לֶשַׁע
Lesha, a place probably East of the Jordan
Definition
Lesha is a proper noun referring to a place name mentioned only once in the Bible in Genesis 10:19. It appears as a boundary marker in the description of the Canaanite territory, listed alongside cities like Sodom and Gomorrah. The text places it as one of the limits of the Canaanite border, likely situated east of the Jordan River. Due to its single, geographical usage, it has no other major senses or meanings in the biblical text.
Biblical Usage
This word is used exactly once in the Old Testament, in Genesis 10:19, within the 'Table of Nations.' Its usage is purely geographical, serving as a point to define the territorial extent of the Canaanites. There are no patterns of usage across other books, as it is a unique place name in a genealogical and geographical list.
Etymology
The name Lesha (לֶשַׁע) is thought to derive from an unused Hebrew root meaning 'to break through,' which later developed the sense of a 'boiling spring.' This suggests the location may have been known for a notable spring or water source. The connection to a spring is etymological and not explicitly confirmed in the biblical narrative.
Semantic Range
As a place name in an ancient territorial description, Lesha would have been understood by the original audience as a real, geographical location marking a frontier. Its inclusion in Genesis 10:19, a chapter outlining the post-flood repopulation of the earth, culturally situates it within the known world of the ancient Near East, though its exact modern location remains uncertain.
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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