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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" 39 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 (11 occurrences):
"put on" (6x) "puts on" (2x) "all will put on" (1x) "ones wearing" (1x) "put it 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
H3847-17 Ezekiel 9:2 לָבֻ֣שׁ lavush HVqsmsa clothed clothed one clothed one
H3847-03 Ezekiel 9:3 הַ/לָּבֻ֣שׁ halavush HTd/Vqsmsa clothed the clothed one the clothed one
H3847-20 Ezekiel 10:2 לְבֻ֣שׁ levush HVqsmsa clothed garment clothing
H3847-20 Ezekiel 10:6 לְבֻֽשׁ levush HVqsmsc clothed garment clothing
H3847-20 Ezekiel 10:7 לְבֻ֣שׁ levush HVqsmsc the one clothed garment the one clothed
H3847-35 Ezekiel 16:10 וָ/אַלְבִּישֵׁ֣/ךְ vaalebishekhe HC/Vhw1cs/Sp2fs I clothed you and I clothed you and I clothed you
H3847-21 Ezekiel 23:6 לְבֻשֵׁ֤י levushey HAampc clothed clothed ones of clothed ones of
H3847-21 Ezekiel 23:12 לְבֻשֵׁ֣י levushey HAampc clothed clothed ones of clothed ones of
H3847-55 Ezekiel 26:16 יִלְבָּ֨שׁוּ֙ yilebashu HVqi3mp they will clothe themselves with they will clothe themselves they will clothe themselves
H3847-32 Ezekiel 34:3 תִּלְבָּ֔שׁוּ tilebashu HVqi2mp you clothe yourselves you all will put on you all will put on
H3847-21 Ezekiel 38:4 לְבֻשֵׁ֤י levushey HAampc clothed clothed ones of clothed ones of
H3847-57 Ezekiel 42:14 ילבשו ylvshv HVqi3mp they shall put on they will put on they will put on
H3847-51 Ezekiel 42:14 וְ/לָבְשׁוּ֙ velaveshu HC/Vqq3cp and they shall put on and they put on and they put on
H3847-55 Ezekiel 44:17 יִלְבָּ֑שׁוּ yilebashu HVqi3mp they-shall-wear they will clothe themselves they will clothe themselves
H3847-51 Ezekiel 44:19 וְ/לָֽבְשׁוּ֙ velaveshu HC/Vqq3cp and-they-shall-put-on and they put on and they put on
H3847-44 Jonah 3:5 וַ/יִּלְבְּשׁ֣וּ vayilebeshu HC/Vqw3mp and put on and they put on and they put on
H3847-04 Zephaniah 1:8 הַ/לֹּבְשִׁ֖ים haloveshim HTd/Vqrmpa who are dressed the ones wearing the ones wearing
H3847-16 Haggai 1:6 לָב֖וֹשׁ lavosh HVqa you clothe to clothe oneself you clothe
H3847-17 Zechariah 3:3 לָבֻ֖שׁ lavush HVqsmsa clothed clothed one clothed
H3847-45 Zechariah 3:4 וְ/הַלְבֵּ֥שׁ vehalebesh HC/Vha and-clothe and to clothe and clothe
H3847-40 Zechariah 3:5 וַ/יַּלְבִּשֻׁ֨/הוּ֙ vayalebishuhu HC/Vhw3mp/Sp3ms And they clothed him they clothed him they clothed him
H3847-56 Zechariah 13:4 יִלְבְּשׁ֛וּ yilebeshu HVqi3mp they will wear they will clothe themselves they will clothe themselves
H3847-56 Psalms 35:26 יִֽלְבְּשׁוּ yilebeshu HVqi3mp let them be clothed they will clothe themselves they will clothe themselves
H3847-15 Psalms 65:14 לָבְשׁ֬וּ laveshu HVqp3cp are clothed they put on are clothed
H3847-13 Psalms 93:1 לָ֫בֵ֥שׁ lavesh HVqp3ms he-is-robed-in he put on he puts on
H3847-13 Psalms 93:1 לָבֵ֣שׁ lavesh-2 HVqp3ms YHWH-is-robed he put on he puts on
H3847-11 Psalms 104:1 לָבָֽשְׁתָּ lavasheta HVqp2ms You are clothed you put on you put on
H3847-42 Psalms 109:18 וַ/יִּלְבַּ֥שׁ vayilebash HC/Vqw3ms and he clothed himself and he clothed himself and he clothed himself
H3847-56 Psalms 109:29 יִלְבְּשׁ֣וּ yilebeshu HVqi3mp let them be clothed they will clothe themselves they will clothe themselves
H3847-56 Psalms 132:9 יִלְבְּשׁוּ yilebeshu HVqi3mp be clothed they will clothe themselves they will clothe themselves
H3847-01 Psalms 132:16 אַלְבִּ֣ישׁ alebish HVhi1cs I will clothe I will clothe I will clothe
H3847-01 Psalms 132:18 אַלְבִּ֣ישׁ alebish HVhi1cs I will clothe I will clothe I will clothe
H3847-27 Proverbs 23:21 תַּלְבִּ֥ישׁ talebish HVhi3fs will-clothe she will clothe it will clothe
H3847-17 Proverbs 31:21 לָבֻ֥שׁ lavush HVqsmsa are clothed clothed one are clothed
H3847-10 Job 7:5 לָ֘בַ֤שׁ lavash HVqp3ms is clothed he clothed himself is clothed
H3847-56 Job 8:22 יִלְבְּשׁוּ yilebeshu HVqi3mp will be clothed they will clothe themselves they will clothe themselves
H3847-28 Job 10:11 תַּלְבִּישֵׁ֑/נִי talebisheni HVhi2ms/Sp1cs you-clothed-me you will clothe me you clothed me
H3847-53 Job 27:17 יִלְבָּ֑שׁ yilebash HVqi3ms will-wear he will put on he will clothe
H3847-12 Job 29:14 לָ֭בַשְׁתִּי lavasheti HVqp1cs I put on I clothed myself I clothed myself
H3847-43 Job 29:14 וַ/יִּלְבָּשֵׁ֑/נִי vayilebasheni HC/Vqw3ms/Sp1cs and it clothed me and he clothed me and it clothed me
H3847-06 Job 39:19 הֲ/תַלְבִּ֖ישׁ hatalebish HTi/Vhi2ms do you clothe you will clothe will you clothe
H3847-29 Job 40:10 תִּלְבָּֽשׁ tilebash HVqj2ms clothe yourself you will put on you will put on
H3847-02 Song of Songs 5:3 אֶלְבָּשֶׁ֑/נָּה elebashenah HVqi1cs/Sp3fs shall I put it on I will clothe her shall I put it on
H3847-42 Esther 4:1 וַ/יִּלְבַּ֥שׁ vayilebash HC/Vqw3ms and-he-put-on and he clothed himself and he clothed himself
H3847-18 Esther 4:4 לְ/הַלְבִּ֣ישׁ lehalebish HR/Vhc to clothe to clothe another to clothe
H3847-37 Esther 5:1 וַ/תִּלְבַּ֤שׁ vatilebash HC/Vqw3fs that Esther put on and she put on and she clothed herself
H3847-10 Esther 6:8 לָֽבַשׁ lavash HVqp3ms he has worn he clothed himself he clothed himself
H3847-49 Esther 6:9 וְ/הִלְבִּ֨ישׁוּ֙ vehilebishu HC/Vhq3cp and let clothe him and they clothed and let them clothe
H3847-38 Esther 6:11 וַ/יַּלְבֵּ֖שׁ vayalebesh HC/Vhw3ms and dressed and he clothed and he clothed
H3847-17 Daniel 10:5 לָב֣וּשׁ lavush HVqsmsa clothed clothed one clothed one
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