לֶהָבָה
𐤋𐤄𐤁𐤄
lehâbâh
H3852 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A flame, especially a visible tongue or shaft of fire. In extended and poetic usage, denotes brilliance, a fiery phenomenon, or intense burning (literal or figurative). In rare metaphorical senses, used for something sharply pointed, such as the head or tip of a spear or weapon, likely referencing its shining or flashing appearance.
Semantic Range
flame, tongue of fire, shaft of fire, flashing brilliance, head or tip (of a spear or weapon as gleaming/fiery), intense burning (literal or metaphorical)
Root / Etymology
Root לׇהַב (lāhav), core meaning 'to blaze, burn, flash.' לֶהָבָה (lehâbâh) is the feminine form, emphasizing either an individual tongue of flame or the phenomenon of flames. Derives from the root meaning of burning or flashing, but the nominal form focuses on the visual aspect of fire rather than the abstract action of burning.
Historical & Contextual Notes
לֶהָבָה is found in both prose and poetic texts, frequently employed to evoke powerful imagery of consuming or destructive fire (e.g., Genesis 3:24; Isaiah 5:24; Ezekiel 20:47; Song of Songs 8:6). While its primary sense is 'flame' (often as a distinct tongue or shaft), extended metaphorical uses occur, particularly in parallel structure or heightened poetic context, where it can signify the brilliant or flashing tip of a weapon. The word appears more often in poetic or prophetic books, highlighting intense burning, divine action, or unstoppable power. Later Jewish exegesis sometimes ascribes symbolic meanings, but these are not inherent to the ancient usage. Standard English translations as 'flame' generally capture its core meaning, but miss the subtleties of brilliance, movement, or metaphorical extensions. Distinct from אֵשׁ (esh, 'fire') which can denote either the material phenomenon or sacrificial fire—the emphasis in לֶהָבָה is on the visible, flickering, or aggressive aspect of flame.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or לַהֶבֶת; feminine of לַהַב, and meaning the same; {a flash; figuratively, a sharply polished blade or point of aweapon}; flame(-ming), head (of a spear).
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
להב (Lehavim) — to burn, to blaze, to flare up
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3827 | לַבָּה | in blazing flame of |
| H3851 | לַהַב | in blazing flame of |
| H3853 | לְהָבִים | Flame-ones |
| H7957 | שַׁלְהֶבֶת | blazing flame |
| H8514 | תַּלְאוּבָה | scorching droughts |
Word Forms
9 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3852-03 |
לֶהָבָֽה | lehavah | HNcfsa |
flame | blazing flame | flame | 9 |
H3852-09 |
וְ/לֶהָבָ֖ה | velehavah | HC/Ncfsa |
and a flame | and a flame | and a flame | 3 |
H3852-01 |
לַהֲב֥וֹת | lahavot | HNcfpc |
flames | flames of | flames of | 1 |
H3852-02 |
לַהֶ֣בֶת | lahevet | HNcfsc |
flame | flame of | flame of | 1 |
H3852-04 |
לֶהָב֣וֹת | lehavot | HNcfpa |
flames | blazing flames | blazing flames | 1 |
H3852-05 |
לְ/לֶהָבָ֑ה | lelehavah | HR/Ncfsa |
a flame | blazing flame | to flame | 1 |
H3852-06 |
וּ֝/כְ/לֶהָבָ֗ה | ukhelehavah | HC/R/Ncfsa |
and like a flame | and like a blazing-flame | and like a flame | 1 |
H3852-07 |
וּ/בְ/לֶהָבָ֛ה | uvelehavah | HC/R/Ncfsa |
and-by-flame | and in a flame | and by flame | 1 |
H3852-08 |
וְ/לַהֶ֣בֶת | velahevet | HC/Ncfsc |
and the socket | and flame-of | and the tip | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
19 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3852-03 |
Numbers 21:28 | לֶהָבָ֖ה | lehavah | HNcfsa |
flame | blazing flame | flame |
H3852-08 |
1 Samuel 17:7 | וְ/לַהֶ֣בֶת | velahevet | HC/Ncfsc |
and the socket | and flame-of | and the tip |
H3852-03 |
Isaiah 4:5 | לֶהָבָ֖ה | lehavah | HNcfsa |
flaming | blazing flame | flame |
H3852-03 |
Isaiah 5:24 | לֶֽהָבָה֙ | lehavah | HNcfsa |
flame | blazing flame | blazing flame |
H3852-05 |
Isaiah 10:17 | לְ/לֶהָבָ֑ה | lelehavah | HR/Ncfsa |
a flame | blazing flame | to flame |
H3852-09 |
Isaiah 43:2 | וְ/לֶהָבָ֖ה | velehavah | HC/Ncfsa |
and the flame | and a flame | and the flame |
H3852-03 |
Isaiah 47:14 | לֶֽהָבָ֑ה | lehavah | HNcfsa |
the flame | blazing flame | blazing flame |
H3852-09 |
Jeremiah 48:45 | וְ/לֶֽהָבָה֙ | velehavah | HC/Ncfsa |
and a flame | and a flame | and a flame |
H3852-02 |
Ezekiel 21:3 | לַהֶ֣בֶת | lahevet | HNcfsc |
flame | flame of | flame of |
H3852-03 |
Hosea 7:6 | לֶהָבָֽה | lehavah | HNcfsa |
a flame | blazing flame | a flame |
H3852-09 |
Joel 1:19 | וְ/לֶ֣הָבָ֔ה | velehavah | HC/Ncfsa |
and flame | and a flame | and flame |
H3852-03 |
Joel 2:3 | לֶֽהָבָ֑ה | lehavah | HNcfsa |
flame | blazing flame | flame |
H3852-03 |
Obadiah 1:18 | לֶהָבָ֗ה | lehavah | HNcfsa |
flame | blazing flame | flame |
H3852-01 |
Psalms 29:7 | לַהֲב֥וֹת | lahavot | HNcfpc |
flames | flames of | flames of |
H3852-06 |
Psalms 83:15 | וּ֝/כְ/לֶהָבָ֗ה | ukhelehavah | HC/R/Ncfsa |
and like a flame | and like a blazing-flame | and like a flame |
H3852-04 |
Psalms 105:32 | לֶהָב֣וֹת | lehavot | HNcfpa |
flames | blazing flames | blazing flames |
H3852-03 |
Psalms 106:18 | לֶ֝הָבָ֗ה | lehavah | HNcfsa |
flame | blazing flame | flame |
H3852-03 |
Lamentations 2:3 | לֶֽהָבָ֔ה | lehavah | HNcfsa |
flaming | blazing flame | blazing flame |
H3852-07 |
Daniel 11:33 | וּ/בְ/לֶהָבָ֛ה | uvelehavah | HC/R/Ncfsa |
and-by-flame | and in a flame | and by flame |