Lexical Summary lechi: Jaw, cheek Original Word: לְחִי Strong's Exhaustive Concordance cheek bone, jaw bone From an unused root meaning to be soft; the cheek (from its fleshiness); hence, the jaw-bone -- cheek (bone), jaw (bone). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition jaw, cheek NASB Translation cheek (6), cheeks (4), jaw (1), jawbone (4), jaws (4), two cheeks (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs I. לְחִי noun masculineSong of Solomon 1:10 jaw, cheek (Late Hebrew id.; Aramaic לוֺחָא; Arabic  ; on Assyrian la—û compare DlHWB 375, but  = — ?); — ׳ל absolute Judges 15:17; Micah 4:14; construct Judges 15:15 2t.; לֶ֑חִי 1 Kings 22:24 3t. + Judges 15:19 (twice in verse); suffix לֶחֱיוֺ Job 40:26; לֶחֱיָהּ Lamentations 1:2; dual לְחָיַיִּם Deuteronomy 18:3; construct לְחָיֵי Isaiah 30:28; suffix לְחָיַי Isaiah 50:6, compare Job 16:10, etc.; לְחֵיהֶם Hosea 11:4; — 1 jaw, jawbone, of animal, Judges 15:15,16 (twice in verse); Judges 15:17 (under jaw of ass), compare proper name, of a location רָכַת לֶ֑חִי Judges 15:17; in simile עַלּלְֿחֵיהֶם כִּמְרִימֵי עֹל Hosea 11:4 like those lifting up a yoke from upon (read מֵעַל ?) their jaws (Israel under figure of oxen); of sacrificial ox or sheep Deuteronomy 18:3; of crocodile Job 40:26; of Pharaoh under figure of תַּנִּים Ezekiel 29:4 (compare Ezekiel 29:3); compare Ezekiel 38:4; Isaiah 30:28. 2 cheek, of man 1 Kings 22:24 2Chronicles 18:23; Job 16:10; Psalm 3:8; Songs 5:13; Isaiah 50:6; Lamentations 3:30; Micah 4:14; of woman Songs 1:10; Lamentations 1:2 (figurative of Jerusalem). Topical Lexicon Literal Anatomy and Symbolism לְחִי denotes the jaw or cheek. In Scripture this part of the face is often singled out as a point of strength or vulnerability—where a warrior may receive a blow (Micah 5:1), a sufferer is humiliated (Job 16:10), or an enemy is divinely struck (Psalm 3:7). Because the jaw houses the teeth and controls speech and ingestion, it becomes a symbolic meeting-place of power, communication, and honor or shame. Priestly Provision and Sacrificial Law “The priests’ share from the people who slaughter a sacrifice … is to give the priest the shoulder, the jaws, and the stomach” (Deuteronomy 18:3). The inclusion of the jaws among the holy portions underscores both the completeness of the worshiper’s gift and the priestly privilege to partake of what sustains life. The passage affirms God’s care for His ministers while maintaining the sanctity of the offering. Instrument of Deliverance: Samson’s Jawbone Three times in Judges 15 לְחִי marks one of Scripture’s most vivid scenes of unconventional deliverance. Samson “found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, reached out his hand and took it, and struck down a thousand men with it” (Judges 15:15). His victory song revels in God’s empowerment: “With the jawbone of a donkey I have slain a thousand men” (15:16). The place name Ramath-lehi (“Hill of the Jawbone”) and the miraculously opened spring at Lehi (15:19) memorialize this event. The narrative shows the LORD’s sovereignty in using what is weak or despised to rout the enemies of His people, anticipating later themes of divine strength perfected in weakness. Prophetic Imagery of Humiliation and Suffering Striking the cheek embodies contempt toward God’s spokesmen and ultimately toward the Lord Himself. Zedekiah son of Chenaanah “struck Micaiah on the cheek” for prophesying truth (1 Kings 22:24; 2 Chronicles 18:23). Isaiah speaks messianically: “I offered My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who pulled out My beard” (Isaiah 50:6). Micah foresees the smiting of Israel’s Judge: “They strike Israel’s ruler on the cheek with a rod” (Micah 5:1), a verse echoed in the Gospel accounts of Christ’s passion. Lamentations applies the posture of submission to the repentant sufferer: “Let him offer his cheek to the one who strikes him; let him be filled with reproach” (Lamentations 3:30). Divine Judgment and Dominion over Nations and Leviathan The LORD wields authority over the proud by seizing their jaws as one would control a beast. “I will put hooks in your jaws and cause the fish of your streams to stick to your scales” (Ezekiel 29:4) is directed at Pharaoh; the same figure recurs against Gog (Ezekiel 38:4). Job recognizes God’s mastery over the untamable Leviathan: “Can you put a reed through his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook?” (Job 41:2). Hosea recalls the LORD’s gentler mastery: “I lifted the yoke from their jaws and bent down to feed them” (Hosea 11:4). Whether in wrath or mercy, God’s grip on the jaw symbolizes His unchallengeable sovereignty. Tender Affection and Bridal Beauty The Song of Songs turns לְחִי toward intimacy rather than conflict. “Your cheeks are beautiful with ornaments” (Song of Songs 1:10); “His cheeks are like beds of spice” (5:13). Here the face, and especially the cheeks, become avenues of admiration, restoring the jaw from a battlefield image to one of covenantal love and delight. Redemption Motifs and Refreshing Waters After Samson’s exploit, “God opened the hollow place in Lehi, and water came out of it. When Samson drank, his strength returned” (Judges 15:19). Out of the site named for a jaw comes life-giving water, anticipating the pattern of salvation arising from apparent defeat and pointing ultimately to Christ, the stricken yet life-giving Savior. Messianic Foreshadowing Psalm 3:7 prays, “Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked.” The plea is fulfilled in the Messiah who disarms evil, yet Isaiah 50:6 and Micah 5:1 reveal that He first receives blows upon His own cheeks. The same anatomical term unites the Savior’s suffering and His victory, affirming the coherence of prophetic Scripture. Applications for Ministry Today 1. Justice and Mercy: God’s control of the jaws of nations calls believers to trust His timing in judgment. From priestly tables to prophetic oracles, from battlefield to bridal chamber, לְחִי traces a line of divine sovereignty, human vulnerability, and covenant love, all converging in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Forms and Transliterations בִּלְחִ֣י בִּלְחָיֶ֑יךָ בִּלְחָיֶ֔יךָ בַּלֶּ֗חִי בלחי בלחייך הַלְּחִ֔י הַלְּחִ֖י הַלֶּ֑חִי הלחי וְהַלְּחָיַ֖יִם וּלְחָיַ֖י והלחיים ולחיי לְחִֽי־ לְחֵיהֶ֑ם לְחָיֵ֥י לְחָיַ֙יִךְ֙ לְחָיָ֑י לְחָיָו֙ לֶ֑חִי לֶ֖חִי לֶֽחֱיָ֔הּ לֶֽחֱיוֹ׃ לחי לחי־ לחיה לחיהם לחיו לחיו׃ לחיי לחייך bal·le·ḥî balLechi balleḥî bil·ḥā·ye·ḵā bil·ḥî bilchaYeicha bilChi bilḥāyeḵā bilḥî hal·le·ḥî hal·lə·ḥî halleChi halleḥî halləḥî lə·ḥā·ya·yiḵ lə·ḥā·yāw lə·ḥā·yāy lə·ḥā·yê lə·ḥê·hem le·ḥĕ·yāh le·ḥĕ·yōw le·ḥî lə·ḥî- lechaYai lechaYav lechaYayich lechaYei lecheiHem lecheYah lecheyo lechi ləḥāyāw ləḥāyāy ləḥāyayiḵ ləḥāyê ləḥêhem leḥĕyāh leḥĕyōw leḥî ləḥî- ū·lə·ḥā·yay ulechaYai ūləḥāyay vehallechaYayim wə·hal·lə·ḥā·ya·yim wəhalləḥāyayimLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Deuteronomy 18:3 HEB: לַכֹּהֵ֔ן הַזְּרֹ֥עַ וְהַלְּחָיַ֖יִם וְהַקֵּבָֽה׃ NAS: the shoulder and the two cheeks and the stomach. KJV: the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the maw. INT: to the priest the shoulder and the two and the stomach Judges 15:15 Judges 15:16 Judges 15:16 Judges 15:17 Judges 15:19 1 Kings 22:24 2 Chronicles 18:23 Job 16:10 Job 41:2 Psalm 3:7 Songs 1:10 Songs 5:13 Isaiah 30:28 Isaiah 50:6 Lamentations 1:2 Lamentations 3:30 Ezekiel 29:4 Ezekiel 38:4 Hosea 11:4 Micah 5:1 21 Occurrences |
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