Word Study for H3828 (לְבוֹנָה)

lᵉbôwnâh /leb-o-naw'/ Ask about this word

Rootor לְבֹנָה · from לָבָן

Meaningfrankincense (from its whiteness or perhaps that of its smoke)

KJV usage(frank-) incense.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of lᵉbôwnâh — 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 lᵉbôwnâh, represented by H3828, refers to frankincense, an aromatic resin. It appears 21 times across 21 unique verses in the Bible. The name is derived from a root word signifying whiteness, which may refer to the color of the resin or its smoke.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H3828 is presented as a valuable and sacred substance. It is a key component of the meat offering H4503 presented to the LORD H3068, where a priest H3548 would burn it upon the altar H4196 as a memorial H234 Leviticus 2:1-2. It was also placed on the shewbread as a memorial Leviticus 24:7. Beyond its ritual use, it was a precious commodity brought as tribute from places like Sheba H7614 Isaiah 60:6 and is described poetically as a desirable fragrance, often alongside myrrh H4753 (Song of Solomon 3:6, Song of Solomon 4:14). However, its use is condemned when offered with a disobedient heart, equating the act to blessing an idol H205 Isaiah 66:3.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words clarify the role and context of frankincense:

H4503 minchâh (meat offering): This term refers to a sacrificial offering, typically bloodless, where frankincense was a required component to be burned before the LORD Leviticus 6:15.
H6999 qâṭar (to smoke, i.e. turn into fragrance by fire): This verb describes the action of burning incense or parts of a sacrifice to create a fragrant smoke, as was done with all the frankincense of a meat offering Leviticus 2:2.
H4753 môr (myrrh): A valuable and fragrant gum, myrrh is often mentioned in parallel with frankincense, highlighting their shared status as precious aromatic substances used for perfume and honor Song of Solomon 3:6.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H3828 is seen in its specific applications within Israel's worship.

Symbol of Pure Worship: Frankincense was deliberately excluded from a sin offering H2403 Leviticus 5:11 and the offering of jealousy H7068 Numbers 5:15. Its absence in offerings related to transgression suggests it represents worship that is voluntary, pure, and untainted by iniquity H5771.
A Pleasing Offering: When included in offerings, it was burned on the altar H4196 to produce a sweet H5207 savour H7381 unto the LORD H3068 Leviticus 2:2. This signifies an offering that is acceptable and pleasing to God.
Expression of Honor: As a valuable commodity brought from a far H4801 country H776 like Sheba H7614 Jeremiah 6:20, offering frankincense was an act of honor. It was presented alongside gold H2091 to shew forth H1319 the praises H8416 of the LORD Isaiah 60:6.

Summary

In summary, H3828 lᵉbôwnâh is far more than a simple aromatic. It is a central element in the biblical expression of worship, representing purity, honor, and what is pleasing to God. Its inclusion in offerings of praise and its exclusion from offerings for sin establish it as a symbol of voluntary and unblemished devotion. From the altar of sacrifice to the treasuries of the house of the LORD, frankincense serves as a tangible expression of reverence for God.

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 noun across 21 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.

לְבֹנָה
לְבֹנָתָ

Related Words

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

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 21 verses across 8 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Leviticus (7 verses); never once in the other 31.

Exodus

Leviticus

Numbers

1 Chronicles

Nehemiah

Song of Solomon

Isaiah

Jeremiah

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.