Hebrew word · H3814
לָאט
belahateihem
secret
The Masoretic Text spells the word two ways in this story: be-lahaṭêhem here, and be-laṭêhem in 7:22, 8:7 and 8:18 (Hebrew 8:3, 8:14). BDB and HALOT both treat it as 'secret arts, magic'.
Appears 2 times in 2 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·
What it means
1) secrecy, mystery
1a) secrecy, secretly
1b) mystery, enchantment
Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).
In depth
- Range of meaning
The Masoretic Text spells the word two ways in this story: be-lahaṭêhem here, and be-laṭêhem in 7:22, 8:7 and 8:18 (Hebrew 8:3, 8:14). BDB and HALOT both treat it as 'secret arts, magic'. They relate it to the root lûṭ, 'to wrap, cover', and to laʾṭ / laṭ, 'secretly, quietly' (Judges 4:21; Ruth 3:7; 1 Samuel 18:22). An older line of interpretation links the spelling with he to lahaṭ, 'flame' (the 'flaming sword' of Genesis 3:24), giving 'flashings' or dazzling tricks.
- Against the English
KJV and WEB: 'enchantments'. NIV, ESV, NASB: 'secret arts', which is closest to the likely root. BSB: 'magic arts'. NLT: 'their magic'. YLT: 'flashings', following the flame derivation.
- How it drifted
'Enchantments' now suggests fairy-tale spells. The Hebrew points to concealed, specialist technique: knowledge kept hidden.
- Used elsewhere in the period
The Septuagint has pharmakeiais, 'sorceries, drugs'. The Vulgate expands the phrase to speak of Egyptian incantations and certain secret practices.
Where it appears
Exodus · 1
-
Exodus 7:11 בְּלַהֲטֵיהֶ֖ם by enchantments their
But Pharaoh called the wise men and sorcerers and magicians of Egypt, and they also did the same things by their magic arts.
Here: 'By their secret arts.' The word most likely comes from a root meaning 'to wrap, cover', so it points to hidden or esoteric technique. It is set against Aaron's open act done 'as the LORD commanded'. A minority view takes it as 'flame, flashing'.
Judges · 1
-
Judges 4:21 בַּלָּ֔אט in <the> secrecy
But as he lay sleeping from exhaustion, Heber’s wife Jael took a tent peg, grabbed a hammer, and went silently to Sisera. She drove the peg through his temple and into the ground, and he died.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.