לוּחַ (lu.ach)
lu.ach
tablet
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 32 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun luach refers to a flat, solid surface used for writing or construction, typically made of stone, wood, or metal. Its root likely conveys the idea of shining or being polished, which fits its most famous usage: the two stone tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments in Exodus 31:18 and Deuteronomy 4:13. These were not rough slabs but carefully prepared surfaces meant to preserve divine law permanently.
Beyond religious texts, luach appears in practical contexts throughout the Old Testament. It describes the wooden boards forming the walls of the Tabernacle (Exodus 27:8) and the metal plates decorating Solomon’s temple doors (1 Kings 7:36). The word also carries a metaphorical weight in Proverbs 3:3, where wisdom is urged to be written on the tablets of the heart, suggesting that internal moral formation mirrors the permanence of stone inscriptions.
This range of meanings highlights how ancient Israelites valued durable records. Whether carved in stone for covenant identity or etched into wood and metal for structural beauty, luach represents something intended to last. The word bridges the physical and spiritual, showing how material objects served as vessels for enduring truth.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word luach describes a solid surface prepared for lasting records. In Exodus, these were stone tablets inscribed by God’s own finger with the Ten Commandments. This imagery shows that divine instruction is not fleeting or subject to change, but permanent and authoritative. It was meant to anchor the identity of Israel in something durable.
Yet this concept extends beyond stone. Proverbs 3:3 invites readers to write wisdom on the tablets of their heart. This shifts the focus from external rules to internal transformation. The same word used for sacred stone also describes the boards of the Tabernacle, suggesting that our lives can serve as structures built to house God’s presence.
When you encounter this term, remember that truth is meant to be kept securely. Whether carved in rock or written on the mind, these records call for faithful attention. They remind us that what matters most endures beyond the moment.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 32 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ tablets13×
- [the] tablets of11×
- tablets of8×
- [the] tablet of3×
- boards2×
- the/ plates of1×
- tablets1×
- and/ the/ tablets1×
- a tablet1×
- a board of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לֻחֹ֥ת5×
- לֻחֹ֣ת5×
- הַ/לֻּחֹ֔ת5×
- ל֥וּחַ3×
- לוּחֹ֣ת2×
- לֻחֹ֖ת2×
- לֻח֥וֹת2×
- הַ/לֻּחֹ֥ת2×
- לוּחֹ֤ת1×
- לֻחֹ֨ת1×
- לֻחֹ֤ת1×
- לֻחֹ֗ת1×
Key Verses
-
Exodus 31:18
When he finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, he gave Moses the two tablets of the covenant, stone tablets, written with God’s finger.
This verse highlights the divine origin of the law by specifying that God wrote the tablets with His own finger, establishing their supreme authority.
-
Exodus 32:19
As soon as he came near to the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing. Then Moses’ anger grew hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands, and broke them beneath the mountain.
Here the breaking of the tablets illustrates the tragic rupture of the covenant caused by idolatry, showing the fragility of broken trust.
-
Deuteronomy 4:13
He declared to you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even the ten commandments. He wrote them on two stone tablets.
This occurrence connects the physical tablets directly to the covenant declaration, emphasizing that the Ten Commandments are the core of God’s relationship with His people.
-
Exodus 27:8
You shall make it hollow with planks. They shall make it as it has been shown you on the mountain.
The word appears here for the hollow altar boards, demonstrating its practical use in constructing sacred furniture alongside its religious significance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Hebrew word luach mean?
Where does luach appear most frequently?
Is luach used metaphorically in the Bible?
Every Occurrence (32 verses across 9 books)
Exodus 11 verses
Yahweh said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain, and stay here, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law…
Exodus 27:8You shall make it hollow with planks. They shall make it as it has been shown you on the mountain.
Exodus 31:18When he finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, he gave Moses the two tablets of the covenant, stone tablets,…
Exodus 32:15Moses turned, and went down from the mountain, with the two tablets of the covenant in his hand; tablets that were…
Exodus 32:16The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.
Exodus 32:19As soon as he came near to the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing. Then Moses’ anger grew hot, and he threw the…
Exodus 34:1Yahweh said to Moses, “Chisel two stone tablets like the first. I will write on the tablets the words that were on the…
Exodus 34:4He chiseled two tablets of stone like the first; then Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up to Mount Sinai,…
Exodus 34:28He was there with Yahweh forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread, nor drank water. He wrote on the tablets…
Exodus 34:29When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the…
Exodus 38:7He put the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar, with which to carry it. He made it hollow with planks.