לְבָאוֹת
Lebaoth, a place in Palestine
Definition
Lebaoth (לְבָאוֹת) is a proper noun referring to a town in the territory of Judah, as listed in Joshua 15:32. The name itself is the plural form of the Hebrew word for 'lioness' (לָבִיא), meaning 'lionesses.' This suggests the place may have been named for the presence of lions or perhaps as a symbolic descriptor of its strength or character. It is identified in the same verse as being part of the Negev district, the southern wilderness region of Judah. In 1 Chronicles 4:31, the town is referred to as Beth-lebaoth ('house of lionesses'), indicating it may have been a settlement or stronghold.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament as a place name in the list of cities allotted to the tribe of Judah (Joshua 15:32). Its usage is purely geographical, appearing in a catalog of territorial inheritances following the conquest of Canaan. The parallel reference in 1 Chronicles 4:31 uses the extended name Beth-lebaoth in a list of Simeonite settlements within Judah's territory.
Etymology
Lebaoth is the feminine plural form of the Hebrew noun לָבִיא (lavi', H3833), meaning 'lion' or specifically 'lioness.' The derivation is straightforward, moving from the singular 'lioness' to the plural 'lionesses.' This follows a common Hebrew pattern where place names are derived from animal names, often describing local fauna or using animal imagery to convey attributes like strength or ferocity.
Semantic Range
In the ancient Near East, lions were powerful symbols of strength, courage, and royalty, but also of danger and wilderness. Naming a town 'Lionesses' could reflect a real historical presence of lions in that arid southern region (the Negev), serving as a practical warning or descriptor. Alternatively, it could metaphorically denote a place of strength or a community known for its fierceness. This differs from a modern place name, which is less likely to use such direct animal symbolism for settlements.
בֵּית לְבָאוֹת (Bêyth Lᵉbâʼôwth, H1034) — The extended name for the same location, meaning 'house of lionesses.' לָבִיא (lavi', H3833) — The root word meaning 'lion' or 'lioness.'
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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