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לוּן

𐤋𐤅𐤍

lûwn

H3885 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To lodge, spend the night, or remain temporarily in a place; by extension, to stay, abide, dwell, or continue in a given state or location, sometimes with an emphasis on temporary or overnight residence. In some contexts, especially in Piel or intensive forms, it carries the sense of persisting in speech, often with the nuance of complaining or murmuring. The primary sense remains focused on pausing, halting one’s journey, or residing overnight.

Semantic Range

to spend the night, to lodge temporarily, to halt one’s journey, to abide or remain overnight, to continue, to persist in an attitude (especially of complaint or murmuring), to be obstinate, to grumble, to dwell temporarily, to tarry

Root / Etymology

Root לון (l-w-n), primarily meaning 'to spend the night' or 'to lodge.' The root sense is that of halting or stopping one's journey, usually for the night, and sometimes extends semantically to the sense of abiding or remaining. The connection to murmuring or complaining in certain verb forms (especially intensive stems) likely develops metaphorically from the notion of 'dwelling' or persisting in speech or attitude.

Historical & Contextual Notes

לוּן is used across various periods of biblical Hebrew to denote staying overnight or lodging, most often with temporary or transitory connotation. It occurs in narrative contexts describing travelers (e.g., Genesis 19:2, Judges 19) who lodge in a city or outdoors for the night. In legal contexts, it can refer to the non-removal of items overnight (Exodus 23:18, Leviticus 7:15), implying continuity or non-interruption through the night. In some later texts and poetic or prophetic usages (especially in Piel), it describes 'remaining' in attitudes or actions, particularly negative ones such as complaining (Psalm 77:4, Numbers 14:27), a usage that reflects a shift in the verb’s focus from physical to metaphorical 'abiding.' English translations often render the core sense as 'to lodge,' 'to tarry,' or 'to remain;' however, the nuance of temporary, overnight pause is not always captured. The semantic overlap with שָׁכַב (to lie down) or יָשַׁב (to dwell, often more permanent) is notable: לוּן focuses on transience, שָׁכַב on the act of lying down, and יָשַׁב on settlement. In later Hebrew, לוּן retains the overnight lodging sense, and the associated meaning of complaining persists in Hebrew usage through later periods as well.

Translation Consistency

primary "stay" 21 occurrences

“Stay” is the most natural, versatile English verb to cover the primary range of lûwn—spending the night, lodging, halting one’s journey, and remaining or abiding temporarily. It reads naturally in all persons and tenses and easily accommodates context-specific senses (e.g. temporary residence vs. continuing in an attitude) while keeping a single, consistent base verb for every form of H3885.

Alternatives (29 occurrences):
"grumbled" (6x) "lodge overnight" (3x) "complain" (2x) "grumbling" (2x) "grumble" (2x) "murmured" (2x) "stay, all of" (2x) "lodge" (2x) "us lodge" (2x) "lodge, you (mp)" (1x) "lodging overnight" (1x) "caused to grumble" (1x) "murmuring" (1x) "spend the night" (1x) "lodged" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or לִין; a primitive root; to stop (usually over night); by implication, to stay permanently; hence (in a bad sense) to be obstinate (especially in words, to complain); abide (all night), continue, dwell, endure, grudge, be left, lie all night, (cause to) lodge (all night, in, -ing, this night), (make to) murmur, remain, tarry (all night, that night).

Bantu Hebrew

Language Bantu Word Transliteration Meaning
Bemba lona to sleep, to spend the night
Chilubà (Luba-Kasaï) kolóna to pass the night, to sleep over
Lala lona to sleep over, to stay the night
Lamba lona to spend the night, sleep over (at a place)

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Root Family

לון (Yalon) — to lodge, spend the night, dwell temporarily

Root לון to lodge, to spend the night, to stop, to complain (in intensive stems)
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3210 יָלוֹן and Yalon
H4411 מָלוֹן in the lodging-place
H4412 מְלוּנָה like a lodging-hut
H8519 תְּלוּנָה those lodging complaints

Word Forms

33 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H3885-31 יָלִ֖ין yalin HVqi3ms shall remain he will lodge overnight he will stay overnight 14
H3885-20 וַ/יָּלִ֑ינוּ vayalinu HC/Vqw3mp and they lodged and they lodged and they stayed 9
H3885-04 לָ/לֽוּן lalun HR/Vqc to lodge to lodge overnight to stay overnight 6
H3885-15 תָלִ֨ין talin HVqi3fs will lodge she will lodge overnight it will stay overnight 6
H3885-19 וַ/יָּ֣לֶן vayalen HC/Vqw3ms and he lodged and he lodged overnight and he stayed overnight 6
H3885-21 וַ/יִּלֹּ֧נוּ vayilonu HC/VNw3mp and grumbled and they lodged overnight and they grumbled 5
H3885-32 יָלִ֑ינוּ yalinu HVqi3mp let-lodge they lodge overnight they will stay 5
H3885-17 תַלִּ֖ינוּ talinu HVhi2mp you will lodge you will cause to lodge overnight you will lodge 4
H3885-09 לִ֣ינוּ linu HVqv2mp Lodge Lodge overnight stay, all of you 3
H3885-10 מַלִּינִ֖ים malinim HVhrmpa are grumbling those causing to lodge are grumbling 3

Occurrences in Scripture

87 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H3885-26 Genesis 19:2 וְ/לִ֨ינוּ֙ velinu HC/Vqv2mp and spend the night and lodge, you (mp) and lodge, you (mp)
H3885-11 Genesis 19:2 נָלִֽין nalin HVqi1cp we will spend the night we will lodge overnight we will lodge overnight
H3885-03 Genesis 24:23 לָ/לִֽין lalin HR/Vqc to lodge to lodge overnight to lodge overnight
H3885-04 Genesis 24:25 לָ/לֽוּן lalun HR/Vqc to lodge to lodge overnight to stay overnight
H3885-20 Genesis 24:54 וַ/יָּלִ֑ינוּ vayalinu HC/Vqw3mp and they spent the night and they lodged and they stayed
H3885-19 Genesis 28:11 וַ/יָּ֤לֶן vayalen HC/Vqw3ms and spent the night and he lodged overnight and he stayed overnight
H3885-20 Genesis 31:54 וַ/יָּלִ֖ינוּ vayalinu HC/Vqw3mp they spent the night and they lodged and they stayed
H3885-19 Genesis 32:14 וַ/יָּ֥לֶן vayalen HC/Vqw3ms and he lodged and he lodged overnight and he stayed overnight
H3885-05 Genesis 32:22 לָ֥ן lan HVqrmsa lodged/spent the night one lodging overnight was lodging overnight
H3885-21 Exodus 15:24 וַ/יִּלֹּ֧נוּ vayilonu HC/VNw3mp and grumbled and they lodged overnight and they grumbled
H3885-30 Exodus 16:2 ו/ילינו vylynv HC/Vhw3mp and-they-murmured and they caused to lodge overnight and they grumbled
H3885-21 Exodus 16:2 וַ/יִּלּ֜וֹנוּ vayilonu HC/VNw3mp and grumbled and they lodged overnight and they grumbled
H3885-18 Exodus 16:7 תלונו tlvnv HVNi2mp you complain you will lodge yourselves you complain
H3885-17 Exodus 16:7 תַלִּ֖ינוּ talinu HVhi2mp you complain you will cause to lodge overnight you complain
H3885-19 Exodus 17:3 וַ/יָּ֥לֶן vayalen HC/Vhw3ms and grumbled and he lodged overnight and he grumbled
H3885-31 Exodus 23:18 יָלִ֥ין yalin HVqi3ms shall remain he will lodge overnight it will lodge overnight
H3885-31 Exodus 34:25 יָלִ֣ין yalin HVqi3ms shall remain he will lodge overnight it will stay overnight
H3885-15 Leviticus 19:13 תָלִ֞ין talin HVqi3fs shall-remain she will lodge overnight she will stay overnight
H3885-21 Numbers 14:2 וַ/יִּלֹּ֨נוּ֙ vayilonu HC/VNw3mp and they grumbled and they lodged overnight and they grumbled
H3885-10 Numbers 14:27 מַלִּינִ֖ים malinim HVhrmpa are grumbling those causing to lodge are grumbling
H3885-10 Numbers 14:27 מַלִּינִ֛ים malinim-2 HVhrmpa are making those causing to lodge are grumbling
H3885-02 Numbers 14:29 הֲלִֽינֹתֶ֖ם halinotem HVhp2mp have grumbled you have caused to lodge overnight you have grumbled
H3885-29 Numbers 14:36 ו/ילונו vylvnv HC/VNw3mp and grumbled and they lodged overnight and they caused to grumble
H3885-20 Numbers 14:36 וַ/יַּלִּ֤ינוּ vayalinu HC/Vhw3mp and made [the congregation] murmur and they lodged and they stayed
H3885-18 Numbers 16:11 תלונו tlvnv HVhi2mp you-grumble you will lodge yourselves you grumble
H3885-17 Numbers 16:11 תַלִּ֖ינוּ talinu HVhi2mp you-grumble you will cause to lodge overnight you grumble
H3885-21 Numbers 17:6 וַ/יִּלֹּ֜נוּ vayilonu HC/VNw3mp and they murmured and they lodged overnight and they murmured
H3885-10 Numbers 17:20 מַלִּינִ֖ם malinim HVhrmpa are murmuring those causing to lodge are murmuring
H3885-09 Numbers 22:8 לִ֤ינוּ linu HVqv2mp Lodge Lodge overnight stay, all of you
H3885-31 Deuteronomy 16:4 יָלִ֣ין yalin HVqi3ms shall remain he will lodge overnight it will stay overnight
H3885-15 Deuteronomy 21:23 תָלִ֨ין talin HVqi3fs shall hang she will lodge overnight it will stay overnight
H3885-20 Joshua 3:1 וַ/יָּלִ֥נוּ vayalinu HC/Vqw3mp and they lodged and they lodged and they stayed
H3885-17 Joshua 4:3 תָּלִ֥ינוּ talinu HVqi2mp you will lodge you will cause to lodge overnight you will lodge
H3885-20 Joshua 6:11 וַ/יָּלִ֖ינוּ vayalinu HC/Vqw3mp and they lodged and they lodged and they stayed
H3885-19 Joshua 8:9 וַ/יָּ֧לֶן vayalen HC/Vqw3ms and lodged and he lodged overnight and he stayed overnight
H3885-21 Joshua 9:18 וַ/יִּלֹּ֥נוּ vayilonu HC/VNw3mp and-they-murmured and they lodged overnight and they murmured
H3885-20 Judges 18:2 וַ/יָּלִ֖ינוּ vayalinu HC/Vqw3mp and they lodged and they lodged and they stayed
H3885-20 Judges 19:4 וַ/יָּלִ֖ינוּ vayalinu HC/Vqw3mp lodged and they lodged and they stayed
H3885-25 Judges 19:6 וְ/לִ֖ין velin HC/Vqv2ms and stay overnight and lodge overnight and stay overnight
H3885-19 Judges 19:7 וַ/יָּ֥לֶן vayalen HC/Vqw3ms and lodged and he lodged overnight and he stayed overnight
H3885-09 Judges 19:9 לִֽינוּ linu HVqv2mp spend the night Lodge overnight stay, all of you
H3885-07 Judges 19:9 לִ֥ין lin HVqv2ms lodge Spend the night spend the night
H3885-04 Judges 19:10 לָ/ל֔וּן lalun HR/Vqc to spend the night to lodge overnight to stay overnight
H3885-27 Judges 19:11 וְ/נָלִ֥ין venalin HC/Vqi1cp and-let-us-lodge and we will lodge and let us lodge
H3885-24 Judges 19:13 וְ/לַ֥נּוּ velanu HC/Vqq1cp and let us lodge and to us and let us lodge
H3885-04 Judges 19:15 לָ/ל֣וּן lalun HR/Vqc to lodge to lodge overnight to stay overnight
H3885-04 Judges 19:15 לָ/לֽוּן lalun-2 HR/Vqc to lodge to lodge overnight to stay overnight
H3885-13 Judges 19:20 תָּלַֽן talan HVqj2ms lodge may you lodge overnight lodge
H3885-04 Judges 20:4 לָ/לֽוּן lalun HR/Vqc to lodge to lodge overnight to stay overnight
H3885-22 2 Samuel 12:16 וְ/לָ֖ן velan HC/Vqp3ms and spent the night and he lodged and he lodged
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