H3939 H3939
Wormwood; a bitter plant (Artemisia) used figuratively for the bitterness of divine judgment, injustice, and sin's consequences.
A feminine noun denoting wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), used exclusively in figurative contexts throughout the Hebrew Bible to evoke intense bitterness. Amos pairs it with rosh ('poison') to condemn the perversion of justice (Am 5:7; 6:12), while Deuteronomy warns that idolatry bears a 'root sprouting wormwood' (Dt 29:18). In Jeremiah and Lamentations, God feeds the unfaithful people wormwood and bitter water as chastisement (Jer 9:15; 23:15; Lam 3:15, 19). Proverbs warns that the seductive woman's end is 'bitter as wormwood' (Prov 5:4). The Arabic cognate laʿn means 'curse,' hinting at the word's association with affliction.
Senses
1. wormwood (bitter plant) — The bitter herb wormwood (Artemisia), used metaphorically for the poisonous consequences of sin, injustice, and divine judgment. In prophetic speech, God declares he will feed his people wormwood and give them poisoned water (Jer 9:15; 23:15), while Lamentations 3:15 and 3:19 use it as a personal lament for affliction ('he filled me with bitterness, he sated me with wormwood'). Amos 5:7 and 6:12 pair la'anah with rosh to denounce the corruption of justice. In wisdom literature, the strange woman's end is 'bitter as wormwood' (Prov 5:4). Spanish ajenjo and French absinthe both derive from traditions of identifying this plant with Artemisia absinthium, the same bitter herb behind the notorious liqueur. 8×
AR["أَفْسَنْتِينَ", "إلى-أَفْسَنْتينِ", "إلى-الأَفْسَنْتينِ", "الأَفْسَنْتِينَ", "عَلْقَمًا", "كَالشِّيحِ", "وَعَلْقَمًا"]·ben["-এর-মতো-কড়া", "এবং-তিক্ততা", "কুফুল", "কুফুলে", "তিক্ত-শাক", "তিক্ততায়", "তেতোপানীয়"]·DE["Wermut", "[לענה]", "und-wormwood", "zu-antwortete"]·EN["and-wormwood", "into-wormwood", "like-wormwood", "to-wormwood", "with-wormwood", "wormwood"]·FR["absinthe", "et-wormwood", "כלענה"]·heb["ו-לענה", "כ-לענה", "ל-לענה", "לענה"]·HI["और-कड़वाहट।", "नागदौन-की-तरह", "नागदौना", "नागदौना-से", "में-नागदौना", "में-नागदौना।"]·ID["dan-ipuh", "dengan-ipuh", "ipuh", "menjadi-ipuh", "seperti-empedu"]·IT["assenzio", "come-il-like-wormwood", "e-wormwood", "in-assenzio"]·jav["dhumateng-pait", "kados-bratawali", "kanthi-wisa", "lan-pait", "pakis", "pakèl", "wisa"]·KO["그리고-쓴풀을", "로-쓴", "쓴솟-같이", "쓴쌓을", "쓴으로", "쓴을", "쓴쟐-과", "쓴쟐-으로"]·PT["absinto", "como-absinto", "de-absinto", "e-absinto", "em-losna", "losna"]·RU["в-полынь", "и-полынь", "как-полынь,", "полынь", "полынью"]·ES["ajenjo", "como-el-ajenjo", "de-ajenjo", "en-ajenjo", "y-ajenjo"]·SW["kama-shayiri", "kuwa-uchungu", "mchungu", "na-uchungu", "uchungu"]·TR["acı-ot", "gibi-pelin", "pelin", "pelin-otuna", "peşin-otuna", "ve-pelin"]·urd["افسنتین", "افسنتین-جیسے", "افسنتین-میں", "اور-کڑواہٹ", "ناگدونا", "ناگدونا-سے"]
Related Senses
H3548 1. priest, cultic officiant (750×)G5547 1. Christ, Messiah, Anointed One (540×)H5030 1. Prophet, divine spokesperson (317×)H5930a 1. burnt offering (sacrifice) (286×)H3881 1. Levites (priestly class) (283×)G4396 1. prophet, spokesperson of God (146×)H6944 1. sanctuary, holy place (129×)G0749 1. high priest, chief priest (123×)H6944 2. holiness, sacredness (abstract quality) (123×)G5330 1. Pharisee (99×)G4336 1. pray to God (86×)H6944 3. holy things, sacred offerings (plural) (86×)H3722a 1. make ritual atonement (Piel) (85×)H6912 1. bury (Qal active) (82×)H6419 1. pray (Hitpael) (80×)H6944 4. holiness (with possessive pronoun) (77×)H6942 1. sanctify, consecrate (Piel factitive) (76×)H2930a 1. Qal: be/become unclean (75×)H7819a 1. slaughter an animal (Qal active) (72×)H1486 1. lot (object cast for decisions) (71×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† לַעֲנָה n.f. wormwood (NH id.; Arabic لَعْنٌ is curse (vb. لَعَنَ id.), so Nab. לענת (vb. לען) cf. CookGloss.);—only fig. of bitter things:—of perverted justice, Am 5:7; 6:12 (‖ רֹאשׁ); of result of idolatry, Dt 29:17 (‖ id.); of י׳’s chastisement Je 9:14 (‖ מֵי־רֹאשׁ), 23:15 (‖ id.), La 3:15 (‖ מְרוֹרִים), v 19 (‖ רֹאשׁ); sim. of bitter (מָרָה) result of intercourse with strange woman Pr…