Biblica Analytica

לָחַךְ

la.chakh (H3897)

to lick

6 verses 5 books OT 5 / NT 0
AI Word Study

# Lachakh (לָחַךְ): The Hebrew Verb "To Lick" The Hebrew verb *lachakh* carries the straightforward physical meaning of licking—the action of passing the tongue over a surface. With only six occurrences in the biblical text, this is a relatively rare word, suggesting it was used selectively rather than as a common everyday term. Its rarity itself indicates that biblical writers invoked this verb only when the specific image of licking was narratively or figuratively important enough to warrant inclusion. The limited attestation prevents broad generalizations about extended or metaphorical uses of the term. Unlike more frequent verbs that develop multiple layers of meaning across different contexts, *lachakh* appears confined to situations where the literal act of licking serves the author's purpose. This restraint in usage is typical of words describing specific physical actions in biblical Hebrew, where precision sometimes took priority over stylistic variation. For readers seeking to understand how ancient Hebrew literature portrayed concrete bodily actions, *lachakh* exemplifies a direct, unadorned vocabulary choice reserved for moments when such imagery mattered to the narrative or argument at hand.

AI synthesis uses only provided lexicon data -- never training knowledge.

Numbers 22:4

Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this multitude will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.” Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.

1 Kings 18:38

Then Yahweh’s fire fell, and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

Psalms 72:9

Those who dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him. His enemies shall lick the dust.

Isaiah 49:23

Kings shall be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow down to you with their faces to the earth, and lick the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I am Yahweh; and those who wait for me shall not be disappointed.”

Micah 7:17

They will lick the dust like a serpent. Like crawling things of the earth they shall come trembling out of their dens. They will come with fear to Yahweh our God, and will be afraid because of you.