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לָבַשׁ

𐤋𐤁𐤔

lâbash

H3847 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To put on or be clothed with a garment; to dress or cover oneself in clothing. Extended to mean 'to array,' to assume a particular appearance by means of clothing, or metaphorically, to endow, equip, or invest with qualities or attributes as with a garment. The verb can be used both actively (to clothe another) and reflexively (to clothe oneself), and occurs in literal (putting on physical clothes) and figurative senses (assuming a role, state, or divine attribute).

Semantic Range

to put on (clothes), to dress, to clothe oneself, to clothe another, to be clothed, to assume an appearance, to endow (figurative), to equip (figurative), to arm (oneself with armor); to be invested with a state or quality, to wear, to array oneself

Root / Etymology

From the root לבש, meaning 'to wrap around' or 'envelop.' The basic motion is that of covering the body, hence the transition to 'to put on (clothes)' or 'to dress.' The qal stem is commonly used for donning clothes; other stems (e.g., hifil) are used for putting clothing on others or imbuing with qualities metaphorically.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The verb לָבַשׁ is used broadly throughout the Hebrew Bible from the earliest periods (e.g., patriarchal narratives, poetic texts) to post-exilic literature. While its primary sense is the donning or wearing of clothing (Genesis 3:21; Exodus 28:41), it develops significant figurative meaning, particularly in poetic and prophetic texts. For example, it is used to describe donning mourning (e.g., sackcloth), strength, shame, or honor as though these abstract qualities were garments (Isaiah 61:10; Psalm 35:13). In priestly contexts, לָבַשׁ is a technical term for robing priests in their vestments (Exodus 29:5, Leviticus 8:7). In military contexts, it can mean 'to arm' (with armor). The core sense remains 'to put on (a garment or quality)'; context determines whether the action is literal or symbolic. Some English translations use idioms (e.g., 'arrayed,' 'clothed'), but may not always convey the figurative nuances in Hebrew. The verb sometimes contrasts with פָּשַׁט (to strip off) or עָרַם (to make bare).

Translation Consistency

primary "clothe" 43 occurrences

Most natural single-word choice that covers the full range: literal dressing/putting on clothes and the common figurative uses (being invested or endowed with a quality). ‘Clothe’ matches the majority P2 renderings (’clothed/clothe’), works both actively and reflexively, and reads naturally in phrases like “clothed with righteousness” or “clothed himself.”

Alternatives (7 occurrences):
"put on" (4x) "wear" (2x) "put them on" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or לָבֵשׁ; a primitive root; properly, wrap around, i.e. (by implication) to put on agarment or clothe (oneself, or another), literally or figuratively; (in) apparel, arm, array (self), clothe (self), come upon, put (on, upon), wear.

Bantu Hebrew

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

Root Family

לבש (lᵉbûwsh) — to clothe, to wear, to put on (a garment)

Root לבש to put on, to clothe, to cover
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3830 לְבוּשׁ in garment of
H3831 לְבוּשׁ his garment
H4403 מַלְבּוּשׁ the garment

Word Forms

57 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H3847-38 וַ/יַּלְבֵּ֨שׁ vayalebesh HC/Vhw3ms and clothed and he clothed and he clothed 6
H3847-56 יִלְבְּשׁ֣וּ yilebeshu HVqi3mp let them be clothed they will clothe themselves they will clothe themselves 6
H3847-17 לָב֑וּשׁ lavush HVqsmsa clothed clothed one clothed one 5
H3847-20 לְב֣וּשׁ levush HVqsmsc clothed garment clothing 5
H3847-42 וַ/יִּלְבַּשׁ֙ vayilebash HC/Vqw3ms and he put on and he clothed himself and he clothed himself 5
H3847-53 יִלְבַּ֥שׁ yilebash HVqi3ms he shall put on he will put on he will clothe 5
H3847-25 מְלֻבָּשִׁ֤ים melubashim HVPsmpa clothed clothed ones clothed ones 4
H3847-46 וְ/הִלְבַּשְׁתָּ֤ vehilebasheta HC/Vhq2ms and you shall clothe and you will clothe and you shall clothe 4
H3847-50 וְ/לָבַ֨שׁ velavash HC/Vqq3ms and he shall put on and he clothed himself and he clothed himself 4
H3847-01 אַלְבִּ֥ישׁ alebish HVhi1cs I will clothe I will clothe I will clothe 3

Occurrences in Scripture

111 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H3847-39 Genesis 3:21 וַ/יַּלְבִּשֵֽׁ/ם vayalebishem HC/Vhw3ms/Sp3mp and clothed them and he clothed them and he clothed them
H3847-36 Genesis 27:15 וַ/תַּלְבֵּ֥שׁ vatalebesh HC/Vhw3fs and put on and she clothed and she clothed
H3847-07 Genesis 27:16 הִלְבִּ֖ישָׁה hilebishah HVhp3fs she put on she clothed she clothed
H3847-22 Genesis 28:20 לִ/לְבֹּֽשׁ lilebosh HR/Vqc to wear to clothe oneself to clothe oneself
H3847-37 Genesis 38:19 וַ/תִּלְבַּ֖שׁ vatilebash HC/Vqw3fs and put on and she put on and she clothed herself
H3847-38 Genesis 41:42 וַ/יַּלְבֵּ֤שׁ vayalebesh HC/Vhw3ms and clothed and he clothed and he clothed
H3847-46 Exodus 28:41 וְ/הִלְבַּשְׁתָּ֤ vehilebasheta HC/Vhq2ms and you shall clothe and you will clothe and you shall clothe
H3847-46 Exodus 29:5 וְ/הִלְבַּשְׁתָּ֤ vehilebasheta HC/Vhq2ms and you shall clothe and you will clothe and you shall clothe
H3847-47 Exodus 29:8 וְ/הִלְבַּשְׁתָּ֖/ם vehilebashetam HC/Vhq2ms/Sp3mp and you shall clothe them and you will clothe them and you will clothe them
H3847-54 Exodus 29:30 יִלְבָּשָׁ֧/ם yilebasham HVqi3ms/Sp3mp shall-wear-them he will put them on he will put them on
H3847-46 Exodus 40:13 וְ/הִלְבַּשְׁתָּ֙ vehilebasheta HC/Vhq2ms and you shall clothe and you will clothe and you shall clothe
H3847-46 Exodus 40:14 וְ/הִלְבַּשְׁתָּ֥ vehilebasheta HC/Vhq2ms and you shall clothe and you will clothe and you shall clothe
H3847-50 Leviticus 6:3 וְ/לָבַ֨שׁ velavash HC/Vqq3ms and he shall put on and he clothed himself and he clothed himself
H3847-53 Leviticus 6:3 יִלְבַּ֣שׁ yilebash HVqi3ms he shall wear he will put on he will clothe
H3847-50 Leviticus 6:4 וְ/לָבַ֖שׁ velavash HC/Vqq3ms and he shall put on and he clothed himself and he clothed himself
H3847-38 Leviticus 8:7 וַ/יַּלְבֵּ֤שׁ vayalebesh HC/Vhw3ms and clothed and he clothed and he clothed
H3847-39 Leviticus 8:13 וַ/יַּלְבִּשֵׁ֤/ם vayalebishem HC/Vhw3ms/Sp3mp and-clothed-them and he clothed them and he clothed them
H3847-53 Leviticus 16:4 יִלְבָּ֗שׁ yilebash HVqi3ms he shall put on he will put on he will clothe
H3847-34 Leviticus 16:4 וּ/לְבֵשָֽׁ/ם ulevesham HC/Vqq3ms/Sp3mp and put them on and he clothed them and he will clothe them
H3847-10 Leviticus 16:23 לָבַ֖שׁ lavash HVqp3ms he put on he clothed himself he clothed himself
H3847-50 Leviticus 16:24 וְ/לָבַ֖שׁ velavash HC/Vqq3ms and he shall put on and he clothed himself and he clothed himself
H3847-50 Leviticus 16:32 וְ/לָבַ֛שׁ velavash HC/Vqq3ms and shall put on and he clothed himself and shall put on
H3847-22 Leviticus 21:10 לִ/לְבֹּ֖שׁ lilebosh HR/Vqc to wear to clothe oneself to clothe oneself
H3847-47 Numbers 20:26 וְ/הִלְבַּשְׁתָּ֖/ם vehilebashetam HC/Vhq2ms/Sp3mp and put them on and you will clothe them and you will clothe them
H3847-38 Numbers 20:28 וַ/יַּלְבֵּ֤שׁ vayalebesh HC/Vhw3ms and put and he clothed and he clothed
H3847-53 Deuteronomy 22:5 יִלְבַּ֥שׁ yilebash HVqi3ms shall put on he will put on shall put on
H3847-29 Deuteronomy 22:11 תִלְבַּשׁ֙ tilebash HVqi2ms you shall wear you will put on you will put on
H3847-14 Judges 6:34 לָבְשָׁ֖ה laveshah HVqp3fs clothed she clothed herself clothed
H3847-17 1 Samuel 17:5 לָב֑וּשׁ lavush HVqsmsa was-wearing clothed one was clothed
H3847-38 1 Samuel 17:38 וַ/יַּלְבֵּ֨שׁ vayalebesh HC/Vhw3ms And Saul clothed and he clothed and he clothed
H3847-38 1 Samuel 17:38 וַ/יַּלְבֵּ֥שׁ vayalebesh-2 HC/Vhw3ms and he clothed and he clothed and he clothed
H3847-42 1 Samuel 28:8 וַ/יִּלְבַּשׁ֙ vayilebash HC/Vqw3ms and put on and he clothed himself and he clothed himself
H3847-05 2 Samuel 1:24 הַ/מַּלְבִּֽשְׁ/כֶ֤ם hamalebishekhem HTd/Vhrmsc/Sp2mp who clothed you the one clothing you the one clothing you
H3847-30 2 Samuel 13:18 תִּלְבַּ֧שְׁןָ tilebashena HVqi3fp they-would-wear they will put on they would wear
H3847-52 2 Samuel 14:2 וְ/לִבְשִׁי veliveshi HC/Vqv2fs and put on and clothe yourself and clothe yourself
H3847-25 1 Kings 22:10 מְלֻבָּשִׁ֤ים melubashim HVPsmpa clothed clothed ones clothed ones
H3847-19 1 Kings 22:30 לְבַ֣שׁ levash HVqv2ms put on Clothe yourself Clothe yourself
H3847-26 Isaiah 4:1 נִלְבָּ֑שׁ nilebash HVqi1cp we will wear we will put on we will wear
H3847-48 Isaiah 22:21 וְ/הִלְבַּשְׁתִּ֣י/ו vehilebashetiv HC/Vhq1cs/Sp3ms and I will clothe him and I will clothe him and I will clothe him
H3847-31 Isaiah 49:18 תִלְבָּ֔שִׁי tilebashi HVqi2fs you will wear you will put on you will put on
H3847-01 Isaiah 50:3 אַלְבִּ֥ישׁ alebish HVhi1cs I clothe I will clothe I will clothe
H3847-23 Isaiah 51:9 לִבְשִׁי liveshi HVqv2fs put on Clothe yourself Clothe yourself
H3847-23 Isaiah 52:1 לִבְשִׁ֥י liveshi HVqv2fs Clothe yourself Clothe yourself Clothe yourself
H3847-23 Isaiah 52:1 לִבְשִׁ֣י liveshi-2 HVqv2fs Clothe yourself Clothe yourself Clothe yourself
H3847-42 Isaiah 59:17 וַ/יִּלְבַּ֤שׁ vayilebash HC/Vqw3ms and he put on and he clothed himself and he clothed himself
H3847-42 Isaiah 59:17 וַ/יִּלְבַּ֞שׁ vayilebash-2 HC/Vqw3ms and he put on and he clothed himself and he clothed himself
H3847-08 Isaiah 61:10 הִלְבִּישַׁ֨/נִי֙ hilebishani HVhp3ms/Sp1cs he has clothed me he clothed me he clothed me
H3847-33 Jeremiah 4:30 תִלְבְּשִׁ֨י tilebeshi HVqi2fs you-dress you will clothe yourself you will clothe yourself
H3847-24 Jeremiah 46:4 לִבְשׁ֖וּ liveshu HVqv2mp put on Clothe yourselves Clothe yourselves
H3847-53 Ezekiel 7:27 יִלְבַּ֣שׁ yilebash HVqi3ms will be clothed he will put on will be clothed
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