Word Study for H3938 (לָעַט) | Strong's Concordance

lâʻaṭ /law-at'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root

Meaningto swallow greedily; causatively, to feed

KJV usagefeed.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of lâʻaṭ — 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 lâʻaṭ, represented by H3938, is a primitive root that means to swallow greedily or, causatively, to feed. It appears only 1 time in 1 unique verse in the entire Bible, making its specific context particularly instructive.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The single use of H3938 is found in the narrative of Esau and Jacob. In a moment of physical exhaustion, Esau says to Jacob, "Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint" Genesis 25:30. The word captures the urgency and desperation of Esau's hunger, highlighting an impulsive desire to be fed driven by his weariness.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words from this passage illuminate the context of this rare term:

H6215 ʻÊsâv (Esau): The character who utters the demand. The dossier notes he was a "cunning hunter, a man of the field" Genesis 25:27, and this event is a defining moment for him.
H559 ʼâmar (to say): The simple but crucial verb used for Esau's declaration. It is the vehicle for his urgent request: "And Esau said to Jacob..." Genesis 25:30.
H5889 ʻâyêph (faint, thirsty, weary): This word provides the reason for Esau's desperate hunger. He cries out to be fed specifically "for I am faint" Genesis 25:30, linking his physical state directly to his demand.

Theological Significance

The singular appearance of H3938 carries significant weight in its immediate context.

Impulsive Appetite: The word is a powerful illustration of an action driven by immediate, physical need. The demand to "swallow greedily" is a direct result of being ʻâyêph, or faint Genesis 25:30.
Defining Character Moment: This action is performed by ʻÊsâv H6215, whose identity as a "man of the field" Genesis 25:27 is contrasted with this moment of desperate need.
The Power of Speech: The demand is initiated by the verb ʼâmar H559, showing how a spoken word, born from weariness, can set a significant event in motion.

Summary

In summary, while extremely rare, H3938 offers a vivid and potent definition through its sole biblical appearance. The term lâʻaṭ is not just about eating; it conveys a sense of swallowing greedily out of desperation. Its use in Genesis 25:30 encapsulates a critical moment of weakness and impulsive desire, forever linking the word to the story of Esau's profound hunger.

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 1 occurrence, inflected in 1 grammatical form — 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.

הַלְעִיטֵ

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

1 verse, all in Genesis — and none of the other 38 Old Testament books.

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.