What does לָבַן (lāban) mean in the Bible?
לָבַן (lāban): Verb meaning both "be white" and "make bricks"—cognate objects suggesting whiteness as primary sense
Hebrew · H3835
לָבַן
To be (or become ) white ; to make bricks
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לָבַן H3835
Pronunciation lāban
What does לָבַן (lāban) mean in the Bible?
לָבַן (lāban): Verb meaning both "be white" and "make bricks"—cognate objects suggesting whiteness as primary sense
Full entry for לָבַן (H3835) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H3835?
The BSB source-word alignment has 8 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include and I will be whiter (1), and made spotless (1), for making (1), have turned white (1), let us make (1).
Where does לָבַן (lāban) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 11:3. Its strongest book concentrations include Daniel (2), Exodus (2), Genesis (1), Isaiah (1).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It and I will be whiter 1× Psalms 51:7
and made spotless 1× Daniel 11:35
for making 1× Exodus 5:7
have turned white 1× Joel 1:7
let us make 1× Genesis 11:3
made spotless 1× Daniel 12:10
of bricks 1× Exodus 5:14
they will be as white 1× Isaiah 1:18
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 11:3 נִלְבְּנָ֣ה to let us make Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural Exodus 5:7 לִלְבֹּ֥ן to for making Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct Exodus 5:14 לִלְבֹּן֙ to of bricks Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct Psalms 51:7 אַלְבִּֽין׃ to and I will be whiter Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular Isaiah 1:18 יַלְבִּ֔ינוּ to they will be as white Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural Daniel 11:35 וְלַלְבֵּ֖ן to and made spotless Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct Daniel 12:10 וְיִֽתְלַבְּנ֤וּ to made spotless Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural Joel 1:7 הִלְבִּ֖ינוּ to have turned white Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 11:3
Aligned rows 8
Books represented 6
Genesis 1 Exodus 2 Psalms 1 Isaiah 1 Daniel 2 Joel 1
Source forms
אַלְבִּֽין׃ 1x ’al·bîn Psalms 51:7
הִלְבִּ֖ינוּ 1x hil·bî·nū Joel 1:7
וְיִֽתְלַבְּנ֤וּ 1x wə·yiṯ·lab·bə·nū Daniel 12:10
וְלַלְבֵּ֖ן 1x wə·lal·bên Daniel 11:35
יַלְבִּ֔ינוּ 1x yal·bî·nū Isaiah 1:18
לִלְבֹּ֥ן 1x lil·bōn Exodus 5:7
לִלְבֹּן֙ 1x lil·bōn Exodus 5:14
נִלְבְּנָ֣ה 1x nil·bə·nāh Genesis 11:3
Parsing patterns
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct 2x Exodus 5:7, Exodus 5:14
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural 1x Daniel 12:10
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct 1x Daniel 11:35
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular 1x Psalms 51:7
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural 1x Isaiah 1:18
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural 1x Joel 1:7
Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative - first person common plural 1x Genesis 11:3
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Verb meaning both "be white" and "make bricks"—cognate objects suggesting whiteness as primary sense
Source Gloss
to be (or become ) white ; to make bricks
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Verb meaning both "be white" and "make bricks"—cognate objects suggesting whiteness as primary sense
to be (or become) white; to make bricks BDB: be white Usage: make brick, be (made, make) white(-r).
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 2 Aligned forms 4
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 1×
Cohortative Gen 11:3 1×
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 3×
Imperfect Isa 1:18 · Ps 51:9 2×
Perfect Joel 1:7 1×
Word Origins
לָבַן is built from this root:
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain