---
title: לָבֵן — be white · The Tanakh dictionary
description: לָבֵן (3835), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 5 times: be white. BDB 1906: vb. be white. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# לָבֵן

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«לָבֵן» in the Tanakh dictionary: **be white** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 5 times · **Key:** 3835 · **BDB:** לָבֵן

### Glosses

I.will.become.white (1); purify.\[them\] (1); they.have.become.white (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

be white [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1500/3835/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

vb. be white [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1500/3835/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** vb. be white (onֵ v. BaNB 166; v. LagBN 33, cf. 53, 54 infers לָבֹן from לִבֹנָה; NH id., Pi. Hiph., and deriv.; Ph. לבן white; Arabic لَبَنٌ milk; لبن also be white, dial. of Yemen, MaltzanZMG xxvii, 1873, 247; appar. √ of foll. fourteen words, but this dub. especially in case of ii. iii. לָבָן, לְבָנָא, לִבְנָה, ii. לְבוֹנָה, i. ii. לִבְנִי);— Pf. 3 pl. הִלְבִּינוּ Jo 1:7; Impf. 1 s. אַלְבִּין ψ 51:9; 3 pl. יַלְבִּינוּ Is 1:18; Inf. cstr. וְלַלְבֵּן (= וּלְהַלְבֵּן) Dn 11:35;— make white = purify (ethical) Dn 11:35 (no object expr., ‖ עָרַף, בָּרֵר). shew whiteness, grow white, of fig-tree, stripped by locusts, Jo 1:7; fig. of moral purity, כַּשֶּׁלֶג יַלְב׳ Is 1:18; מִשֶּׁלֶגּ אַלְב׳ ψ 51:9. Impf. יִתְלַבְּנוּ Dn 12:10 be purified (ethical, ‖ יִתְבָּֽרֲרוּ).—לָבַן, make brick, v. infr.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 5 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (6 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (5 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «לָבֵן» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1500/3835/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Psalms 51:9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.51.9/)

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תְּחַטְּאֵ֣נִי בְאֵז֣וֹב וְאֶטְהָ֑ר תְּ֝כַבְּסֵ֗נִי וּמִשֶּׁ֥לֶג אַלְבִּֽין׃

*Word for word:* you will.cleanse.me.from.sin with hyssop so that.I.may.be.pure you will.wash.me and more than.snow I.will.become.white

*JPS 1917:* Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

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[Daniel 12:10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/DAN.12.10/)

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יִ֠תְבָּֽרֲרוּ וְיִֽתְלַבְּנ֤וּ וְיִצָּֽרְפוּ֙ רַבִּ֔ים וְהִרְשִׁ֣יעוּ רְשָׁעִ֔ים וְלֹ֥א יָבִ֖ינוּ כָּל־רְשָׁעִ֑ים וְהַמַּשְׂכִּלִ֖ים יָבִֽינוּ׃

*Word for word:* they.will.purge.themselves and they.will.purify.themselves and they.will.be.refined many.\[people\] and they.will.act.wickedly wicked.\[people\] and not they.will.understand any wicked.\[people\] and \[those who\].have.insight they.will.understand

*JPS 1917:* Many shall purify themselves, and make themselves white, and be refined; but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand; but they that are wise shall understand.

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