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מַלְבֵּן

𐤌𐤋𐤁𐤍

malbên

H4404 noun

SILEX Entry

Root לבן to whiten, to make bricks, to purify

Definition

An enclosed space or structure used for firing or baking bricks; a brick kiln. By extension, any place for making or hardening bricks through burning, typically constructed as a pit or oven where raw mud bricks were placed and then fired using fuel. This term specifically refers to the apparatus or setup for brick production, not to bricks themselves.

Semantic Range

brick kiln, kiln for firing bricks, a pit or oven for making bricks, apparatus for hardening bricks

Root / Etymology

From the root לָבַן (l-b-n), meaning 'to be white' or 'to make bricks.' The nominal form מַלְבֵּן is a denominative indicating a place or device associated with making bricks, with the root's sense likely referring to the process by which bricks lighten or whiten during firing. The structure of the term (maqtal pattern) denotes location or apparatus.

Historical & Contextual Notes

מַלְבֵּן occurs very rarely in the Hebrew Bible, with clear attestations gathered primarily from prophetic texts (e.g., Jeremiah 43:9). The term describes the device or space used for firing bricks, a technology known in Egypt and Mesopotamia but also present among later Israelites. The use of brick kilns suggests periods of foreign influence or technological adoption, especially where stone was less available. English translations typically render the word as 'brickkiln,' which closely approximates the apparatus meant in context, though 'kiln for bricks' or 'brick oven' may sometimes better express the sense. The term is not synonymous with לְבֵנָה (lebenah, 'brick') nor does it refer to a general oven (תַּנּוּר tannur). The word's use reflects social and economic aspects of building technology in ancient Israel and its neighbors.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from לָבַן (denominative); a brickkiln; brickkiln.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

לבן (l-b-n) — to whiten, to make bricks, to purify

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3828 לְבוֹנָה frankincense resin
H3829 לְבוֹנָה to Lebonah
H3835 לָבַן I will whiten
H3836 לָבָן the white one
H3837 לָבָן with Laban

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H4404-01 בַּ/מַּלְבֵּ֔ן bamaleben HRd/Ncmsa of the pavement in the brick-kiln 2
H4404-03 ב/מלכן vmlkhn HRd/Ncmsa through the brickkiln brick-firing kiln 1
H4404-02 מַלְבֵּֽן maleben HNcmsa brick mold brick-firing kiln 1

Occurrences in Scripture

4 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H4404-03 2 Samuel 12:31 ב/מלכן vmlkhn HRd/Ncmsa through the brickkiln brick-firing kiln
H4404-01 2 Samuel 12:31 בַּ/מַּלְבֵּ֔ן bamaleben HRd/Ncmsa through the brickkiln in the brick-kiln
H4404-01 Jeremiah 43:9 בַּ/מַּלְבֵּ֔ן bamaleben HRd/Ncmsa of the pavement in the brick-kiln
H4404-02 Nahum 3:14 מַלְבֵּֽן maleben HNcmsa brick mold brick-firing kiln
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