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לָאט

𐤋𐤀𐤈

lâʼṭ

H3814 noun

SILEX Entry

Root לּאט to cover, to muffle, to act secretly

Definition

Adverb indicating manner of action: quietly, silently, secretly, or softly—describing speech, movement, or action carried out without attracting attention or in a subdued voice. In poetic or narrative contexts, can suggest secrecy or stealth as well as gentleness of manner.

Semantic Range

quietly, softly, secretly, in a subdued manner, silently, gently

Root / Etymology

Derived either from the root לָאַט, which is of uncertain origin and may be onomatopoeic, suggesting covering or muffling, or possibly related to the active participle of לוּט ('to wrap, enwrap'). The word captures the notion of being covered or concealed, which is metaphorically extended to mean 'quiet' or 'secret.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In Biblical usage, לָאט appears in poetic and narrative contexts (e.g., Proverbs 15:1, 1 Samuel 10:22), describing utterances or actions performed quietly, softly, or in secret. While often rendered as 'softly' or 'quietly' in English translations, the nuance in Hebrew can indicate not only reduced volume or gentleness, but also the intention to avoid public attention—sometimes out of respect, at other times for secrecy. Distinct from words meaning 'silence' as absence of sound (e.g., דּוּמִיָּה), לָאט denotes the manner of quietness, especially when chosen or deliberate.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from לָאַט (or perhaps for active participle of לוּט); properly, muffled, i.e. silently; softly.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

לאט (l-ʾ-ṭ) — covering, muffling, secrecy, subdued action

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3813 לָאַט he muffled

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3814-01 בַּ/לָּ֔אט balat HRd/Ncmsa quietly in muffled secrecy 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3814-01 Judges 4:21 בַּ/לָּ֔אט balat HRd/Ncmsa quietly in muffled secrecy
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