וְ/נִלְחַ֖ם
𐤅/𐤍𐤋𐤇𐤌
lâcham
and fight
To engage in battle or wage war; to fight in armed conflict, either as an individual or a group. In rarer contexts, the verb can connote struggle, contend, or engage in conflict of a non-military nature. The sense of 'feed on' or 'devour' is not attested in Biblical Hebrew for this root, and likely arises from confusion with similar roots.
1 Samuel 8:20 · Word #10
Lexicon H3898
| Lemma | לָחַם |
| Lemma (Paleo) | 𐤋𐤇𐤌 |
| Transliteration | lâcham |
| Strong's | H3898 |
| Definition | To engage in battle or wage war; to fight in armed conflict, either as an individual or a group. In rarer contexts, the verb can connote struggle, contend, or engage in conflict of a non-military nature. The sense of 'feed on' or 'devour' is not attested in Biblical Hebrew for this root, and likely arises from confusion with similar roots. |
Morphology HC/VNq3ms
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | V — Verb — An action or state |
| Binyan | N — Niphal — Simple passive or reflexive |
| Conjugation | q — Sequential Perfect — Perfect with waw-consecutive, continuing a narrative |
| Person | 3 — 3rd person — Third person ("he/she/they") |
| Gender | m — Masculine — Masculine |
| Number | s — Singular — Singular |
Common Translation
| Phrase | and fight |
SIBI-P1 Translation H3898-32
and he fought
| Morphological Notes | Verb; Niphal stem; sequential perfect (vav-consecutive); 3rd person masculine singular. |
| Rendering Rationale | The Niphal form of לחם carries a reflexive or passive nuance, often functioning as a middle voice, meaning "to engage in battle." The sequential perfect with prefixed conjunction renders as a past narrative form, hence "and he fought," preserving 3rd masculine singular. |
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