Hebrew · H3939

לַעֲנָה

Wormwood (regarded as poisonous, and therefore accursed)

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לַעֲנָהH3939
Pronunciationlaʿănāh

What does לַעֲנָה (laʿănāh) mean in the Bible?

לַעֲנָה (laʿănāh): Bitter plant symbolizing divine curse, poison, and the toxic consequences of idolatry or injustice.

Full entry for לַעֲנָה (H3939) · Open the biblical lexicon

Questions this entry answers

What does לַעֲנָה (laʿănāh) mean in the Bible?

לַעֲנָה (laʿănāh): Bitter plant symbolizing divine curse, poison, and the toxic consequences of idolatry or injustice.

How does the BSB render H3939?

The BSB source-word alignment has 8 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include into wormwood (2), wormwood (2), and bitter fruit (1), as wormwood (1), the wormwood (1).

Where does לַעֲנָה (laʿănāh) appear in Scripture?

The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Deuteronomy 29:18. Its strongest book concentrations include Amos (2), Jeremiah (2), Lamentations (2), Deuteronomy (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
into wormwoodAmos 5:7, Amos 6:12
wormwoodJeremiah 9:15, Jeremiah 23:15
and bitter fruitDeuteronomy 29:18
as wormwoodProverbs 5:4
the wormwoodLamentations 3:19
with wormwoodLamentations 3:15
Show sample aligned rows
Usage map

A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.

First aligned rowDeuteronomy 29:18
Aligned rows8
Books represented5
Deuteronomy1Proverbs1Jeremiah2Lamentations2Amos2
Source forms
וְלַעֲנָֽה׃1xwə·la·‘ă·nāhDeuteronomy 29:18
כַֽלַּעֲנָ֑ה1xḵal·la·‘ă·nāhProverbs 5:4
לְלַעֲנָ֖ה1xlə·la·‘ă·nāhAmos 5:7
לְלַעֲנָֽה׃1xlə·la·‘ă·nāhAmos 6:12
לַֽעֲנָ֑ה1xla·‘ă·nāhJeremiah 9:15
לַֽעֲנָ֔ה1xla·‘ă·nāhJeremiah 23:15
לַעֲנָ֥ה1xla·‘ă·nāhLamentations 3:19
לַעֲנָֽה׃ס1xla·‘ă·nāhLamentations 3:15
Parsing patterns
Noun - feminine singular4xJeremiah 9:15, Jeremiah 23:15, Lamentations 3:15, Lamentations 3:19
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular2xAmos 5:7, Amos 6:12
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular1xDeuteronomy 29:18
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - feminine singular1xProverbs 5:4
Sources