3917. liyliyth

Lexicon

liyliyth: Night creature, night monster, screech owl

Original Word: לִיִלית
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: liyliyth
Pronunciation: lee-leeth
Phonetic Spelling: (lee-leeth')
Definition: Night creature, night monster, screech owl
Meaning: a night spectre

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

screech owl

From layil; a night spectre -- screech owl.

see HEBREW layil

Brown-Driver-Briggs

לִילִית noun feminine Lilith (Milton Che night-hag), name of a female night-demon haunting desolate Edom; probably borrowed from Babylonian, Isaiah 34:14 (Late Hebrew id.; Assyrian lilîtu, Dl^{HWB 377}; Syriac PS¹⁹⁵¹; on the development of legends of Lilith in later Judaism, see Bux^{Lex. Talmud., under the word} Che^{on the passage} Grünbaum^{ZMG xxxi.1877, 250 f.} — Connexion with לילה perhaps only apparent, a popular etymology).

לִין see לון.

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from the root word לַיְלָה (laylah), meaning "night."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: There is no direct Greek equivalent in the Septuagint for לִיִלית, as the concept of a night spectre or demon is more specific to Hebrew and surrounding ancient Near Eastern cultures. However, the Greek term δαιμόνιον (daimonion, Strong's Greek 1140) is often used in the New Testament to refer to demons or evil spirits, which can be conceptually related to the idea of a night spectre.

Usage: The term לִיִלית appears in the Hebrew Bible in Isaiah 34:14, where it is often translated as "night creature" or "night spectre."

Context: The term לִיִלית (Lilit) is found in the prophetic book of Isaiah, specifically in Isaiah 34:14. This passage is part of a larger oracle concerning the judgment and desolation of Edom. The verse describes a scene of chaos and wilderness, where various wild animals and mythical creatures inhabit the land. The Berean Standard Bible translates this verse as: "The desert creatures will meet with hyenas, and one wild goat will call to another. There the night creature will settle and find her place of repose."

In ancient Near Eastern mythology, Lilith is often depicted as a female demon or night spirit. In Jewish folklore, she is sometimes considered a figure of darkness and danger, associated with the night and desolate places. The use of לִיִלית in Isaiah 34:14 contributes to the imagery of a land abandoned and overrun by wild and supernatural entities, emphasizing the totality of Edom's desolation.

The context of Isaiah 34 is a prophetic declaration of divine judgment against the nations, particularly Edom, symbolizing God's ultimate sovereignty and justice. The presence of the לִיִלית among other creatures in this desolate landscape underscores the theme of chaos and the reversal of creation order, a common motif in prophetic literature to illustrate divine retribution.

Forms and Transliterations

לִּילִ֔ית לילית lî·lîṯ liLit lîlîṯ

Englishman's Concordance

Isaiah 34:14
HEB: שָׁם֙ הִרְגִּ֣יעָה לִּילִ֔ית וּמָצְאָ֥ה לָ֖הּ
NAS: Yes, the night monster will settle
KJV: to his fellow; the screech owl also shall rest
INT: there will settle the night and will find A resting

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 3917
1 Occurrence

lî·lîṯ — 1 Occ.