לֹעַ
𐤋𐤏
lôaʻ
H3930 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Anatomical term denoting the throat or gullet, specifically referring to the channel through which food passes; by extension, sometimes denotes the passage or opening leading to the interior of the body. Use is primarily concrete, relating to human or animal anatomy, and can emphasize consumption, swallowing, or the act of receiving sustenance.
Semantic Range
throat, gullet, esophagus, channel for swallowing, entry to digestive tract
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root לוּעַ (lûa‘), which means 'to swallow' or 'to gulp down.' The noun לֹעַ (lôa‘) is a physical derivative, denoting the anatomical structure involved in swallowing. The root meaning focuses on the physical action, while the noun emphasizes the part of the body responsible for that action.
Historical & Contextual Notes
לֹעַ occurs only rarely in the Hebrew Bible. It appears as a concrete anatomical term in contexts describing the physical act of swallowing or the location through which food and drink are consumed. In ancient Israelite texts, it is used as a straightforward descriptor without figurative or idiomatic nuance. Other Hebrew terms such as גָּרוֹן (garon, 'neck' or 'throat') can overlap, but לֹעַ specifically identifies the gullet or esophagus rather than the broader region. English translations usually render לֹעַ as 'throat' or 'gullet,' which generally approximates the ancient sense but sometimes conflates the more specific channel (esophagus/gullet) with the upper throat or neck. No significant semantic shift is documented across periods; the term retains its concrete anatomical meaning.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from לוּעַ; the gullet; throat.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
לוע (l-w-ʿ) — to swallow, to gulp down
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3886 | לוּעַ | they gulped down |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3930-01 |
בְּ/לֹעֶ֑/ךָ | beloekha | HR/Ncmsc/Sp2ms |
to your throat | in your gullet | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3930-01 |
Proverbs 23:2 | בְּ/לֹעֶ֑/ךָ | beloekha | HR/Ncmsc/Sp2ms |
to your throat | in your gullet |