3835. laban

Strong's Lexicon

laban: To be white, to make white, to purify

Original Word: לָבַן
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: laban
Pronunciation: lah-VAHN
Phonetic Spelling: (law-ban')
Definition: To be white, to make white, to purify
Meaning: to be, white, to make bricks

Word Origin: A primitive root

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: - G3022 (λευκός, leukos) – meaning "white"

- G2511 (καθαρίζω, katharizo) – meaning "to cleanse, purify"

Usage: The Hebrew verb "laban" primarily means "to be white" or "to make white." It is used in the context of physical whiteness, such as snow or wool, and metaphorically to signify purity or cleansing. The term can also imply the process of purification or making something clean.

Cultural and Historical Background: In ancient Hebrew culture, the color white often symbolized purity, innocence, and holiness. This symbolism is evident in various biblical texts where white garments are associated with righteousness and divine presence. The process of making something white, or "laban," could involve physical cleaning or a metaphorical purification, reflecting the cultural emphasis on ritual cleanliness and moral purity.

Brown-Driver-Briggs

[לָבֵן] verb be white (on ֵ֯ see Ba^{NB 166}; Lag^{BN 33}, compare 53, 54 infers לָבֹן ֗֗֗ from לְבֹנָה; Late Hebrew id., Pi`el Hiph`il, and derivatives; Phoenician לבן white; Arabic milk; also be white, dialect of Yemen, Maltzan^{ZMG xxvii, 1873, 247}; apparently √ of following fourteen words, but this dubious especially in case of II. III. לָבָן, לְבָנָא, לִבְנָה, II. לְבוֺנָה, I. II. לִבְנִי); —

Hiph`il Perfect3plural הִלְבִּינוּ Joel 1:7; Imperfect1singular אַלְבִּין Psalm 51:9; 3plural יַלְבִּינוּ Isaiah 1:18; Infinitive construct וְלַלְבֵּן (= וּלְהַלְבֵּן) Daniel 11:35; —

1 make white = purify (ethical) Daniel 11:35 (no object expressed, "" צָרַף, בָּרֵר).

2 shew whiteness, grow white, of fig-tree, stripped by locusts, Joel 1:7; figurative of moral purity, ׳כַּשֶּׁלֶג יַלְב Isaiah 1:18; ׳מִשֶּׁלֶג אַלְב Psalm 51:9.

Hithpa`el Imperfect יִתְלַבְּנוּ Daniel 12:10 be purified (ethical, "" יִתְבָּֽרֲרוּ). — לָבַן, make brick, see below

[לָבַן] verb denominative make brick (as Assyrian labânu fromlibittu Dl^{HWB 370}); —

Qal Imperfect1pluralנִלְבְּנָה Genesis 11:3 (with accusative of congnate meaning with verb); Infinitive construct לִלְבֹּן Exodus 5:7 (with accusative of congnate meaning with verb), Exodus 5:14 (absolute)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

make brick, be made, make whiter

A primitive root; to be (or become) white; also (as denominative from lbenah) to make bricks -- make brick, be (made, make) white(-r).

see HEBREW lbenah

Forms and Transliterations

אַלְבִּֽין׃ אלבין׃ הִלְבִּ֖ינוּ הלבינו וְיִֽתְלַבְּנ֤וּ וְלַלְבֵּ֖ן ויתלבנו וללבן יַלְבִּ֔ינוּ ילבינו לִלְבֹּ֥ן לִלְבֹּן֙ ללבן נִלְבְּנָ֣ה נלבנה ’al·bîn ’albîn alBin hil·bî·nū hilBinu hilbînū lil·bōn lilBon lilbōn nil·bə·nāh nilbeNah nilbənāh velalBen veyitlabbeNu wə·lal·bên wə·yiṯ·lab·bə·nū wəlalbên wəyiṯlabbənū yal·bî·nū yalBinu yalbînū

Englishman's Concordance

Genesis 11:3
HEB: רֵעֵ֗הוּ הָ֚בָה נִלְבְּנָ֣ה לְבֵנִ֔ים וְנִשְׂרְפָ֖ה
NAS: Come, let us make bricks and burn
KJV: Go to, let us make brick,
INT: another Come make brick and burn

Exodus 5:7
HEB: תֶּ֧בֶן לָעָ֛ם לִלְבֹּ֥ן הַלְּבֵנִ֖ים כִּתְמ֣וֹל
NAS: straw to make brick as previously;
KJV: straw to make brick,
INT: straw the people to make brick before

Exodus 5:14
HEB: כִלִּיתֶ֨ם חָקְכֶ֤ם לִלְבֹּן֙ כִּתְמ֣וֹל שִׁלְשֹׁ֔ם
NAS: today in making brick as previously?
KJV: your task in making brick both yesterday
INT: completed your required making yesterday before that time

Psalm 51:7
HEB: תְּ֝כַבְּסֵ֗נִי וּמִשֶּׁ֥לֶג אַלְבִּֽין׃
NAS: Wash me, and I shall be whiter than
KJV: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
INT: wash snow shall be whiter

Isaiah 1:18
HEB: כַּשָּׁנִים֙ כַּשֶּׁ֣לֶג יַלְבִּ֔ינוּ אִם־ יַאְדִּ֥ימוּ
NAS: are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow;
KJV: be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;
INT: scarlet snow white Though are red

Daniel 11:35
HEB: בָּהֶ֛ם וּלְבָרֵ֥ר וְלַלְבֵּ֖ן עַד־ עֵ֣ת
NAS: purge and make them pure until
KJV: them, and to purge, and to make [them] white, [even] to the time
INT: to refine purge and make until time

Daniel 12:10
HEB: יִ֠תְבָּֽרֲרוּ וְיִֽתְלַבְּנ֤וּ וְיִצָּֽרְפוּ֙ רַבִּ֔ים
NAS: will be purged, purified and refined,
KJV: shall be purified, and made white, and tried;
INT: will be purged purified and refined Many

Joel 1:7
HEB: חֲשָׂפָהּ֙ וְהִשְׁלִ֔יךְ הִלְבִּ֖ינוּ שָׂרִיגֶֽיהָ׃
NAS: Their branches have become white.
KJV: the branches thereof are made white.
INT: bare and cast have become their branches

8 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 3835
8 Occurrences

’al·bîn — 1 Occ.
hil·bî·nū — 1 Occ.
lil·bōn — 2 Occ.
nil·bə·nāh — 1 Occ.
wə·lal·bên — 1 Occ.
wə·yiṯ·lab·bə·nū — 1 Occ.
yal·bî·nū — 1 Occ.