לוּעַ (lu.a)
lu.a
to swallow; to talk wildly
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb lu’a carries two distinct meanings that may seem unrelated at first glance: to swallow something down and to speak in a wild or frantic manner. In the Old Testament, this word appears only twice, making it a rare term with a specific literary footprint.
One occurrence is found in Job 41:30, where it describes the Leviathan’s mouth swallowing fire and smoke as if they were soft chaff. Here, the sense of consuming or swallowing down emphasizes the creature’s terrifying power and unnatural nature. The other instance appears in Obadiah 1:7, describing how friends who share peace with someone may lead them astray with wild talk. In this context, lu’a refers to speech that is erratic, deceptive, or lacking in restraint.
The connection between these two senses likely lies in the idea of uncontrolled intake—whether it is a beast devouring indiscriminately or a person speaking without filter or wisdom. Translators often render the first meaning as "swallow" and the second as "speak falsely" or "deceive," depending on the context. This duality highlights how physical actions and verbal behavior can both reflect a lack of self-control in biblical imagery.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
Words can run ahead of us, and so can appetites. The rare Hebrew verb lu’a captures both: to swallow something down without restraint, and to talk wildly, words tumbling out unchecked. In Job 6:3, a man in deep pain says, “my words have been rash”—using this same verb. His grief pushed him to speak in a way that felt unhinged.
This double meaning reminds us that what we take in and what we pour out are connected. When anxiety or anger surges, our speech can become as thoughtless as a creature gulping fire. Yet Scripture doesn’t shame us for these moments. Job’s cry was heard, and his relationship with God held. The same verb that pictures chaos also invites us to notice our own patterns and to bring our untamed thoughts to the One who can calm both heart and tongue.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- they have been rash1×
- and/ they will swallow1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לָֽעוּ\׃1×
- וְ/לָע֔וּ1×
Key Verses
-
Job 6:3
For now it would be heavier than the sand of the seas, therefore my words have been rash.
Job uses lu’a to confess that his suffering has made his speech frantic and unguarded, showing the word’s sense of uncontrolled outpouring.
-
Obadiah 1:16
For as you have drunk on my holy mountain, so all the nations will drink continually. Yes, they will drink, swallow down, and will be as though they had not been.
Here lu’a depicts a heedless swallowing—nations drink judgment down and vanish as if they never existed.