לְבַשׁ
𐤋𐤁𐤔
lᵉbash
H3848 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To put on, wear, or be clothed (with), referring to the act of wrapping oneself in or dressing another in clothing or other garments. Can refer to literal clothing, ritual robes, or figurative investiture (such as honor, shame, or specific roles). The word is primarily an Aramaic verb in biblical texts and often appears in narrative contexts involving dressing, investiture, or symbolic acts of clothing.
Semantic Range
to put on (garments), to wear, to dress, to clothe (another), to be clothed, to invest (in figurative sense), to wrap oneself in
Root / Etymology
Aramaic לְבַשׁ is cognate with Hebrew לָבַשׁ (lavash), both from root לבש meaning 'to put on clothing, be clothed, wear.' The root is common in Northwest Semitic languages.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the biblical text, לְבַשׁ occurs only in Aramaic portions, especially in Daniel and Ezra. It functions essentially as the Aramaic form corresponding to the Hebrew לָבַשׁ. Usage is most often literal, where individuals are described as putting on garments or being clothed by others (sometimes for honor, at other times for disgrace). It may also occur in ceremonial or symbolic clothing, for instance the clothing of royal officials or those being publicly honored or shamed. In rabbinic and later Aramaic, the term maintains the same basic range of meaning. English translations such as "clothe" and "wear" generally capture the basic force, but may miss nuances related to ceremonial or social function of clothing in the scene. Distinct from Hebrew הִלְבִּישׁ (“to clothe, dress someone”), which is the causative form of the same root.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) corresponding to לָבַשׁ; {properly, wrap around, i.e. (by implication) to put on agarment or clothe (oneself, or another), literally or figuratively}; clothe.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
ל-ב-ש (lᵉbash) — to put on, wear, be clothed, dress (oneself or another)
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3848-01 |
תִלְבַּ֗שׁ | tilebash | AVqi2ms |
you shall be clothed | you will put on | you will wear | 1 |
H3848-02 |
וְ/הַלְבִּ֤ישׁוּ | vehalebishu | AC/Vhp3mp |
and they clothed | they clothed | they clothed | 1 |
H3848-03 |
יִלְבַּ֗שׁ | yilebash | AVqi3ms |
he shall be clothed | he will put on | he will put on | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3848-03 |
Daniel 5:7 | יִלְבַּ֗שׁ | yilebash | AVqi3ms |
he shall be clothed | he will put on | he will put on |
H3848-01 |
Daniel 5:16 | תִלְבַּ֗שׁ | tilebash | AVqi2ms |
you shall be clothed | you will put on | you will wear |
H3848-02 |
Daniel 5:29 | וְ/הַלְבִּ֤ישׁוּ | vehalebishu | AC/Vhp3mp |
and they clothed | they clothed | they clothed |