### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
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.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
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.
### Related Words & Concepts
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]].
### Theological Significance
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.
### Summary
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.
TRV