (metaphorical)

Root / Etymology

Root/etymology uncertain. Traditionally analyzed as related to an unused root (possibly לחח), meaning 'to be moist' or 'to be fresh,' which does not appear independently in the Hebrew Bible. The descriptor לַח is a direct adjective form denoting the state of being moist or green, with the nuance deriving from presumed connection to physical properties of wetness or freshness.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In biblical usage, לַח typically contrasts with adjectives like יָבֵשׁ (yavesh, 'dry' or 'withered'), emphasizing youth, freshness, or readiness. It occurs in poetic and metaphorical contexts to describe both plants (e.g., fresh branches or green reeds) and more generally anything that is newly made or full of vitality. The term is rare in the Hebrew Bible but carries significant metaphorical weight, sometimes associated with vigor or potential, as opposed to the brittleness or staleness of dryness. In later Hebrew, the idea of 'freshness' continues to be tied to notions of youth and newness, but in the biblical period the core sense is physical moistness or greenness. English translations may render it as 'fresh,' 'green,' 'moist,' or 'newly cut,' though nuances may be lost, especially in contexts where vitality or readiness are metaphorically in view. There is no direct connection to religious or ethnic identity; many post-biblical uses simply inherit the physical or metaphorical senses outlined here.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from an unused root meaning to be new; fresh, i.e. unused or undried; green, moist.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

לחח (l-ḥ-ḥ) — moisture, freshness, retained sap

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3892-02 לַחִ֥ים lachim HAampa fresh moist ones 3
H3892-01 לַ֖ח lach HAamsa green fresh, moist 3

Occurrences in Scripture

6 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3892-01 Genesis 30:37 לַ֖ח lach HAamsa fresh fresh, moist
H3892-02 Numbers 6:3 לַחִ֥ים lachim HAampa fresh moist ones
H3892-02 Judges 16:7 לַחִ֖ים lachim HAampa fresh moist ones
H3892-02 Judges 16:8 לַחִ֖ים lachim HAampa fresh moist ones
H3892-01 Ezekiel 17:24 לָ֔ח lach HAamsa green fresh, moist
H3892-01 Ezekiel 21:3 לַח֩ lach HAamsa green fresh, moist
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