What does לָוָה (lāwāh) mean in the Bible?
לָוָה (lāwāh): Borrow and lend fundamentally involve obligation and binding relationship, extending from physical twining to covenantal attachment.
Hebrew · H3867
לָוָה
Properly, to twine , i.e. (by implication) to unite , to remain ; also to borrow (as a form of obligation) or (caus.) to lend
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לָוָה H3867
Pronunciation lāwāh
What does לָוָה (lāwāh) mean in the Bible?
לָוָה (lāwāh): Borrow and lend fundamentally involve obligation and binding relationship, extending from physical twining to covenantal attachment.
Full entry for לָוָה (H3867) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H3867?
The BSB source-word alignment has 26 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include borrow (2), who join (2), will join (2), and borrower (1), and join (1).
Where does לָוָה (lāwāh) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 29:34. Its strongest book concentrations include Isaiah (5), Deuteronomy (4), Psalms (4), Proverbs (3).
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 borrow 2× Deuteronomy 28:12, Psalms 37:21
who join 2× Esther 9:27, Isaiah 56:6
will join 2× Daniel 11:34, Zechariah 2:11
and borrower 1× Isaiah 24:2
and join 1× Jeremiah 50:5
and lends freely 1× Psalms 112:5
and quick to lend 1× Psalms 37:26
and the borrower 1× Proverbs 22:7
has joined 1× Psalms 83:8
is a loan 1× Proverbs 19:17
lend to him 1× Deuteronomy 28:44
lender 1× Isaiah 24:2
that they may join 1× Numbers 18:2
They are to join 1× Numbers 18:4
to the lender 1× Proverbs 22:7
We have borrowed 1× Nehemiah 5:4
who has joined himself 1× Isaiah 56:3
will accompany him 1× Ecclesiastes 8:15
will become attached 1× Genesis 29:34
will join them 1× Isaiah 14:1
will lend to you 1× Deuteronomy 28:44
you lend 1× Exodus 22:25
You will lend 1× Deuteronomy 28:12
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 29:34 יִלָּוֶ֤ה to will become attached Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Exodus 22:25 תַּלְוֶ֣ה to you lend Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular Numbers 18:2 וְיִלָּו֥וּ to that they may join Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural Numbers 18:4 וְנִלְו֣וּ to They are to join Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural Deuteronomy 28:12 וְהִלְוִ֙יתָ֙ to You will lend Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular Deuteronomy 28:12 תִלְוֶֽה׃ to borrow Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular Deuteronomy 28:44 יַלְוְךָ֔ to will lend to you Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | second person masculine singular Deuteronomy 28:44 תַלְוֶ֑נּוּ to lend to him Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine singular Nehemiah 5:4 לָוִ֥ינוּ to We have borrowed Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural Esther 9:27 הַנִּלְוִ֤ים to who join Article | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 29:34
Aligned rows 26
Books represented 13
Genesis 1 Exodus 1 Numbers 2 Deuteronomy 4 Nehemiah 1 Esther 1 Psalms 4 Proverbs 3 Ecclesiastes 1 Isaiah 5 Jeremiah 1 Daniel 1 Zechariah 1
Source forms
הַנִּלְוִ֤ים 2x han·nil·wîm Esther 9:27, Isaiah 56:6
וּמַלְוֶ֑ה 2x ū·mal·weh Psalms 37:26, Psalms 112:5
וְנִלְו֣וּ 2x wə·nil·wū Numbers 18:4, Jeremiah 50:5
הַנִּלְוָ֤ה 1x han·nil·wāh Isaiah 56:3
וְהִלְוִ֙יתָ֙ 1x wə·hil·wî·ṯā Deuteronomy 28:12
וְיִלָּו֥וּ 1x wə·yil·lā·wū Numbers 18:2
וְנִלְוָ֤ה 1x wə·nil·wāh Isaiah 14:1
וְנִלְו֧וּ 1x wə·nil·wū Daniel 11:34
Parsing patterns
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural 4x Numbers 18:4, Jeremiah 50:5, Daniel 11:34, Zechariah 2:11
Article | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine plural 2x Esther 9:27, Isaiah 56:6
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular 2x Psalms 37:26, Psalms 112:5
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular 2x Psalms 37:21, Proverbs 22:7
Article | Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular 1x Isaiah 56:3
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular 1x Deuteronomy 28:12
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural 1x Numbers 18:2
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular 1x Isaiah 14:1
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Borrow and lend fundamentally involve obligation and binding relationship, extending from physical twining to covenantal attachment.
Strong's H3867
Lexical occurrences 26 verses Word forms 3 forms 9 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Genesis 29:31-35 Source Gloss
properly, to twine , i.e. (by implication) to unite , to remain ; also to borrow (as a form of obligation) or (caus.) to lend
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Borrow and lend fundamentally involve obligation and binding relationship, extending from physical twining to covenantal attachment.
properly, to twine, i.e. (by implication) to unite, to remain; also to borrow (as a form of obligation) or (caus.) to lend BDB: borrow Usage: abide with, borrow(-er), cleave, join (self), lend(-er).
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 3 Aligned forms 9
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 3×
Participle active Prov 19:17 · Prov 22:7 2×
Imperfect Exod 22:24 1×
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 4×
Participle active Prov 22:7 · Ps 37:21 2×
Imperfect Deut 28:12 1×
Perfect Neh 5:4 1×
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 2×
Imperfect Gen 29:34 1×
Perfect Ps 83:9 1×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
to unite or attach oneself, joining in family relationship
to unite or cleave to the covenant community of the Lord
to give as a loan or obligation, with divine recompense implied
one who takes a loan, becomes servant to the lender
Showing 4 selected witnesses from 26 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
לָוָה is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
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