Bible Word Study
לְטוּשִׁם
Lᵉṭûwshim · Letushim, an Arabian tribe
לְטוּשִׁם
Letushim, an Arabian tribe
Definition
Letushim refers to an Arabian tribe descended from Dedan, who was a grandson of Abraham through Keturah (Genesis 25:3). The name is a proper noun identifying a specific nomadic clan within the broader genealogy of Abraham's later descendants. As a tribal name, it carries no other major senses or meanings in the biblical text beyond this singular identification. Its only occurrence serves to map the lineage and spread of peoples connected to the Abrahamic covenant.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in Genesis 25:3, within a genealogical list. It appears in the context of chronicling the descendants of Abraham and Keturah, specifically naming the sons of Dedan. There are no patterns of usage across different books or contexts; its sole function is to identify a tribe in this ancestral record.
Etymology
The name Letushim (לְטוּשִׁם) is the masculine plural form of the passive participle of the root לָטַשׁ (lāṭaš, H3913), meaning 'to hammer, sharpen, or forge.' Thus, the name etymologically signifies 'hammered ones' or 'oppressed ones.' It likely functioned as a descriptive tribal nickname or identifier, possibly alluding to a trade like metalworking or a historical experience of hardship.
Semantic Range
While the word itself is a simple proper noun, its placement in Genesis 25 underscores the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham to make him the father of many nations (Genesis 17:4-6). The listing of tribes like the Letushim, even those outside the main covenant line of Isaac, demonstrates the expansive, multinational scope of Abraham's progeny. It reminds readers that God's sovereign plan encompasses diverse peoples. In the ancient Near Eastern context, tribal names often derived from ancestors, geographical features, occupations, or descriptive characteristics. 'Letushim' ('hammered ones') fits this pattern, potentially indicating a clan known for metalworking or one that endured a period of subjugation. As an Arabian tribe, they were part of the nomadic or semi-nomadic peoples of the Arabian Peninsula, distinct from the settled Israelites. Dedan (Dᵉḏān, H1719) — The ancestor and progenitor of the Letushim tribe. Sheba (Shᵉḇā’, H7614) — Another Arabian tribe listed in the same genealogical context (Genesis 25:3).
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]