Word Study for H3856 (לָהַהּ)

lâhahh /law-hah'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root meaning properly, to burn, i.e. (by implication)

Meaningto be rabid (figuratively, insane); also (from the exhaustion of frenzy) to languish

KJV usagefaint, mad.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of lâhahh — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word lâhahh, represented by H3856, is a primitive root with a core meaning of to burn. This concept extends figuratively to describe intense states of being. It appears 2 times across 2 unique verses, where it is used to mean being rabid or insane, or to languish and faint from exhaustion.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H3856 illustrates two distinct conditions of extreme distress. It describes a state of collective physical collapse, as when the land of Egypt and Canaan fainted under the pressure of a great famine Genesis 47:13. It is also used to characterize dangerous and irrational behavior, as in the depiction of a mad man who recklessly casts about destructive weapons Proverbs 26:18.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help to define the conditions that lead to the states described by H3856:

H7458 râʻâb (hunger; dearth, famine): This term identifies the direct cause of the land "fainting" in Genesis 47:13. It is a state of widespread lack that leads to utter exhaustion.
H3515 kâbêd (heavy; severe, difficult): This word describes the intensity of the famine in Genesis 47:13 as sore, highlighting the unbearable weight that causes the land to languish.
H3384 yârâh (to lay or throw; to shoot): This word describes the action of the mad man who casteth firebrands and arrows, linking the state of madness in Proverbs 26:18 directly to destructive acts.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H3856 lies in its vivid portrayal of the consequences of extremity.

Societal Collapse: The use of the word in the context of famine shows how physical deprivation can lead to a complete breakdown of a nation, where the land itself is personified as fainting and losing its vitality Genesis 47:13.
Figurative Madness: The word serves as a powerful metaphor for reckless, senseless behavior. By comparing a person who acts without consideration to a mad man, scripture warns against the destructive potential of uncontrolled actions and words Proverbs 26:18.

Summary

In summary, H3856 is a potent and specific term that, while rare, carries significant descriptive power. It captures the dual ideas of "burning out" from exhaustion and "burning" with a destructive frenzy. It illustrates the Bible's understanding of how extreme pressures, whether physical or psychological, can push individuals and entire societies to a breaking point of either collapse or dangerous irrationality.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 2 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

מִתְלַהְלֵהַּ
תֵּלַהּ

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 2 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Genesis and Proverbs (1 verse each); never once in the other 37.

Genesis

Proverbs

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.