H3867a H3867a
To join oneself to, attach to (Nifal); to accompany, escort (Qal)
The verb לָוָה expresses the act of binding oneself to another person or group. In its Nifal (reflexive-passive) form, which accounts for nearly all occurrences, it describes joining or attaching oneself — Levi's name is explained by Leah's hope that her husband would now 'be joined to' her (Gen 29:34), and foreigners 'join themselves to' the LORD (Isa 56:3, 6). The name Levi itself likely derives from this root. A single Qal occurrence in Ecclesiastes 8:15 uses the verb transitively to mean 'accompany' — joy will accompany a person through life's labors.
1. join oneself to, attach to — The Nifal reflexive sense: to join oneself to, to attach to, to become a companion of. This covers all eleven Nifal occurrences spanning the Pentateuch through the Writings. Genesis 29:34 provides the foundational etymology — Leah names her son Levi (לֵוִי) saying 'now my husband will be joined (yillaveh) to me.' Numbers 18:2, 4 describe the Levites being joined to Aaron for service, playing on the same etymological link. Isaiah 14:1 and 56:3, 6 extend the concept to foreigners joining themselves to Israel and to the LORD. Spanish 'se unirán' ('they will join themselves') and English 'shall join' consistently confirm the reflexive attachment meaning. Esther 9:27 uses it of gentiles who allied themselves with the Jews in observing Purim. 11×
AR["الْمُنْضَمُّ","الْمُنْضَمُّونَ","الْمُنْضَمِّينَ","انْضَمَّ","وَ-يَلْتَحِقُ","وَ-يَلْتَحِقُونَ","وَ-يَلْتَصِقُونَ","وَانْضَمُّوا","وَيَلْتَحِقُ","يَلْتَصِقُ"]·ben["-যারা-যোগ-দেয়","-যারা-সংযুক্ত-হয়েছে","-যে-সংযুক্ত-হয়েছে","এবং-তারা-যুক্ত-হবে","এবং-যুক্ত-হবে","ও-যুক্ত-হও","ও-যুক্ত-হবে","যুক্ত-হবেন","যুক্ত-হয়েছে"]·DE["[הנלוה]","[הנלוים]","[ונלוה]","[ונלוו]","hat-verbunden","und-sie-soll-sich-anschliessen","wird-sich-anschließen"]·EN["and-join-yourselves","and-shall-join","and-they-shall-join","and-will-join","has-joined","the-one-joining","the-ones-joining","will-join"]·FR["--joindre","[הנלוה]","[הנלוים]","[ונלוה]","[ונלוו]","et-ils-devra-joindre","et-se-joindre","prêter"]·heb["ה-נילווה","ה-נילווים","ה-נלוים","ו-ילוו","ו-נילוו","ו-נלוו","ו-נלווה","ילוה","נלווה"]·HI["और-जुड़ेंगी","और-जुड़ेंगे","और-जुड़ेगा","और-जुड़ो","और-वे-मिलें","जुड़-गया-है","जुड़नेवाला","जुड़नेवाले","जुड़ेगा","जो जुड़ेंगे"]·ID["Dan-akan-bergabung","akan melekat","bergabung","dan-akan-bergabung","dan-bergabung","dan-bergabunglah","yang-bergabung","yang-menggabungkan-diri"]·IT["[הנלוה]","[הנלוים]","[ונלוה]","[ונלוו]","[נלוה]","e-essi-dovra-unirsi","will-unire"]·jav["badé-nempel","ingkang-nderek","ingkang-nggabung","lan-badhé-gabung","lan-badhé-ndhèrèk","lan-kathah","lan-nderek","lan-nggabung","ngèmbangi"]·KO["그-합류하는-자들","그리고-그들이-연합할-것이다","그리고-붙으리라","그리고-연합하리라","그리고-연합하자","붙으리라","연합하리라","연합한-자가","연합한-자들이","합류하였다"]·PT["E-juntar-se-ão","E-unir-se-ão","e-juntar-se-á","e-juntar-se-ão","e-se-unirão","e-uni-vos","o-que-se-junta","os-que-se-juntam","se-uniu","unir-se-á"]·RU["и-присоединитесь","и-присоединится","и-присоединятся","прилепится","присоединившийся","присоединившихся","присоединился"]·ES["Y-se-unirán","el-que-se-une","los-que-se-unen","se-unió","unirá","y-se-unirá","y-se-unirán","y-únanse"]·SW["Na-wataungana","aliyeungana-na-","atajiunga","na-ataungana","na-jiungeni","na-wataungana","na-waungane","na-wengi-wataungana","nao","wamejiunga","wanaoungana-na-"]·TR["Ve-katılacaklar","bağlanacak","katilanin-","katilanlar","katılanların-","katıldı","ve-katilacak","ve-katılacaklar","ve-katılsınlar","ve-katılın"]·urd["اور-مل-جاؤ","اور-ملیں-گی","اور-ملیں-گے","اور-ملیںگے","اور-ملے-گا","اور-وہ-ملیں","جو-ملتے-ہیں","جڑ-جائے-گا","جڑا-ہوا-جو","جڑے-ہوئے","مل-گیا"]
Gen 29:34, Num 18:2, Num 18:4, Esth 9:27, Ps 83:8, Isa 14:1, Isa 56:3, Isa 56:6, Jer 50:5, Dan 11:34, Zech 2:11
▼ 1 more sense below
Senses
2. accompany, escort — The Qal active transitive sense: to accompany or escort, appearing only in Ecclesiastes 8:15 with a pronominal suffix (yilvennū, 'will accompany him'). The Preacher commends joy because it will accompany a person through their toil under the sun. This differs from the Nifal in voice (active vs. reflexive) and syntax (transitive with a direct object vs. joining 'to' with a preposition). Spanish 'lo acompañará' and English 'will accompany him' both capture the companionship-in-motion nuance absent from the more static Nifal attachment. 1×
AR["يُلَازِمُهُ"]·ben["সঙ্গী-হবে-তাকে"]·DE["[ילונו]"]·EN["will-accompany-him"]·FR["ילונו"]·heb["ילוונו"]·HI["साथ-देगा-उसे"]·ID["menyertainya"]·IT["will-accompany-lui"]·jav["badhé-nderekaken-piyambakipun"]·KO["동반한다-그를"]·PT["o-acompanhará"]·RU["сопроводит-его"]·ES["lo-acompañará"]·SW["itamfuata"]·TR["eslik-edecek-ona"]·urd["ساتھ-رہے-گا-اُس-کے"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. [לָוָה] join (intr.), be joined (NH Pi. לִוָּה (ליוה) trans., Hithp. intr.; Aramaic לַוֵּי accompany; so ܠܘܳܐ; BAES 12 comp. Arabic وَلِىَ be near);—Qal (late) Impf. 3 ms. sf. יִלְוֶנּוּ. Ec 8:15, be joined to, attend (of mirth). Niph. נִלְוָה ψ 83:9 Is 14:1; 3 mpl. consec. וְנִלְווּ Nu 18:4 + 2 times, + Je 50:5 (GesLbg Bö Köi. 588 Gf Gie; >Imv. Ki Ew§ 226 c Ol§ 264); Impf. יִלָּוֶה Gn…