לֶ֫שַׁע (le.sah)
le.sah
Lasha
N:N--LQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--L
Word Overview
The proper noun Lasha, or le.sah, refers to a specific location in the ancient Near East, identified in Genesis 10:19 as marking the southeastern boundary of Canaanite territory. The name itself translates to "fissure" or "cleft," suggesting that the site was defined by a distinct geological feature, such as a ravine or split in the land. This place stood near the well-known cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, situating it within a region heavily associated with biblical judgment and early patriarchal history.
Despite its geographical clarity in the text, the exact modern site of Lasha remains unknown to scholars. The lexicon data notes that this location is also referred to as Nahaliel, a name meaning "wadi of God," which appears later in Numbers 21:19. This connection implies that the area held significance for Israel’s wilderness journey, though the primary biblical mention anchors it firmly in the genealogical and territorial descriptions of Genesis.
As a rare entry appearing only once in the Hebrew Bible, Lasha serves as a precise marker rather than a center of narrative action. Its inclusion in the Table of Nations helps define the extent of ancestral lands, providing readers with a tangible sense of the boundaries that separated different peoples and territories in the ancient world.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
Genesis 10:19 lists Lasha as a boundary marker for the land of Canaan. This single mention places it near Sodom and Gomorrah, anchoring the nation of Israel in a specific geography. The name means "fissure," pointing to a physical split in the earth. Such details remind us that God cares about the real world, not just abstract ideas.
For your faith, this word highlights God's precision. He defines spaces and histories with care. Even when we do not know the exact modern location of Lasha, the text confirms its place in His story. This grounds our trust in a God who is faithful to every detail of history.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- Lasha1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לָֽשַׁע\׃1×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 10:19
The border of the Canaanites was from Sidon—as you go toward Gerar—to Gaza—as you go toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim—to Lasha.
This verse identifies Lasha as the southeastern boundary of Canaanite territory, linking it geographically to Sodom and Gomorrah.