Dictionary:לאה/0

לאה

This page is a stub.
Please contact us if you would like to assist in its development.

לאה

Part of Speech	Verb
Occurrences	19
Possible Meanings	Be weary or impatient Be unable
Related Words	תְּלָאָה

Possible Meanings

The basic possibilities correspond to the two possible meanings of the noun תְּלָאָה.

1. Be weary or impatient

• Biblical verses –
• See Machberet MenachemMachberet s.v. לאAbout Menachem b. Saruk, R. Yonah ibn JanachSefer HaShorashim s.v. לאהAbout Ibn Janach, RadakSefer HaShorashim לאהAbout Radak.
• R. Yonah ibn Janach and Radak note that in Aramaic, לאה is a translation of tiredness.
• Aramaic לאה – to be tired, to labor

2. Be unable

• Biblical verses – In its two appearances in the Torah, Bereshit 19:11 and Shemot 7:18, a meaning of inability may be a better contextual fit.
• This is the position of R. SaadiaTranslation Bereshit 19:11Translation Shemot 7:18About R. Saadia, RashbamBereshit 19:11Shemot 7:18About Rashbam, Ibn EzraShemot 7:18About Ibn Ezra.
• Rashbam Bereshit 19:11 brings a proof for this interpretation from the context of Shemot 7, as Hashem's warning of "וְנִלְאוּ מִצְרַיִם לִשְׁתּוֹת מַיִם מִן הַיְאֹר" is realized in Shemot 7:21,24 "וְלֹא יָכְלוּ מִצְרַיִם לִשְׁתּוֹת מַיִם מִן הַיְאֹר" ("for they couldn’t drink of the water of the river").¹

Semantic Evolution

Intra-Biblical

Rabbinic Hebrew

Modern Hebrew

¹ Rashbam adduces support also from a number of the other occurrences of the root לאה (Yeshayahu 15:12, Yirmeyahu 20:9, and Iyyov 4:2) where it appears in tandem with יכל. See also Shemuel I 17:39.