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לוּחַ

𐤋𐤅𐤇

lûwach

H3871 noun

SILEX Entry

Root לוח to be smooth, to polish, to shine

Definition

A flat, smooth tablet or slab, typically rectangular, made of stone, wood, or metal; used for writing, engraving, or displaying information. In the Hebrew Bible, especially denotes the stone tablets inscribed with laws or commandments. Can refer more generally to any kind of plate or board, often one designed to be inscribed or written upon.

Semantic Range

tablet for inscribing laws or records, plate, board, polished slab, inscribable surface

Root / Etymology

From the root לוח, with the core meaning 'to be smooth, polished, perhaps to shine.' The nominal form לוּחַ indicates an object that is smooth or polished, hence a tablet or plate suitable for writing or engraving. The precise verbal root is rare or unattested in this sense but is semantically plausible via comparison with related Semitic words.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, לוּחַ is most famously used for the 'tablets of the testimony' (e.g., Exodus 24:12, Deuteronomy 9:10), meaning the stone tablets given to Moses on Sinai, which bore inscriptions of the commandments for the Israelite people. These are specifically described as being of polished stone, suitable for inscribing text. The term can also be used for other tablets or boards, such as wooden or metal plates, that served as surfaces for writing, records, or even architectural elements, but such usages are rare. In post-biblical periods, לוּחַ continued to denote inscribable surfaces such as writing boards or plaques. English translations often use 'tablet' or 'table'; however, 'tablet' is more precise for modern readers and less likely to be misunderstood. The association with religious or legal texts is primary in biblical context but does not encompass every possible usage of the term. The KJV translation 'table' sometimes obscures this specificity. Contrasts with other Hebrew terms for writing media, such as סֵפֶר (scroll/book) or גִּלָּיוֹן (scroll, parchment), which emphasize rolled or flexible writing materials rather than rigid, flat ones.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or לֻחַ; from a primitive root; probably meaning to glisten; a tablet (as polished), of stone, wood or metal; board, plate, table.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

לוח (l-w-ḥ) — to be smooth, to polish, to shine

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3872 לוּחִית the Slab-Place

Word Forms

6 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3871-03 לֻחֹ֣ת luchot HNcmpc tablets polished tablets of 21
H3871-01 הַ/לֻּחֹֽת haluchot HTd/Ncmpa the tablets the polished tablets 14
H3871-02 ל֛וּחַ lucha HNcmsa tablet polished tablet 5
H3871-05 לֻוחֹ֤ת luvchot HNcmpc tablets polished tablets of 1
H3871-06 וְ/הַ֨/לֻּחֹ֔ת vehaluchot HC/Td/Ncmpa and-the-tablets and the polished tablets 1
H3871-04 לֻֽחֹתָ֑יִם luchotayim HNcmda your planks two polished tablets 1

Occurrences in Scripture

43 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3871-03 Exodus 24:12 לֻחֹ֣ת luchot HNcmpc tablets polished tablets of
H3871-03 Exodus 27:8 לֻחֹ֖ת luchot HNcmpa with boards polished tablets of
H3871-03 Exodus 31:18 לֻחֹ֣ת luchot HNcmpc tablets polished tablets of
H3871-03 Exodus 31:18 לֻחֹ֣ת luchot-2 HNcmpc tablets polished tablets of
H3871-03 Exodus 32:15 לֻחֹ֥ת luchot HNcmpc tablets polished tablets of
H3871-03 Exodus 32:15 לֻחֹ֗ת luchot-2 HNcmpa tablets polished tablets of
H3871-06 Exodus 32:16 וְ/הַ֨/לֻּחֹ֔ת vehaluchot HC/Td/Ncmpa and-the-tablets and the polished tablets
H3871-01 Exodus 32:16 הַ/לֻּחֹֽת haluchot HTd/Ncmpa the-tablets the polished tablets
H3871-01 Exodus 32:19 הַ/לֻּחֹ֔ת haluchot HTd/Ncmpa the tablets the polished tablets
H3871-03 Exodus 34:1 לֻחֹ֥ת luchot HNcmpc tablets polished tablets of
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