← H7883 H7885 →

שִׁיחוֹר לִבְנָת

𐤔𐤉𐤇𐤅𐤓 𐤋𐤁𐤍𐤕

Shichor Livenat

H7884 noun

SILEX Entry

Root שחר to be black, to be dark, to be turbid

Definition

Proper name designating a boundary stream; refers to 'Shihor-libnath,' a watercourse or territorial marker on the northern border of the territory allocated to the Israelite tribe of Asher (Joshua 19:26). The compound may indicate a body of water characterized by both dark (possibly muddy) and pale (possibly chalky, reflective, or white) features. Not used in a general descriptive sense, but specifically as a toponym.

Semantic Range

Shihor-libnath as a geographical boundary, proper name of a stream or watercourse, rarely: possible description of physical contrast (dark and bright/white features) in a landscape

Root / Etymology

Compound of שִׁיחוֹר (Shihor), which itself derives from the root שחר ('to be black, dark, turbid'), and לִבְנָת, related to לָבָן ('to be white'). Thus, the etymological sense is 'dark (or turbid) [waters] of whiteness' — possibly referring to a stream with contrasting physical features (e.g., dark flowing water over white limestone or chalk).

Historical & Contextual Notes

Shihor-libnath is mentioned only in Joshua 19:26, delineating a geographic boundary. The form is a compound toponym, rare in the Hebrew Bible. Its precise location remains uncertain, but it’s associated with the northwestern edge of Asher’s tribal inheritance, near the Mediterranean coast. The name may reflect physical characteristics of the stream, such as turbid (muddy) water over a pale (chalky or limestone) bed, though this interpretation is speculative. Later translations occasionally render the term as a place simply called 'Shihor-libnath,' but there is little agreement on its location or whether 'Shihor' in this context is related to the Nile, as it is elsewhere (e.g., Joshua 13:3). In ancient Israelite usage, such toponyms often described notable geographic features for boundary purposes. English translations typically transliterate rather than translate the term, resulting in possible loss of descriptive nuance. There are no clear parallels to this compound in other Semitic place names.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from the same as שִׁיחוֹר and לָבַן; darkish whiteness; Shichor-Libnath, a stream of Palestine; Shihor-libnath.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

שחר (sh-ḥ-r) — to be black, to be dark, to be turbid

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4891 מִשְׁחָר earliest dawn-light
H6890 צֶרֶת הַשַּׁחַר the dawn-light
H7815 שְׁחוֹר black soot
H7835 שָׁחַר dawn-light
H7836 שָׁחַר I earnestly-seek you

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7884-01 לִבְנָֽת livenat HNp Libnath Whiteness-of 1
H7884-02 וּ/בְ/שִׁיח֖וֹר uveshichor HC/R/Np and to Shihor and in Dark-White Stream 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7884-02 Joshua 19:26 וּ/בְ/שִׁיח֖וֹר uveshichor HC/R/Np and to Shihor and in Dark-White Stream
H7884-01 Joshua 19:26 לִבְנָֽת livenat HNp Libnath Whiteness-of
← H7883 Hebrew Lexicon H7885 →