Lexical Definition

‎לָשׁוֹן‎ lâshôwn (law-shone') tongue ^H:N
or לָשֹׁן lâshôn (law-shone'); also (in plural) feminine לְשֹׁנָה lᵉshônâh (lesh-o-naw'); from ‎לָשַׁן‎

[phrase] babbler, bay, [phrase] evil speaker, language, talker, tongue, wedge.

• the tongue (of man or animals), used literally (as the instrument of licking, eating, or speech), and figuratively (speech, an ingot, a fork of flame, a cove of water)

1) tongue
1a) tongue (of men)
1a1) tongue (literal)
1a2) tongue (organ of speech)
1b) language
1c) tongue (of animals)
1d) tongue (of fire)
1e) wedge, bay of sea (tongue-shaped)

See Greek: ἄνθραξ · γλῶσσα · διάλεκτος · φωνή

Extended Information

meaning of: לָשׁוֹן

• : language

Brown-Driver-Briggs

Aramaic form: לִשָּׁן
‎לָשׁוֺן‎ noun masculine^{Josh 7:21} and (more often) feminine^{Isa 28:11} tongue (Late Hebrew id.; also Assyrian lišânu; Arabic ; Ethiopic ; Aramaic ‎לִשָּׁן‎, ‎לִישָּׁן‎, (all li-); Zinjirli ‎לשן‎ DHM^{Sendsch. 59}); — absolute ‎׳‎‎ל‎ Exod 4:10 +; ‎הַלָּשֹׁן‎ Josh 15:2 construct ‎לְשׁוֺן‎ Josh 7:21 +; suffix ‎לְשׁוֺנִי‎ 2Sam 23:2 ‎לְשֹׁנוֺ‎ Exod 11:7 + 2 t.; ‎לְשׁוֺנוֺ‎ Judg 7:5; Esth 1:22 ‎לְשׁוֺנְךָ‎ Ps 34:14* ‎לְשׁוֺנְכֶם‎ Isa 59:3, etc.; plural ‎לְשֹׁנוֺת‎ absolute Ps 31:21*; Isa 66:18 construct Zech 8:23 suffix ‎לְשֹׁנֹתָם‎ Gen 10:20; Gen 10:31 —

1. tongue of men,
a. used in lapping Judg 7:5 cleaving to the palate (‎חֵק‎), in thirst Lam 4:4, so as to produce dumbness Job 29:10 (|| ‎קוֺל נֶחְבָּא‎), Ps 137:6; Ezek 3:26 (|| ‎נֶאֱלַם‎); cleaving to jaws (‎מַלְקוֺחַ‎) Ps 22:16* ‎בַּצָּמָא נָשָׁ֑תָּה‎ ‎׳‎‎ל‎ Isa 41:17 their tongue for thirst is parched; ‎תִּמַּק בְּפִיהֶם‎ ‎׳‎‎לְ‎ Zech 14:12 (of ‎׳‎‎י‎'s judgment); a choice morsel is held ‎׳‎‎תַּחַת ל‎ Job 20:12 (figurative of mischief), compare Ps 10:7 (ready to be uttered), Ps 66:17 (|| ‎פֶּה‎), Song 4:11.
b. usually as organ of speech, both good and bad (especially Psalms, Proverbs, often || ‎פֶּה‎, ‎שָׂפָה‎); — ‎׳‎‎כְּבַד ל‎ Exod 4:10 (J) heavy of tongue; ‎׳‎‎מַעֲנֵה ל‎ Prov 16:1, ‎מִלָּתוֺ עַללְֿשׁוֺנִי‎ 2Sam 23:2, compare Prov 31:26; Ps 139:4 (‎׳‎‎בִּל‎), ‎הֲיֵשׁ בִּלְשׁוֺנִי עַוְלָה‎ Job 6:30 ‎׳‎‎מָוֶת וְחַיִּים בְּיַד ל‎ Prov 18:21, compare Prov 21:23; Prov 25:15 of (false) prophets, ‎׳‎‎הַלֹּקְהִים ל‎ Jer 23:31 subject of verb of speaking, ‎בֶּר‎ Di — ‎בִחִכִּי דִּבְּרָה לְשׁוֺנִי‎ Job 33:2; Ps 12:4*; Ps 37:30 compare (Jer 9:7* below and) ‎֗֗֗ תְּמַהֵר‎ ‎׳‎‎ל‎ ‎לְדַבֵּר‎ Isa 32:4, ‎לְשׁוֺנִי עֵט סֹפֵר מָהִיר‎ Ps 45:2*, i.e. as swift as a rapid scribe's stylus; subject of ‎הָגָה‎ Isa 59:3; Job 27:4; Ps 35:28; Ps 71:24 subject of ‎נִשְׁבַּע‎ Isa 45:23 ‎תִּהַלַךְ בָּאָרֶץ‎ ‎׳‎‎ל‎ Ps 73:9 of hostile speech, insolence, etc., Josh 10:21 (J E; object of I. ‎חָרַץ‎ q. v., compare 3 below), Jer 18:18; Isa 3:8 ‎׳‎‎זַעַם ל‎ Hos 7:16 (but text dubious, compare We Now), ‎חֶרֶב חַדָּה‎ ‎׳‎‎ל‎ Ps 57:6*, compare Ps 64:4* ‎כְּמוֺ‎ ‎׳‎‎נָחָשׁ שָֽׁנְנוּ ל‎ Ps 140:4* ‎תָּקוּם אִתָּךְ‎ ‎׳‎‎כָּללֿ‎ Isa 54:17 ‎׳‎‎הֶאֱרִיךְ ל‎ Isa 57:4 further, Jer 9:2*; Jer 9:4* as instrument of seductive flattery (‎הֶחֱלִיק‎), without ‎בְּ‎, Ps 5:10*; Prov 28:33, compare ‎׳‎‎נָכְרִיָּה חֶלְקַת לָ‎ Prov 6:24. of falsehood Ps 78:36 (compare below); of slander (compare ‎לושֵׁן‎) ‎׳‎‎רָגַל עַללֿ‎ Ps 15:3, ‎אִישׁ לָשׁוֺן‎Ps 140:12*, compare ‎סָ֑תֶר‎ ‎׳‎‎לְ‎ Prov 25:33 ‎׳‎‎חָטָא בְּל‎ Ps 39:2* compare Ps 64:9* (text dubious, see Hup Che Bae); moral qualities ascribed to: — as arrogant Ps 12:5* (compare vPs 12:4* above); as devising injuries, ‎׳‎‎הַוּוֺת תַּחְשֹׁב ל‎ Ps 52:4*, compare ‎הַוֺת‎ ‎׳‎‎לְ‎ Prov 17:4 ‎תַּצְמִיד מִרְמָה‎ ‎׳‎‎ל‎ Ps 50:19 nectere fraudem; ‎׳‎‎מֵרָ֑ע נְצֹר ל‎ Ps 34:14* ‎ׅ‎ || ‎(וּשְׂפָתֶיךָ מִדַּבֵּר מִרְמָה‎; often of lying tongue: ‎לְשׁוֺן שֶׁקֶר‎ Prov 6:17; Prov 12:19; Prov 21:6; Prov 26:28; Ps 109:2 ‎מִרְמָה‎ ‎׳‎‎לְ‎ Ps 52:6* ‎רְמִיָּה‎ ‎׳‎‎לָ‎ Mic 6:12; Ps 120:2; Ps 120:3 ‎תַּרְמִית‎ ‎׳‎‎לְ‎ Zeph 3:13 ‎תַּהְפֻּכוֺת‎ ‎׳‎‎לְ‎ Prov 10:31, and ‎׳‎‎נֶהְפָּךְ בִּל‎ Prov 17:20 ‎עֲרוּמִים‎‎׳‎‎ל‎ Job 15:5 also ‎מִרְמָה דִּבֵּ֑ר‎ ‎׳‎‎ל‎ Jer 9:7* on the other hand ‎צַדִּיק‎ ‎׳‎‎לְ‎ Prov 10:20 ‎חֲכָמִים‎ ‎׳‎‎ל‎ Prov 12:18; Prov 15:2 ‎׳‎‎מַרְפֵּה לָ‎ vProv 15:4 ‎לִמּוּדִים‎ ‎׳‎‎לְ‎ Isa 50:4. — Note phrases ‎׳‎‎שׁוֺט ל‎ Job 5:21 scourge of (the) tongue, ‎רִיב לְשֹׁנוֺת‎ Ps 31:21* ‎פַּלַּג לְשׁוֺנָם‎ Ps 55:10*: also ‎׳‎‎בַּעַל הַלּ‎ Eccl 10:11 (of serpent-charmer), and ‎׳‎‎וַתֵּעֲלוּ עַלשְֿׂפַת ל‎ Ezek 36:3. — On tongue of ‎׳‎‎י‎ (once), see 4 below
c. organ of singing, subject of ‎רָנַן‎ Ps 51:16*; Ps 126:2; Isa 35:6, ‎עָנָה‎ Ps 119:172.

2. = language Deut 28:49; Jer 5:15 and later, namely: Ezek 3:5; Ezek 3:6 (‎׳‎‎כִּבְדֵי ל‎, || ‎עִמְקֵי שָׂפָה‎, but strike out ᵐ5 Manuscripts Co Sgfr^KauAT), Isa 28:11 (|| ‎אַחֶרֶת‎ ‎׳‎‎ל‎, ‎לַעֲגֵי שָׂפָה‎, figurative of ‎׳‎‎י‎'s unintelligible dealings); ‎׳‎‎עַם ֗֗֗ נִלְעַג ל‎ Isa 33:19 (|| ‎עִמְקֵי שָׂפָה‎); Isa 66:18 (|| ‎גּוֺיִם‎), Zech 8:23; Gen 10:5; Gen 10:20; Gen 10:31 (all P), Neh 13:24; Esth 1:22 (twice in verse); Esth 3:12; Esth 8:9 (twice in verse); Dan 1:4.

3. tongue of animals: dog Exod 11:7 (J; object of I. ‎חָרַץ‎ q. v.; compare 1 b), Ps 68:24* adder Job 20:16 (subjectof ‎תַּהֲרֹג‎); crocodile Job 40:25*.

4. tongue of fire, devouring, ‎כֶּאֱכֹל קַשׁ לְשׁוֺן אֵשׁ‎ Isa 5:24 compare of ‎׳‎‎י‎, ‎וּלְשׁוֺנוֺ כְּאֵשׁ אֹכָ֑לֶת‎ Isa 30:27 (|| ‎שְׂפָתָיו מָֽלְאוּ זַעַם‎).

5. = (tongue-shaped) wedge of gold Josh 7:21; Josh 7:24 (JE). **So Assyrian lišânu; see Meissn^{ZAW xxlii {1905}, 151 f.} Johns^{Assyrian Deeds 2, 281}.

6. = (tongue-shaped) bay of sea Isa 11:15; Josh 15:2; Josh 15:5; Josh 18:19 (all P).

Brown-Driver-Briggs References