### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **lâbân**, represented by `{{H3836}}`, is the word for **white**. It appears 29 times across 24 unique verses in the Bible. Its use is primarily as a literal descriptor of color, applied to a variety of objects including animals, food, clothing, and human skin, often in contexts of physical appearance and diagnosis.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In the biblical narrative, `{{H3836}}` is used in several distinct contexts. A significant portion of its occurrences is in Leviticus 13, where **white** spots, hair, or risings on the skin are key diagnostic signs for priests to identify leprosy [[Leviticus 13:3-4]]. It is used to describe the appearance of God's provision of manna, which was "like coriander seed, **white**" [[Exodus 16:31]]. The word also appears in Jacob's breeding of livestock, where he pilled **white** strakes in rods to influence the animals [[Genesis 30:37]] and set aside goats with **white** in them [[Genesis 30:35]]. In prophetic visions, it describes the color of horses ([[Zechariah 1:8]], [[Zechariah 6:3]]).
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words provide contrast and context to the color white:
* `{{H7838}}` **shâchôr** (black): This word serves as a direct color contrast to white. In Zechariah's vision, chariots are pulled by **black** horses and **white** horses, indicating distinct roles or forces [[Zechariah 6:6]].
* `{{H1261}}` **bârôd** (grisled): Described as "spotted (as if with hail)," this term is used alongside **white** to describe the varied colors of the horses in Zechariah's prophetic vision [[Zechariah 6:3]] and the coloration of Jacob's goats [[Genesis 31:10]].
* `{{H3544}}` **kêheh** (somewhat dark, darkish): This term is used in Leviticus 13 to provide a crucial distinction. A spot that is "darkish **white**" is deemed a harmless freckled spot and declared clean, unlike a pure **white** spot that could signify leprosy [[Leviticus 13:39]].
### Theological Significance
The symbolic weight of `{{H3836}}` is seen in its varied applications, moving from the physical to the representational.
* **Ritual Diagnosis:** The color **white** is a central element in the Levitical laws for determining ritual cleanness or uncleanness. Its appearance in skin or hair is a critical sign for a priest's examination, though its meaning can be complex; a body turned entirely **white** from leprosy, for instance, is pronounced clean ([[Leviticus 13:13]], [[Leviticus 13:17]]).
* **Divine Provision and Vision:** Whiteness is associated with divine action. The manna from heaven was **white** [[Exodus 16:31]], and **white** horses feature in the prophetic visions of Zechariah, representing agents moving through the earth [[Zechariah 6:6]].
* **Joy and Blessing:** In a poetic context, the word signifies blessing and vitality. One blessing states that teeth will be **white** with milk [[Genesis 49:12]], and Ecclesiastes advises, "Let thy garments be always **white**," as a sign of joy and a life well-lived [[Ecclesiastes 9:8]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H3836}}` is a specific and literal term for the color **white**, but its importance in Scripture goes beyond simple description. It is a vital diagnostic tool in Old Testament law, a color associated with God's miraculous provision, an element in prophetic symbolism, and a metaphor for joy and vitality. From the skin of a leper to the horses in a vision, **lâbân** demonstrates how a simple color can carry significant physical and symbolic meaning.
TRV