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לָבָן

𐤋𐤁𐤍

Lavan

H3837 noun

SILEX Entry

Root לבן to be white, make white, whiten

Definition

Proper noun designating (1) a personal name, most prominently known as the Aramean relative of the matriarchs Rachel and Leah in the ancestral narratives, and (2) a place name referring to a desert location. While the name is etymologically connected to the adjective 'white,' in its use as a personal or place name, the original descriptive sense is generally secondary. The name "Laban" thus functions in narrative as an identifier rather than conveying the literal meaning of 'white.'

Semantic Range

personal name (Laban, an Aramean figure of Genesis), place name (a station or site in the wilderness), unrelated to the adjective 'white' in most narrative uses

Root / Etymology

From the root לָבַן (l-b-n), meaning 'to be white' or 'whiten.' The word לָבָן is derived as a nominal form, and while the base meaning is 'white,' its use as a name (both personal and geographic) is a secondary, transferred usage that no longer primarily carries the literal adjectival sense.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In biblical narratives, לָבָן refers principally to Laban the Aramean, a key figure in the ancestral stories of Genesis, brother of Rebekah and father of Leah and Rachel, placing him in the context of Upper Mesopotamian (Syro-Aramean) society during the patriarchal period. The meaning 'white' may have originally functioned as a descriptive element, perhaps signifying complexion, hair color, or symbolic purity, but this is speculative and not explicit in the text; in actual literary use, the name is not explained and functions as an inherited personal name. In later biblical usage, לָבָן is also used as a toponym, designating a wilderness location (Deuteronomy 1:1, 1:46). English translations render it as 'Laban' both for the person and the place, reflecting the transliteration of the Hebrew and preserving the name rather than translating its possible adjectival meaning. The term should not be confused with the adjective לָבָן meaning 'white,' despite sharing the form and root.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

the same as לָבָן; Laban, a Mesopotamian; also a place in the Desert; Laban.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

לבן (l-b-n) — to be white, make white, whiten

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3828 לְבוֹנָה frankincense resin
H3829 לְבוֹנָה to Lebonah
H3835 לָבַן I will whiten
H3836 לָבָן the white one
H3838 לְבָנָא white

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3837-02 לָבָ֑ן lavan HNp Laban Laban 45
H3837-03 לְ/לָבָ֔ן lelavan HR/Np to Laban to Laban 5
H3837-05 וְ/לָבָ֣ן velavan HC/Np Laban and Laban 3
H3837-04 וּ/לְ/לָבָ֖ן ulelavan HC/R/Np And to Laban and to Laban 1
H3837-01 בְּ/לָבָ֑ן belavan HR/Np with Laban with Laban 1

Occurrences in Scripture

55 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3837-02 Genesis 24:29 לָבָ֑ן lavan HNp was Laban Laban
H3837-02 Genesis 24:29 לָבָ֧ן lavan-2 HNp Laban Laban
H3837-02 Genesis 24:50 לָבָ֤ן lavan HNp Laban Laban
H3837-02 Genesis 25:20 לָבָ֥ן lavan HNp Laban Laban
H3837-02 Genesis 27:43 לָבָ֥ן lavan HNp Laban Laban
H3837-02 Genesis 28:2 לָבָ֖ן lavan HNp of Laban Laban
H3837-02 Genesis 28:5 לָבָ֤ן lavan HNp Laban Laban
H3837-02 Genesis 29:5 לָבָ֣ן lavan HNp Laban Laban
H3837-02 Genesis 29:10 לָבָן֙ lavan HNp of Laban Laban
H3837-02 Genesis 29:10 לָבָ֖ן lavan-2 HNp of Laban Laban
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