🔼The name Laishah: Summary
- Meaning
- Lioness
- Etymology
- From the noun ליש (layish), lion.
🔼The name Laishah in the Bible
The name Laishah occurs only once in the Bible (although note that the name Laishah is spelled the same as the phrase 'toward Laish' in Judges 18:7). The prophet Isaiah mentions a town or region called Laishah in his sermon on the remnant of Israel, and appears to place it between Gallim and Anathoth, which are villages north of Jerusalem (Isaiah 10:30). Some translations and commentators equate this Laishah with the town called Laish, which was also north of Jerusalem (far north, actually) but that seems unnecessary.
🔼Etymology of the name Laishah
The name Laishah is an otherwise unused feminine form of the noun ליש (layish), meaning lion:
ליש
The unused verb ליש (lysh) probably meant to be strong (it does so in cognate language). Noun ליש (layish) is a lesser used one of a few words for lion.
🔼Laishah meaning
For a meaning of the name Laishah, NOBSE Study Bible Name List reads Lion, although Lioness would probably be better. Alfred Jones (Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names) appears to be among those who feel that Laish and Laishah are the same, ignores the existence of Laishah and refers to Isaiah 10:30 in his article on Laish. BDB Theological Dictionary does not interpret our name but proposes that Laishah is "perhaps" the same as the city call Laish.