H3895 H3895
Jaw or jawbone; the cheek as a body part; also the place name Lehi.
Lehi covers both the hard bone and the soft flesh of the lower face. As 'jawbone,' it appears memorably in Samson's improvised weapon -- the jawbone of a donkey with which he struck down a thousand Philistines (Judg 15:15-17). As 'cheek,' it names the part of the face that receives a slap of insult (1 Kgs 22:24; Isa 50:6) or that reveals beauty (Song 1:10). Spanish distinguishes 'quijada' (jawbone) from 'mejilla' (cheek), and French uses 'machoire' versus 'joue,' confirming the dual anatomical range. The place Ramath-Lehi ('Jawbone Height') preserves the word as a geographical landmark tied to Samson's exploit.
Senses
1. cheek (facial feature) — The cheek as a facial feature -- the soft, visible side of the face, appearing in contexts of beauty, insult, and emotional expression. Striking someone on the cheek (1 Kgs 22:24; 2 Chr 18:23) is a gesture of contempt, while Isaiah 50:6 portrays the Servant offering his cheeks to those who pluck his beard. Song 1:10 praises lovely cheeks adorned with ornaments. Spanish 'mejilla' and French 'joue' map this sense precisely. 11×
AR["الخَدِّ", "الْخَدِّ", "خَدًّا", "خَدَّيَّ", "خَدَّيْهَا", "عَلَى-الخَدِّ", "لِحَيَّيو", "لِحَيَّيِكْ", "وَ-الْفَكَّيْنِ", "وَ-خَدَّيَّ"]·ben["আমার-গাল", "এবং-আমার-গাল", "এবং-সেই-চোয়াল", "গাল", "গালে", "তাঁর-গাল", "তার-গালে", "তোমার-গাল"]·DE["[הלחי]", "[ולחיי]", "[לחי]", "[לחיו]", "[לחיי]", "[לחייך]", "auf-der-cheek", "der-cheek", "und-der-cheeks", "zu-lebte"]·EN["a-cheek", "and-my-cheeks", "and-the-cheeks", "her-cheek", "his-cheeks", "my-cheeks", "on-the-cheek", "the-cheek", "your-cheeks"]·FR["Ses-joues", "[הלחי]", "et-le-cheeks", "et-mâchoire", "la-mâchoire", "le-cheek", "mon-joue-moi", "mâchoire", "tes-joues", "à-mâchoire", "à-vivant"]·heb["ה-לחי", "ו-ה-לחיים", "ו-לחיי", "לחי", "לחיה", "לחיי", "לחייו", "לחייך"]·HI["उसके-गाल", "उसके-गालों", "और-गाल", "और-मेरे-गालों-को", "की-गाल", "गाल", "गाल-पर", "तेरे-गाल", "मेरे-गालों-पर"]·ID["Pipinya", "dan-pipi", "dan-pipi-Ku", "pipi", "pipiku", "pipimu", "pipinya", "rahang"]·IT["[הלחי]", "e-guancia", "e-il-cheeks", "guancia", "il-cheek", "la-sua-guancia", "mascella", "mio-cheeks-mio", "suo-cheeks-suo", "tuo-cheeks-tua"]·jav["Pipinipun", "ing-pipis-ipun", "lan-pipi", "lan-pipi-Ingsun", "pipi", "pipi-ipun", "pipining-kawula", "pipinipun", "pipinipun-panjenengan"]·KO["그-뺨", "그-뺨들-이", "그-뾰", "그-뾰을", "그녀-뺨들-의", "그리고-나의-뺨을", "그리고-벼과", "나의-뾰을", "네-뺨들-이", "뺨-을", "뾨-을"]·PT["Suas-faces", "a-face", "e-as-bochechas", "e-minhas-faces", "face", "minha-face", "no-queixo", "sua-face", "tuas-faces"]·RU["Щёки-его", "а-щеке", "в-щёку", "и-челюсти", "и-щёки-Мои", "щеке", "щеке-её", "щёки-мои", "щёки-твои", "щёку"]·ES["Sus-mejillas", "en-la-mejilla", "la-mejilla", "mi-mejilla", "su-mejilla", "tus-mejillas", "y-las-quijadas", "y-mis-mejillas"]·SW["mashavu-yake", "mashavu-yako", "mashavu-yangu", "na-mashavu", "na-mashavu-yangu", "shavu", "shavuni"]·TR["ve-yanaklarimi", "ve-çeneler", "yanak", "yanaklari", "yanaklarin", "yanaklarımı", "yanağı-o", "yanağı-onun", "yanağın", "yanağının", "çenesinden"]·urd["اس-کے-گال", "اور-اپنی-گالیں", "اور-جبڑے", "اُس-کے-رخساروں", "تیرے-گال", "جبڑے-پر", "میرے-گال", "گال"]
2. jaw, jawbone — The jaw or jawbone as anatomical bone, especially in Samson's famous episode with the donkey's jawbone (Judg 15:15-17). Hosea 11:4 pictures God lifting a yoke from Israel's jaws like a farmer easing the burden on an ox, and Job 41:2 asks whether one can pierce Leviathan's jaw. Spanish 'quijada' and French 'machoire' consistently render this harder, skeletal sense. The dual form lekhayim (Deut 18:3) refers to the two jawbones given to the priest from the sacrificial animal. 9×
AR["اللَّحْيَ-الـ", "بِ-لَحْيِ", "فَكَّهُ؟", "فَكَّيهِم", "فُكُوكِ", "فِي-فَكَّيْكَ", "لَحْيَ-"]·ben["গাল", "চোয়াল-", "চোয়ালে-", "তাদের-গালের", "তার-চোয়াল", "তোমার-চোয়ালে", "সেই-চোয়াল"]·DE["Kieferknochen-von-", "[בלחייך]", "[לחיהם]", "[לחיו]", "[לחיי]", "der-Kieferknochen", "mit-Kieferknochen-von"]·EN["his-jaw", "in-your-jaws", "jawbone-of-", "the-jawbone", "the-jaws", "their-jaws", "with-jawbone-of"]·FR["[בלחייך]", "[לחיהם]", "avec-mâchoire-de", "le-mâchoire", "mâchoire", "mâchoire-de-", "son-joue-lui"]·heb["ב-לחי", "ב-לחייך", "ה-לחי", "לחי", "לחיו", "לחיי", "לחייהם"]·HI["उनके-गालों", "उसका-जबड़ा", "जबड़ा", "जबड़े-से", "जबड़ों", "तेरे-जबड़ों-में", "में-जबड़ों-तेरे"]·ID["dengan-rahang", "di-rahang-rahangmu", "di-rahangmu,", "rahang", "rahang-", "rahangnya"]·IT["[בלחייך]", "[לחיהם]", "con-mascella-di", "guancia", "his-jaw-suo", "il-mascella", "mascella-di-"]·jav["balung-rahang", "balung-rahang-", "ing-pipi-panjenengan", "ing-pipining-panjenengan", "kaliyan-balung-rahang-", "lan-Kawula-sendhèkaken", "pipi", "pipihanipun?"]·KO["그-턱뿚", "그것-의-턱을", "그들의-볼들을", "에-턱뾼로", "에-턱뿌로", "에-턱에", "턱-너의-안에", "턱뿌", "턱에-너의"]·PT["a-queixada", "com-queixada-de", "em-mandíbulas-tuas", "em-tuas-mandíbulas", "faces-de", "mandíbulas-deles", "queixada-de-", "sua-mandíbula?"]·RU["Челюстью", "в-челюсти-твои", "челюстей-их", "челюсть", "челюсть-", "челюсть-его", "челюстях-"]·ES["Con-quijada-de", "con-quijada-de", "en-tus-mandíbulas", "en-tus-mejíllas;", "la-quijada", "quijada-de", "quijadas-de", "su-mandíbula", "sus-mejillas"]·SW["katika-mataya-yako", "kwa-taya-ya", "mataya", "matayani-mwako", "shingo-zao", "taya", "taya-lake", "taya-ya-"]·TR["-ile-çene-kemiği", "cenelerinin", "çene-kemiği-", "çene-kemiğini", "çenelerine", "çenelerinin", "çenesini"]·urd["اُس-کے-جبڑے", "اُن-کے-گالوں", "بَ-جبڑوں-تیرے", "جبڑا", "جبڑوں", "جبڑوں-تیرے-میں", "جبڑے-کی", "جبڑے-کی-ہڈی-سے"]
3. Lehi (place name) — The proper place name Lehi (Judg 15:19), the site in Judah where Samson fought the Philistines. The name derives transparently from 'jawbone,' commemorating the weapon and the battlefield. God miraculously opened a spring 'in Lehi' to quench Samson's thirst after his victory, making the toponym also a memorial of divine provision. 1×
AR["فِي-لَحْيِ"]·ben["সেই-লেহীতে"]·DE["in-der-Lehi"]·EN["in-the-Lehi"]·FR["dans-le-Lehi"]·heb["ב-לחי"]·HI["लेही-में"]·ID["di-Lehi"]·IT["in-il-Lehi"]·jav["ing-Lèkhi"]·KO["에-그-레히"]·PT["em-Lechi"]·RU["в-Лехи"]·ES["en-Lehi"]·SW["katika-Lehi"]·TR["-de-Lehi"]·urd["لحی-میں"]
Related Senses
G3588 1. definite article (18298×)H0853 1. definite direct object marker (10915×)G2532 1. (8312×)H3068 1. YHWH (the divine name) (6522×)H0834a 1. relative pronoun (who/which/that) (4839×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H3588a 1. causal: because, for (3498×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)G3739 1. relative pronoun who/which/that (1149×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H1732 1. David (proper name) (1075×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. לְחִי n.m. Ct 1:10 jaw, cheek (NH id.; Aramaic לוֹחָא; Arabic لَحْىٌ; on Assyrian laḫû cf. DlHWB 375, but ح = ḫ?);—ל׳ abs. Ju 15:17 Mi 4:14; cstr. Ju 15:15 + 2 times; לֶ֑חִי 1 K 22:24 + 3 times + Ju 15:19(×2); sf. לֶחֱיוֹ Jb 40:26; לֶחֱיָהּ La 1:2; du. לְחָיַיִם Dt 18:3; cstr. לְחָיֵי Is 30:28; sf. לְחָיַי Is 50:6, cf. Jb 16:10, etc.; לְחֵיהֶם Ho 11:4;— 1. jaw, jawbone, of animal, Ju 15:15,…