לַח
𐤋𐤇
lach
H3892 adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
Fresh, green, moist; describes something that retains natural moisture or is not yet dried out, not aged or withered. Often used specifically of vegetation, wood, branches, food, or objects indicating their freshness, newness, or suitability for certain uses.
Semantic Range
moist, fresh, green, recently cut, new, youthful (metaphorical), full of vitality (metaphorical)
Root / Etymology
Root/etymology uncertain. Traditionally analyzed as related to an unused root (possibly לחח), meaning 'to be moist' or 'to be fresh,' which does not appear independently in the Hebrew Bible. The descriptor לַח is a direct adjective form denoting the state of being moist or green, with the nuance deriving from presumed connection to physical properties of wetness or freshness.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In biblical usage, לַח typically contrasts with adjectives like יָבֵשׁ (yavesh, 'dry' or 'withered'), emphasizing youth, freshness, or readiness. It occurs in poetic and metaphorical contexts to describe both plants (e.g., fresh branches or green reeds) and more generally anything that is newly made or full of vitality. The term is rare in the Hebrew Bible but carries significant metaphorical weight, sometimes associated with vigor or potential, as opposed to the brittleness or staleness of dryness. In later Hebrew, the idea of 'freshness' continues to be tied to notions of youth and newness, but in the biblical period the core sense is physical moistness or greenness. English translations may render it as 'fresh,' 'green,' 'moist,' or 'newly cut,' though nuances may be lost, especially in contexts where vitality or readiness are metaphorically in view. There is no direct connection to religious or ethnic identity; many post-biblical uses simply inherit the physical or metaphorical senses outlined here.
Translation Consistency
“Fresh” is the most common rendering in the data and best captures the full semantic range (moist, recently cut, new, youthful, full of vitality) in natural English. “Green” is narrower (color/immature) and other options like “moist” or “new” are too limited; “fresh” conveys both literal freshness of vegetation/wood/food and the metaphorical sense.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root meaning to be new; fresh, i.e. unused or undried; green, moist.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
לחח (l-ḥ-ḥ) — moisture, freshness, retained sap
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3892-02 |
לַחִ֥ים | lachim | HAampa |
fresh | moist ones | fresh | 3 |
H3892-01 |
לַ֖ח | lach | HAamsa |
green | fresh, moist | fresh | 3 |
Occurrences in Scripture
6 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3892-01 |
Genesis 30:37 | לַ֖ח | lach | HAamsa |
fresh | fresh, moist | fresh |
H3892-02 |
Numbers 6:3 | לַחִ֥ים | lachim | HAampa |
fresh | moist ones | fresh ones |
H3892-02 |
Judges 16:7 | לַחִ֖ים | lachim | HAampa |
fresh | moist ones | fresh |
H3892-02 |
Judges 16:8 | לַחִ֖ים | lachim | HAampa |
fresh | moist ones | fresh |
H3892-01 |
Ezekiel 17:24 | לָ֔ח | lach | HAamsa |
green | fresh, moist | fresh |
H3892-01 |
Ezekiel 21:3 | לַח֩ | lach | HAamsa |
green | fresh, moist | fresh |