H3843 H3843
Brick, tile — a molded block of clay dried or baked for building; associated with forced labor and hubris
The noun לְבֵנָה (levenah) means brick or tile — a sun-dried or kiln-fired block of clay used as a fundamental building material throughout the ancient Near East. Its earliest occurrence is in the Tower of Babel narrative, where humans say 'let us make bricks' (נִלְבְּנָה לְבֵנִים, Gen 11:3), linking the material to collective hubris. In Exodus, brick-making becomes the defining image of Israelite slavery: Pharaoh demands bricks without straw (Exod 1:14; 5:7-19). Isaiah contrasts humble bricks with dressed stone (Isa 9:9) and condemns those who burn incense on bricks (Isa 65:3). Ezekiel uses a brick as a miniature siege map (Ezek 4:1).
Senses
1. brick, tile — A molded building brick made of clay, often sun-dried but sometimes kiln-fired, used throughout Mesopotamia and Egypt. The Tower of Babel builders substitute brick for stone (Gen 11:3), and Israelite slaves in Egypt are forced to produce bricks under brutal quotas (Exod 1:14; 5:7-8, 14, 16, 18-19). Isaiah's defiant boast — 'bricks have fallen, but we will build with dressed stone' (Isa 9:9) — captures the material's humble status. Isaiah 65:3 condemns burning incense on bricks, and Ezekiel 4:1 uses a brick as a prophetic prop for a siege diagram. Spanish 'ladrillo' and English 'brick' both render the term straightforwardly. 11×
AR["اللَّبِنُ", "اللَّبِنِ", "اللِّبِنِ", "اللِّبْنَةُ", "لَبِنَةً", "لِبنًا", "لِبِنٍ", "مِنْ-لِبِنِكُمْ", "وَ-بِ-اللَّبِنِ", "وَلِبِنٌ"]·ben["ইট", "ইটগুলি", "ইটে", "ইটের", "ও-ইট", "ও-ইটে", "তোমাদের-ইট-থেকে"]·DE["Ziegel", "[הלבנים]", "[לבנה]", "[לבנים]", "der-Ziegel", "und-Ziegel", "und-mit-Ziegel", "von-dein-Ziegel"]·EN["and-bricks", "and-with-bricks", "brick", "bricks", "from-your-bricks", "the-brick", "the-bricks"]·FR["[הלבנים]", "[לבנים]", "briques", "de-ton-briques", "et-avec-briques", "et-briques", "le-brique", "le-briques", "pour-il-a-bâti"]·heb["ה-לבנה", "ה-לבנים", "ו-ב-לבנים", "ו-לבנים", "לבנה", "לבנים", "מ-לבניכם"]·HI["ī̃ṭẽ", "इन्त", "ई̃टõ-की", "ई̃टõ-से-अपनी", "ईंट", "ईंटें", "ईंटों", "और-ई̃टõ-में", "और-ई̃टें"]·ID["Batu-bata", "bata-bata", "batu-bata", "batu-bata-itu", "dan-batu-bata", "dan-dengan-batu-bata", "dari-batu-bata-kamu"]·IT["[הלבנים]", "[לבנה]", "[לבנים]", "da-tuo-mattoni", "e-con-mattoni", "e-mattoni", "il-mattone", "il-mattoni", "mattoni"]·jav["Bata", "bata", "bata-bata", "bata-punika", "lan-bata-bata", "lan-wonten-ing-bata", "saking-bata-ipun"]·KO["그-벧돌들을", "그-벧돌들의", "그-벽돌들-위에서", "그러나-벧돌들을", "그리고-벽돌로", "너희의-벧돌들에서", "벧돌들의", "벽돌들을", "벽돌들이", "벽돌을", "벽돌이"]·PT["Tijolos", "de-tijolos-vossos", "e-com-tijolos", "e-tijolos", "o-tijolo", "os-tijolos", "tijolo", "tijolos"]·RU["-кирпич", "hа-кирпичах", "а-кирпичи", "и-кирпичами", "кирпич", "кирпичей", "кирпичи", "от-кирпичей-ваших"]·ES["Ladrillos", "de-vuestros-ladrillos", "el-ladrillo", "ladrillo", "ladrillos", "los-ladrillos", "y-en-ladrillos", "y-ladrillos"]·SW["Matofali", "kutoka-matofali-yenu", "matofali", "na-kwa-matofali", "na-matofali", "tofali", "ya-matofali"]·TR["-tuğla", "Tuglalar", "tuglalarin", "tuğla", "tuğlalar", "tuğlaları", "tuğlaların", "tuğlalarınızdan", "ve-tuğlalarla", "ve-tuğlaları"]·urd["اور-اینٹوں-سے", "اور-اینٹیں", "اینٹ", "اینٹوں", "اینٹوں-اپنی-سے", "اینٹوں-کی", "اینٹیں"]
Related Senses
G0846 1. third-person pronoun reference (5552×)H???? 1. (4670×)H6213a 1. do, perform, act (2383×)G4160 1. do, act, perform (473×)H5221 1. Hifil: to strike in battle, smite enemies (362×)H0899b 1. garment, article of clothing (216×)H6213a 2. make, construct, fabricate (148×)H3772 1. cut a covenant / make a pact (97×)H5060 1. touch physically (Qal) (96×)H3615 1. complete a task (Piel) (85×)H3772 2. cut off / destroy (Hifil causative) (81×)H3920 1. capture, seize (Qal) (76×)H???? 12. (76×)H3772 3. be cut off / be eliminated (Niphal) (74×)H6213a 3. be done, be made (Niphal) (73×)G4160 2. make, construct, create (62×)H3847 1. Qal: put on, wear (60×)H8210 1. pour out (liquid/libation) (59×)G2440 1. garment or clothing (general) (54×)H4191 4. kill / put to death (Hifil causative) (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† לְבֵנָה n.f. brick, tile (NH id.; Aramaic לְבִינְתָּא, ܠܒܶܢܻܬܳܐ; Zinj. לבן (?) DHMSendsch. 37. 59; Assyrian libittu; Arabic لِبْنٌ, لَبِنٌ, لَبِنٌ, لِبْنَةٌ, لَبِنَةٌ (loan-words according to Frä4 f.); according to Thes and most from whiteness of clay, or light colour of sun-baked bricks; so NöZMG xl, 1886, 735 LagBN 139; >others regard as Assyrian loan-word VOJ i, 22 ff.; in Assyrian a deriv.…