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לַיִשׁ

𐤋𐤉𐤔

Layish

H3919 noun

SILEX Entry

Root ליש uncertain, possibly 'lion' (if related to לַיִשׁ as a common noun)

Definition

Layish is a proper noun used as a place name, specifically denoting two localities mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. Its primary use is as the designation for a northern settlement later taken by the tribe of Dan, and for a town in the territory of Benjamin. The name is possibly derived from a common noun for 'lion,' suggesting connotations of strength or wildness, but in biblical usage, it serves strictly as a toponym.

Semantic Range

proper noun, place name, name of a northern settlement (later Dan), name of a town in Benjamin's territory

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root ליש (uncertain etymology), possibly related to the noun לַיִשׁ meaning 'lion.' The connection to the common noun is suggestive but not etymologically certain for the place name. Related to the root לוּשׁ ('to knead') only by similarity in spelling, not by meaning.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Layish is notably the name of the settlement in the far north later renamed Dan after its conquest by the Danite clan (Judges 18:7-29). In the biblical narrative, this locale was originally inhabited by people distinct from the Israelite clans, and its original name, Layish, reflects pre-Israelite toponymy. The association of the name with 'lion' (as in the animal) is speculative, and there is no evidence in the biblical texts that either site was named for actual lions or lion imagery. The second instance, a town in the territory of Benjamin (Isaiah 10:30), is mentioned in the context of Assyrian incursion. English translations typically leave the name untranslated, preserving it as 'Laish,' but the underlying Hebrew word would not have had the later religious or geopolitical associations that the Anglicized name sometimes acquires. There is no relationship with the later term 'Jew,' nor can the name be identified with any later geographic designation without anachronism.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

the same as לַיִשׁ; Laish, the name of two places in Palestine; Laish. Compare לוּשׁ.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

ליש (l-y-sh) — uncertain, possibly lion

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3918 לַיִשׁ Layish

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H3919-02 לַיִשׁ֒ layish HNp Laish Layish Layish 5
H3919-01 לָ֑יְשָׁ/ה layeshah HNp/Sd O Laishah toward Layish Layish 2

Occurrences in Scripture

7 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H3919-01 Judges 18:7 לָ֑יְשָׁ/ה layeshah HNp/Sd to Laish toward Layish to Layish
H3919-02 Judges 18:14 לַיִשׁ֒ layish HNp of Laish Layish Layish
H3919-02 Judges 18:27 לַ֗יִשׁ layish HNp Laish Layish Layish
H3919-02 Judges 18:29 לַ֥יִשׁ layish HNp Laish Layish Layish
H3919-02 1 Samuel 25:44 לַ֖יִשׁ layish HNp of Laish Layish Layish
H3919-02 2 Samuel 3:15 לָֽיִשׁ layish HNp Laish Layish Layish
H3919-01 Isaiah 10:30 לַ֖יְשָׁה layeshah HNp O Laishah toward Layish Layish
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