ע
ABARIM
Publications
Abarim Publications' Biblical Dictionary: The Old Testament Hebrew word: לוע

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

לוע

Abarim Publications' online Biblical Hebrew Dictionary

לוע  לעע  לעז  לעט

There's a small cluster of Hebrew words in the Bible that all include the letters לע (l'), and which meanings seem to focus on one's mouth:


לעע I

Linguists claim that there are two distinct verbs לוע (lua'), and both of these also occur in the form לעע (la'a). The first verb לוע (lua') or לעע (la'a') means to swallow or swallow down. It occurs only in Obadiah 1:16. Its only derivative is the masculine noun לע (lo'a), which probably means throat. This noun also occurs just once, in Proverbs 23:2, in the enigmatic advice to put a knife to one's own throat in order not to go after the delicacies of some powerful ruler.

לעע II

The second duo לוע (lua') and לעע (la'a) means to talk wildly or rashly. This verb occurs twice: in Job 6:3 and Proverbs 20:25. This verb has no derivatives.


לעז

The verb לעז (la'az) seems to be in the same ball park as the second לוע  לעע (lua' la'a') cluster. It means to speak indistinctly or unintelligibly. It occurs only once, in Psalm 114:1.


לעט

The verb לעט (la'at) seems to be in the same ball park as the first לוע  לעע (lua' la'a') cluster. It means to swallow greedily. This verb too occurs only once, in Genesis 25:30.


Associated Biblical names