3840. libnah
Lexical Summary
libnah: Libnah

Original Word: לִבְנָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: libnah
Pronunciation: lib-NAH
Phonetic Spelling: (lib-naw')
KJV: paved
Word Origin: [from H3835 (לָבַן - To be white)]

1. (properly) whiteness
2. (by implication) transparency

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
paved

From laban; properly, whiteness, i.e. (by implication) transparency -- paved.

see HEBREW laban

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
the same as lebenah, q.v.

Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Usage

Strong’s Hebrew 3840 (לִבְנָה, livnah) denotes “whiteness,” evoking something gleaming or pavement-like. The word appears a single time in Scripture, in Exodus 24:10, where it describes the dazzling expanse beneath the feet of the God of Israel.

Biblical Context (Exodus 24:10)

“Under His feet was a work like a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself.” (Berean Standard Bible)

Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy elders have ascended Sinai to ratify the covenant. In that solemn scene they are granted a controlled vision of God’s glory. The phrase “work like a pavement (livnah) of sapphire” frames the setting: a radiant platform supporting the divine Presence, conveying both accessibility (He stands upon it) and inaccessibility (it overwhelms human sight).

Imagery and Symbolism

1. Purity and Holiness – Whiteness communicates moral purity (Psalm 51:7; Isaiah 1:18). The elders behold holiness in tangible form.
2. Majesty and Stability – A pavement suggests firmness and order, contrasting with Israel’s previous path through shifting desert sands. God’s promises rest on an unshakable foundation.
3. Heavenly Transparency – It is “clear as the sky,” bridging heaven and earth. The imagery prefigures the “sea of glass, clear as crystal” before God’s throne (Revelation 4:6).

Connections to Other Scriptural Passages

Ezekiel 1:26; 10:1 – A throne of sapphire appears in later visions, echoing the Sinai scene and confirming a consistent heavenly motif.
Revelation 15:2 – The victorious stand on a “sea of glass mixed with fire,” recalling the luminous pavement and showing covenant fulfillment in eternal worship.
Revelation 21:19 – Sapphire is incorporated into the New Jerusalem’s foundations, linking the covenant inauguration at Sinai with the consummation of God’s redemptive plan.
Mark 9:3 – Christ’s transfiguration garments “became radiantly white,” providing a Christocentric crescendo to the Old Testament whiteness motif.

Historical and Cultural Background

Ancient palaces and temples often featured inlaid stone pavements, sometimes of colored or polished stone. Sapphire (likely lapis lazuli in the ancient world) was prized for its deep blue hue with flecks that glimmer like the heavens. By pairing livnah (“whiteness”) with sapphire, the text describes a brilliant blue-white flooring—an architectural metaphor for the sky itself laid under God’s feet, emphasizing His kingship over creation.

Theological and Ministry Implications

• Covenant Certainty – The whiteness beneath God’s feet underlines the purity of the covenant being confirmed. This assures believers that the promises of Exodus 24 find their ultimate yes and amen in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20).
• Worship Posture – The elders “ate and drank” (Exodus 24:11) in God’s presence, yet the blazing pavement reminds us that fellowship with God is always grounded in reverence. Public worship should balance intimacy with awe (Hebrews 12:28).
• Revelation Progression – From Sinai’s livnah to the sapphire throne of Ezekiel and the glass sea of Revelation, Scripture unfolds a coherent vision of God’s dwelling. Teaching can trace this trajectory to build believers’ confidence in biblical unity.
• Personal Sanctification – The whiteness motif invites believers to pursue purity (1 Peter 1:15-16) while resting in the cleansing provided through the blood of Jesus (1 John 1:7).

Devotional Reflections

Meditating on livnah draws the heart toward heaven-warded worship. As Israel’s leaders glimpsed the radiant floor, so Christians are called to “set your minds on things above” (Colossians 3:2). The brilliance beneath God’s feet anchors hope: the One who reveals such glory also invites His people to draw near through the mediating work of His Son.

Key Points for Teaching and Preaching

• Single occurrence heightens its significance—do not overlook rare words.
• Use Exodus 24:10 to highlight the balance of covenant intimacy and transcendent majesty.
• Trace the whiteness/sapphire theme from Sinai to Revelation to demonstrate scriptural continuity.
• Apply the image pastorally: purity of heart, assurance of covenant, reverent worship.

Summary

Livnah, the shimmering whiteness beneath God’s feet at Sinai, offers a window into divine holiness, covenant fidelity, and eschatological hope. Though the term appears only once, its theological rays shine across the canon, inviting every generation to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness (Psalm 96:9).

Forms and Transliterations
לִבְנַ֣ת לבנת liḇ·naṯ liḇnaṯ livNat
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Englishman's Concordance
Exodus 24:10
HEB: רַגְלָ֗יו כְּמַעֲשֵׂה֙ לִבְנַ֣ת הַסַּפִּ֔יר וּכְעֶ֥צֶם
KJV: and [there was] under his feet as it were a paved work
INT: his feet work paved of sapphire itself

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 3840
1 Occurrence


liḇ·naṯ — 1 Occ.

3839
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