The Hebrew word lethek, represented by H3963, is a specific dry measure defined as a half homer. It appears only 1 time in 1 unique verse in the entire Bible, making its sole appearance highly specific and noteworthy. Its root is unused and of uncertain meaning.
The single use of H3963 is found in a transaction of purchase. The prophet Hosea states, "So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley" Hosea 3:2. In this context, the lethek is part of the price paid, specifying a precise quantity of barley alongside silver.
Several related words in the same verse give context to this unique measurement:
- H2563 chômer (homer): This is the larger dry measure to which a lethek is compared, defined as a homer Hosea 3:2. It is also used to refer to clay, as in the potter's clay Isaiah 64:8.
- H3701 keçeph (silver): This word for silver or money is used alongside the barley as part of the purchase price Hosea 3:2. It often symbolizes something of value that can be refined Zechariah 13:9.
- H8184 sᵉʻôrâh (barley): This is the grain being measured by the lethek. Barley appears elsewhere as a food staple and commodity, sometimes sold in the market 2 Kings 7:1 or marking the beginning of the harvest 2 Samuel 21:9.
- H3739 kârâh (buy): This verb, meaning to purchase or prepare, describes the action for which the lethek of barley was used as payment Hosea 3:2. It is also used in the context of buying necessities like food and water Deuteronomy 2:6.
The significance of H3963 is tied entirely to its singular context of a purchase.
- Specific Valuation: The precise measure of a lethek, combined with a homer of barley and fifteen pieces of silver, establishes a specific, calculated price for the transaction in Hosea 3:2. This is not a vague estimation but a defined cost.
- Commodity as Price: The use of barley, a common grain Deuteronomy 8:8, as part of the payment highlights a transaction rooted in basic, tangible goods, alongside the monetary value of silver H3701.
- Act of Purchase: The measurement is part of the action "I bought her" Hosea 3:2, using the verb H3739. This act of purchasing, for which a specific price is paid, is central to the passage's meaning.
In summary, H3963 lethek is a term of measurement whose meaning is entirely illuminated by its one and only appearance in scripture. It functions as a "half homer," a specific quantity of barley that forms part of a purchase price. Its importance lies not in frequent use, but in the weight of its singular role in the symbolic act of purchase described in the book of Hosea.
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