H3858 H3858
flame (of sword); enchantments
A term primarily meaning flame, most famously in Genesis 3:24 where a flaming, whirling sword guards the way to the tree of life. However, in Exodus 7:11, the same Hebrew form appears in a phrase traditionally translated 'their enchantments' or 'secret arts,' used by Pharaoh's magicians. This dual usage may reflect different roots or represent semantic extension from 'flame' to 'burning practice' (incantation).
Senses
1. sense 1 — Has two distinct uses. First, literal flame, as in 'the flame of the whirling sword' (Genesis 3:24), where cherubim guard Eden with a fiery rotating blade. Second, in Exodus 7:11, appears in a phrase about Egyptian magicians' enchantments or secret arts—possibly from a different root or metaphorically extended from 'flame' to describe magical burning or incantation. Cross-linguistic evidence shows this split: Spanish gives 'llama' (flame) vs. 'encantamientos' (enchantments). 2×
AR["بِسِحْرِهِمْ", "لَهَبَ"]·ben["জ্বালা", "তাদের-গোপন-কলায়"]·DE["die-Flamme", "mit-ihr-enchantments"]·EN["flame-of", "with-their-enchantments"]·FR["avec-leur-enchantments", "flamme-de"]·heb["ב-להטיהם", "להט"]·HI["अपने-जादू-से", "ज्वाला"]·ID["dengan-ilmu-gaib-mereka", "nyala"]·IT["con-loro-enchantments", "fiamma-di"]·jav["kanthi-sihir-ipun", "murub"]·KO["그들의-비법들로", "불꽃"]·PT["com-encantamentos-deles", "o-flamejar"]·RU["пламя", "чарами-своими"]·ES["con-sus-encantamientos", "llama-de"]·SW["kwa-uchawi-wao", "mwali-wa"]·TR["alev-sacan", "büyüleriyle"]·urd["شعلہ", "چالوں-اپنی-سے"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† לַ֫הַט n.[m.] flame;—only cstr. לַהַט הַחֶרֶב הַמִּתְהַפֶּכֶת Gn 3:24 the flame of the whirling sword.