← H3825 H3827 →

לִבָּה

𐤋𐤁𐤄

libbâh

H3826 noun

SILEX Entry

Root לבב heart, mind, inner self

Definition

The inner organ of emotion, thought, and volition (the 'heart') specifically in a feminine grammatical form. Used chiefly to refer to the seat of feeling, thought, intention, or understanding, but also can refer to the actual physical organ at times. In some contexts, emphasizes inner disposition, inclinations, or will, especially as attributed to a woman or in poetic language.

Semantic Range

inner self, seat of emotions, will, understanding, inclination, physical heart, poetic/grammatical feminine form

Root / Etymology

From the root לבב (לב), meaning 'heart, mind, inner self.' לִבָּה is the feminine form of לֵב (lēb), likely originally denoting either the literal female heart or used for stylistic, poetic, or grammatical gender agreement. The term directly derives from the root's basic sense of heart as core or seat of inner life.

Historical & Contextual Notes

לִבָּה appears predominantly in poetic books (notably Song of Songs, Lamentations, Ezekiel) and may be chosen for metrical or gender agreement with feminine nouns. Unlike the masculine לֵב or לֵבָב, which are more frequent and generic, לִבָּה usually refers to the heart of a woman or poetically personified entity (such as Zion in Lamentations). English translations often render לִבָּה simply as 'heart,' missing the grammatical and sometimes contextual feminine aspect. There is no change in the underlying anthropological or psychological concept from לֵב; both terms convey the locus of emotion, thought, and will in the ancient Israelite conception of the person. In later periods, the distinction between לֵב and לִבָּה was largely grammatical, although certain poetic nuances remained. No distinct religious or theological usage is attached to this feminine form.

Translation Consistency

primary "heart" 7 occurrences

libbâh consistently names the inner organ of emotion, thought, and will (and occasionally the physical organ). 'Heart' is the natural, idiomatic English noun that covers the usual semantic range (seat of feeling, intent, understanding) and matches the distribution in the text; it is also the simplest way to render the feminine form without introducing gendered language or awkward paraphrase.

✓ All renderings match approved senses

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

feminine of לֵב; the heart; heart.

Bantu Hebrew

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

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

לבב (l-b-b) — heart, mind, inner self

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3820 לֵב in the inner core of
H3821 לֵב in my inner core
H3823 לָבַב you have heart-stirred me
H3824 לֵבָב in the inner core
H3825 לְבַב your inner-self

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H3826-03 לִ֭בּ֗וֹת libot HNcfpa hearts hearts hearts 5
H3826-02 לִבָּתֵ֔/ךְ libatekhe HNcfsc/Sp2fs is your heart your heart your heart 1
H3826-01 בְּ/לִבּוֹתָֽ/ם belibotam HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp in their hearts in their hearts in their hearts 1

Occurrences in Scripture

7 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H3826-02 Ezekiel 16:30 לִבָּתֵ֔/ךְ libatekhe HNcfsc/Sp2fs is your heart your heart your heart
H3826-03 Psalms 7:10 לִ֭בּ֗וֹת libot HNcfpa hearts hearts hearts
H3826-01 Psalms 125:4 בְּ/לִבּוֹתָֽ/ם belibotam HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp in their hearts in their hearts in their hearts
H3826-03 Proverbs 15:11 לִבּ֥וֹת libot HNcfpc hearts hearts hearts
H3826-03 Proverbs 17:3 לִבּ֣וֹת libot HNcfpa hearts hearts hearts
H3826-03 Proverbs 21:2 לִבּ֣וֹת libot HNcfpa the hearts hearts hearts
H3826-03 Proverbs 24:12 לִבּ֨וֹת libot HNcfpa the hearts hearts hearts
← H3825 Hebrew Lexicon H3827 →