### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **limmûwd**, represented by `{{H3928}}`, means to be **instructed** or **taught**. It appears 6 times across 5 unique verses. The term carries a range of meanings from being a divinely **learned** follower or **disciple** to being **accustomed** to a certain behavior, whether by instinct or by habit.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In Scripture, `{{H3928}}` illustrates the result of teaching or conditioning. In Isaiah, it describes a person with a "tongue of the **learned**" and an ear that is wakened to hear "as the **learned**," indicating a divine equipping for speaking and listening [[Isaiah 50:4]]. It also promises that children who are **taught** of the LORD will experience great peace [[Isaiah 54:13]]. The word is used for **disciples** who are entrusted to preserve the law of God [[Isaiah 8:16]]. Conversely, Jeremiah uses the word to describe a negative conditioning, asking if people who are **accustomed** to do evil can learn to do good [[Jeremiah 13:23]]. It is also used to describe a wild ass **used** to the wilderness, highlighting a state of being trained by one's environment [[Jeremiah 2:24]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help clarify the nature and outcome of being taught:
* `{{H8085}}` **shâmaʻ** (to hear intelligently): The state of being learned is directly linked to the ability to hear. God gives the ear to **hear** as the learned [[Isaiah 50:4]].
* `{{H8451}}` **tôwrâh** (law): This is the substance of what the disciples are to guard. The instruction is to seal the **law** among the disciples [[Isaiah 8:16]].
* `{{H7489}}` **râʻaʻ** (to do evil): This word describes the negative habit one can become accustomed to, showing that instruction is not always positive [[Jeremiah 13:23]].
* `{{H3190}}` **yâṭab** (to do good): This is presented as the opposite of being accustomed to evil, highlighting the profound moral choice involved in what one learns [[Jeremiah 13:23]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H3928}}` centers on the formation of character through instruction.
* **Divine Discipleship:** The term is primarily used to describe a person or a people taught directly by God. This instruction results in the ability to speak skillfully for God and leads to a state of peace ([[Isaiah 50:4]], [[Isaiah 54:13]]). Those who receive it are considered disciples [[Isaiah 8:16]].
* **The Power of Habit:** The word demonstrates that what one repeatedly learns or does becomes second nature. This is powerfully illustrated in the rhetorical question about whether those **accustomed** to do evil can change their ways, comparing it to a leopard changing its spots [[Jeremiah 13:23]].
* **The Goal of Instruction:** True learning in a biblical sense is not merely academic. Its purpose is practical and relational, intended to produce peace, skillful ministry to the weary, and obedience to God's law ([[Isaiah 54:13]], [[Isaiah 50:4]]).
### Summary
In summary, `{{H3928}}` is a dynamic term that goes beyond simple learning. It defines a state of being shaped by instruction, whether from God or from habit. It highlights that teaching forms character and determines destiny, leading either to the peace and skill of a divine disciple or the ingrained patterns of one accustomed to evil.
TRV