H3851 H3851
A flame or blaze of fire; the blade or flashing point of a weapon
The noun לַהַב captures the bright, dangerous edge of both fire and metal. In most occurrences it refers to a flame or blaze, especially in contexts of divine theophany and judgment — the flame ascending from Manoah's altar (Judg 13:20), the devouring flame of God's wrath (Isa 29:6; 30:30), and the rush of fire Joel likens to a locust swarm (Joel 2:5). Its secondary meaning is the blade or flashing point of a weapon, vividly illustrated when Ehud's entire blade sinks into Eglon's belly (Judg 3:22) and when the gleam of a spear flashes in battle (Job 39:23).
1. flame, blaze — A flame or blaze of fire, frequently appearing in construct with 'fire' (lahab esh) in scenes of divine judgment, theophany, and natural imagery. The altar flame rises heavenward with the angel of the LORD in Judg 13:20; Isaiah deploys it three times for God's consuming judgment alongside whirlwind, thunder, and hailstorm (Isa 29:6; 30:30; 66:15). Joel 2:5 compares the crackling sound of locusts to a flame devouring stubble, and Job 41:21 ascribes fiery breath to Leviathan. Spanish 'llama/llamas' and English 'flame' consistently confirm this core meaning. Isaiah 13:8 extends it figuratively: faces like flames, burning with anguish. 9×
AR["الـ-لَّهَبِ","بِ-لَهِيبِ-","في-لَهَبِ","لَهيبِ","لَهِيبٍ","وَ-لَهِيبِ","وَلَهَبُ","وَلَهِيبٌ"]·ben["অগ্নিশিখায়-","আর-শিখা","এবং-শিখা-","ও-শিখা","জ্বালার","শিখায়-","শিখার","সেই-শিখা"]·DE["[בלהבי]","[ולהב]","[להב]","[להבים]","der-Flamme","in-Flamme-von"]·EN["and-a-flame","and-flame","and-flame-of","flame-of","flames","in-flame-of","in-flames-of-","of-devouring","the-flame"]·FR["[בלהבי]","[ולהב]","[להבים]","dans-flamme-de","et-flamme","et-ולהב","flamme","le-flamme"]·heb["ב-להב","ב-להבי","ה-להב","ו-להב","להב","להבים"]·HI["और-लपट","और-लौ","लपटों-जैसे","लपटों-में","लौ","लौ-में"]·ID["dalam-nyala-api","dan-nyala","dengan-nyala-nyala","nyala","nyala-api"]·IT["[ולהב]","[להב]","e-e-a-flame","e-spada","il-fiamma","in-fiamma-di","spada"]·jav["ing-latu","ing-murub-","kados-latu","lan-pedhang","lan-urubing","latu","urubing"]·KO["그-불꽃이","그리고-불꼽이","그리고-불꽃","그리고-불꽃-이","불꽃","에-불꽃","에-불꽃로","화염이라"]·PT["a-chama","chamas","e-chama","e-labareda-de","em-chamas-de-","labareda-de","na-chama-de"]·RU["в-пламени","в-пламени-","и-пламенем","и-пламенем-","и-пламя","пламени","пламя"]·ES["con-llamas-de-","en-la-llama-de","la-llama","llama-de","llamas","y-llama","y-llama-de"]·SW["katika-mwali-wa-moto-wa","kwa-miali-ya","mwali-wa","mwali-wa-moto","na-mwako-wa","na-mwali","za-miali"]·TR["-de-alev","alev","alevinin","alevlerin","alevleriyle-","ve-alev","ve-aleviyle"]·urd["اور-شعلہ","اور-شعلے-میں","شعلوں-سے-","شعلوں-کے","شعلے","لو","لو-میں"]
▼ 1 more sense below
Senses
2. blade (of a weapon) — The blade or cutting edge of a weapon, extending the word's core notion of a bright, sharp, dangerous surface from fire to metal. Judges 3:22 is the defining passage, used twice in the same verse: both the handle and the blade (hallahab) of Ehud's dagger disappeared into Eglon. Job 39:23 describes the flash of a spear — the gleaming point catching light — while Nahum 3:3 speaks of the flashing blade of the sword in Nineveh's final battle. Spanish 'la hoja' (the blade) and English 'the blade' distinguish this clearly from the flame sense, though the underlying image of dangerous brightness unites both. 3×
AR["اللَّهَبُ","النَّصْلِ"]·ben["ফলা-","শিখা"]·DE["[להב]","der-blade"]·EN["the-blade","the-flash-of"]·FR["le-blade","להב"]·heb["ה-להב","להב"]·HI["फल-के","लहू"]·ID["kilau","mata-pedang"]·IT["il-blade","il-flash-di"]·jav["landheping-punika","sumorot-ipun"]·KO["그-날","날이"]·PT["a-lâmina","lâmina-de-"]·RU["лезвием","пламя"]·ES["la-hoja","llama-de"]·SW["mwali","upanga"]·TR["de-bıçağın","parıltısı"]·urd["پھل-کے","چمک"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† לַ֫הַב n.m. flame, blade;—ל׳ abs. Ju 3:22(×2) + 2 times; cstr. Ju 13:20 + 5 times; pl. לְהָבִים Is 13:8; cstr. לַהֲבֵי Is 66:15;— 1. flame, of altar, Ju 13:20(×2) (ל׳ הַמִּזְבֵּהַ); ל׳ אֵשׁ אוֹכְלָה, of י׳’s judgment Is 29:6; 30:30; 66:15 (in all ‖ forces of nature, whirlwind, thunder, earthquake, rain, hail, etc.); fig. פְּנֵי ל׳ פְּנֵיהֶם Is 13:8 (i.e. hot with excitement, cf. Di); sim. Jo…