לְחִי (le.chi)
le.chi
Lehi
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 15 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun lechi refers to a jawbone or cheek. It appears fifteen times in the Old Testament, primarily in the books of Judges, Song of Solomon, and Lamentations. In Judges 15:15, it describes the weapon Samson used to strike down a thousand Philistines, highlighting its function as both a body part and a tool of violence.
Beyond this famous narrative, the word carries rich metaphorical weight. In Song of Solomon 7:4, the lover compares his beloved’s neck to an ivory tower built with lechi stones, suggesting strength, beauty, and preciousness. Meanwhile, Lamentations 3:16 uses the image of teeth ground into dust or jawbones crushed to depict profound humiliation and suffering.
Its root likely relates to hardness or solidity, fitting for bone. Translators often keep it literal as "jawbone" but sometimes render it more broadly as "cheek" when describing facial features or expressions of shame. The word’s versatility allows it to shift from a symbol of fierce strength to one of tender affection or deep distress, depending on context.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word lechi appears in Scripture as both a jawbone and a cheek, capturing two very different human experiences. In Judges, Samson uses a donkey’s jawbone as a weapon of deliverance, showing how God can use unlikely tools for great victory. Yet the same word also describes the pain of humiliation when enemies strike someone’s face, or the tender beauty of a lover’s beloved in Song of Solomon.
This duality reminds us that our lives contain both seasons of strength and moments of vulnerability. When we face shame or suffering, Scripture does not ignore the pain but places it within God’s larger story of redemption. Even in our weakest moments, when our cheeks are struck or our spirits crushed, we serve a God who draws near with cords of love.
Whether you are experiencing the triumph of deliverance or the ache of rejection, this word invites you to bring your whole self to God. He sees both your strength and your sorrow, and He meets you in both places with grace that sustains and heals.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 15 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- with/ [the] jawbone of2×
- the/ cheek2×
- the/ jawbone1×
- jaws/ their1×
- cheeks/ your1×
- cheeks/ my1×
- cheeks/ his1×
- cheek/ her1×
- and/ the/ two cheeks1×
- and/ cheeks/ my1×
- a jawbone of1×
- a cheek1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הַ/לֶּ֑חִי2×
- בִּ/לְחִ֣י2×
- לֶֽחֱיָ֔/הּ1×
- לֶ֖חִי1×
- לְחָיָ֑/י1×
- לְחָיָ/ו֙1×
- לְחָיַ֙יִ/ךְ֙1×
- לְחָיֵ֥י1×
- לְחֵי/הֶ֑ם1×
- לְחִֽי\־1×
- וּ/לְחָיַ֖/י1×
- וְ/הַ/לְּחָיַ֖יִם1×
Key Verses
-
Judges 15:15
He found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, put out his hand, took it, and struck a thousand men with it.
This verse highlights the word’s dramatic use as a weapon, showing how God empowers deliverance through unexpected means.
-
Song of Solomon 1:10
Your cheeks are beautiful with earrings, your neck with strings of jewels.
Here the term describes beauty and affection, shifting from violence to the tender appreciation of physical splendor in marriage.
-
Lamentations 3:30
Let him give his cheek to him who strikes him. Let him be filled full of reproach.
The word depicts profound humiliation, illustrating how suffering can strip away dignity yet remain within God’s sovereign care.