לָאט (lat)
lat
secret
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun lat refers to secrecy or something hidden from view. It appears only twice in the Old Testament, creating a narrow but distinct usage. In Exodus 7:11 and Judges 7:19, it describes concealed actions or mysterious practices that are not immediately obvious to observers.
Lexical sources often connect this word with "mystery" or even "enchantment." This suggests that lat does not just mean private information, but rather something deliberately kept hidden, perhaps with an element of the occult or the unknown. The term highlights the contrast between what is revealed and what is concealed.
Its limited occurrence makes it a specialized term in biblical Hebrew. Translators typically render it as "secret" or "mysteries," depending on the context of concealment. The word underscores the theme of hidden knowledge or actions that operate outside of public sight.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word lat points to what is hidden from view, often carrying a sense of mystery or concealed practice. In the Old Testament, it appears in contexts involving sorcery and secret rituals, reminding us that some things operate outside the light of day. This distinction between the visible and the hidden helps us understand why Scripture consistently calls for transparency and truth.
For your faith life, this word serves as a gentle reminder that God values openness. While human schemes may rely on secrecy to maintain power, divine wisdom shines in the open. You can find comfort in knowing that no action is truly hidden from God, and there is peace in living a life free from the need to conceal your intentions.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- in <the>/ secrecy1×
- by/ enchantments/ their1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- בַּ/לָּ֔אט1×
- בְּ/לַהֲטֵי/הֶ֖ם1×
Key Verses
-
Exodus 7:11
Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers. They also, the magicians of Egypt, did the same thing with their enchantments.
This verse uses the word to describe the deceptive magic performed by Pharaoh's sorcerers, highlighting how secrecy can be employed for opposition against God.
-
Judges 4:21
Then Jael, Heber’s wife, took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him, and struck the pin into his temples, and it pierced through into the ground, for he was in a deep sleep; so he fainted and died.
Here the term describes Jael’s stealthy approach to kill Sisera, illustrating a hidden action that leads to a decisive historical outcome.