OliveGrove
Pressing the Word of God for Deeper Understanding.
Hebrew · H3960, G2723 · unreviewed

לָשַׁן

To wag the tongue , i.e. to calumniate · to accuse

These lexicon entries are being actively developed. If you notice missing content, incorrect definitions, or have suggestions, we'd love to hear from you. Share a note on our Connect page and include a screenshot if helpful.

Words in this compound — expand to study each participant

לָשַׁן H3960 to wag the tongue , i.e. to calumniate
Open lexicon entry →
κατηγορέω G2723 to accuse
Pronunciation katēgoréō
Formal accusation before a judge or authority, not casual blame or criticism.
Open lexicon entry →

What does לָשַׁן (lashan) mean in the Bible?

לָשַׁן · κατηγορέω is a Hebrew word meaning "to accuse or speak against someone maliciously".

Full entry for לָשַׁן (H3960, G2723) · Browse the biblical lexicon

Meaning

to accuse or speak against someone maliciously
Grammatical Forms

How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.

Poel 2×
Participle active Ps 101:5 2×
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 1×
Jussive Prov 30:10 1×
3 total occurrences across all forms in the biblical text Morphology: OSHB — CC BY 4.0
Hebrew Verb Forms

How this verb appears across 3 occurrences in the Hebrew OT (OSHB Leningrad Codex).

Aspect / Form
Participle active 2 Imperfect 1
Stem
Poel 2 Hiphil 1
Mood
Jussive 1
OT Occurrences
Ps 101:5 Poel · Participle active Ps 101:5 Poel · Participle active Prov 30:10 Hiphil · Imperfect · Jussive

Aspect in Hebrew reflects grammatical form, not tense. "Perfect" (Perfective) typically denotes completed action; "Imperfect" (Imperfective) denotes incomplete or ongoing action. Stem modifies the action type (Qal=simple, Niphal=passive, Piel=intensive, etc.).

Morphology: OSHB WLC (Open Scriptures, CC BY 4.0) · STEPBible TEHMC (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0)

Word Pictures (Robertson)

A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) discusses this term in the following chapters. Open any chapter and go to the Word Pictures tab to read his verse-by-verse commentary.

Luke 23 — The Innocent King Condemned, Crucified with Transgressors, and Buried in Hope Luke 6 — The Lord of the Sabbath Forms a Kingdom People Mark 15 — The Crucified King: Condemnation, Mockery, Death, Confession, and Burial Mark 3 — The Servant-King Confronted: Sabbath Mercy, Demonic Accusation, and the Family of God

A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain

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

STEPBible Data — CC BY 4.0

Full license details