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Abarim Publications' Biblical Dictionary: The Old Testament Hebrew word: לוה

Source: https://www.abarim-publications.com/Dictionary/l/l-w-he.html

לוה

Abarim Publications' online Biblical Hebrew Dictionary

לוה

Scholars divide the word לוה (lwh) into three separate roots, although these roots are obviously related in meaning:


לוה I

The verb לוה (lawa I) means join or be joined, and 'refers to the joining of an item or person to someone or something else' (HAW Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament ) (Numbers 18:2; Isaiah 14:1, Jeremiah 50:5).

לוה II

The verb לוה (lawa II) means borrow or lend. HAW Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament volunteers that this verb 'may be a specialized usage' of the previous lawa. This verb is used only once to indicate simply a profitable transaction (Nehemiah 5:4). All other occurrences 'reflect theological and moral perspectives in the OT' (see Exodus 22:25). The relationship with the previous lawa becomes clear in Proverbs 22:7, ". . .the borrower becomes the lender's slave".

לוה III

The assumed root לוה (lwh III) occurs all over the Semitic spectrum. It exists in Arabic with the meaning of to turn, twist or wind, and in Assyrian as to surround or encircle. In Biblical Hebrew it's not used as verb but gives rise to the words לויה (liwya a1) and ליה (loya), both meaning wreath (Proverbs 1:9, 4:9, 1 Kings 7:29). Although the wreath is an item that is typically coiled or twisted, its both ends are also joined to make a circle.


Associated Biblical names