לָשׁוֹן

lâshôwn · Hebrew · Strong's H3956 · 117 occurrences

The KJV renders 5 different Hebrew and Greek words as “language”

What it means

the tongue (of man or animals), used literally (as the instrument of licking, eating, or speech), and figuratively (speech, an ingot, a fork of flame, a cove of water)

or לָשֹׁן; also (in plural) feminine לְשֹׁנָה; from H3960 (לָשַׁן);

How the KJV renders it

bay, language, talker, tongue, wedge

Where that flattens a distinction

The same English word is also used for these other originals, so the distinction between them disappears in translation.

“language”

also renders diálektos (G1258), dâbâr (H1697), lishshân (H3961), sâphâh (H8193)

“tongue”

also renders diálektos (G1258), glōssa (G1100)

“bay”

also renders ʼâmôts (H554)

Answers that weigh this word

Where it appears

117 occurrences in the Hebrew text, first 60 verses shown.

2 Samuel 23:2 · HNcbsc/Sp1cs

“Yahweh’s Spirit spoke by me. His word was on my tongue.

Daniel 1:4 · HC/Ncbsc

youths in whom was no defect, but well-favored, skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding science, and who had the ability to stand in the king’s palace; and that he should teach them the learning and the language of the Chaldeans.

Deuteronomy 28:49 · HNcbsc/Sp3ms

Yahweh will bring a nation against you from far away, from the end of the earth, as the eagle flies: a nation whose language you will not understand,

Ecclesiastes 10:11 · HTd/Ncbsa

If the snake bites before it is charmed, then is there no profit for the charmer’s tongue.

Esther 1:22 · HR/Ncbsc

for he sent letters into all the king’s provinces, into every province according to its writing, and to every people in their language, that every man should rule his own house, speaking in the language of his own people.

Esther 3:12 · HR/Ncbsc/Sp3ms

Then the king’s scribes were called in on the first month, on the thirteenth day of the month; and all that Haman commanded was written to the king’s local governors, and to the governors who were over every province, and to the princes of every people, to every province according to its writing, and to every people in their language. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus, and it was sealed with the king’s ring.

Esther 8:9 HC/R/Ncbsc/Sp3mpExodus 4:10 HNcbsaExodus 11:7 HNcbsc/Sp3msEzekiel 3:5 HNcbsaEzekiel 3:6 HNcbsaEzekiel 3:26 HC/Ncbsc/Sp2msEzekiel 36:3 HNcbsaGenesis 10:5 HR/Ncbsc/Sp3msGenesis 10:20 HR/Ncbpc/Sp3mpGenesis 10:31 HR/Ncbpc/Sp3mpHosea 7:16 HNcbsc/Sp3mpIsaiah 3:8 HNcbsc/Sp3mpIsaiah 5:24 HNcbscIsaiah 11:15 HNcbscIsaiah 28:11 HC/R/NcbsaIsaiah 30:27 HC/Ncbsc/Sp3msIsaiah 32:4 HC/NcbscIsaiah 33:19 HNcbsaIsaiah 35:6 HNcbscIsaiah 41:17 HNcbsc/Sp3mpIsaiah 45:23 HNcbsaIsaiah 50:4 HNcbscIsaiah 54:17 HNcbsaIsaiah 57:4 HNcbsaIsaiah 59:3 HNcbsc/Sp2mpIsaiah 66:18 HC/Td/NcbpaJudges 7:5 HR/Ncbsc/Sp3msJeremiah 5:15 HNcbsc/Sp3msJeremiah 9:3 HNcbsc/Sp3mpJeremiah 9:5 HNcbsc/Sp3mpJeremiah 9:8 HNcbsc/Sp3mpJeremiah 18:18 HRd/NcbsaJeremiah 23:31 HNcbsc/Sp3mpJob 5:21 HNcbsaJob 6:30 HR/Ncbsc/Sp1csJob 15:5 HNcbscJob 20:12 HNcbsc/Sp3msJob 20:16 HNcbscJob 27:4 HC/Ncbsc/Sp1csJob 29:10 HC/Ncbsc/Sp3mpJob 33:2 HNcbsc/Sp1csJob 41:1 HNcbsc/Sp3msJoshua 7:21 HC/NcbscJoshua 7:24 HNcbscJoshua 10:21 HNcbsc/Sp3msJoshua 15:2 HTd/NcbsaJoshua 15:5 HR/NcbscJoshua 18:19 HNcbscLamentations 4:4 HNcbscMicah 6:12 HC/Ncbsc/Sp3mpNehemiah 13:24 HC/R/NcbscProverbs 6:17 HNcbscProverbs 6:24 HNcbsaProverbs 10:20 HNcbsc

Occurrences and morphology are taken from the primary Hebrew text, never from an English translation. Strong's Hebrew lexicon and Westminster Leningrad Codex morphology used under CC BY-SA 4.0 / CC BY 4.0 (OpenScriptures). Strong's Greek lexicon is public domain.