Original Word: לָהַהּ
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: lahahh
Pronunciation: lah-hah
Phonetic Spelling: (law-hah')
KJV: faint, mad
NASB: languished
Word Origin: [a primitive root meaning properly, to burn]

1. (by implication) to be rabid
2. (figuratively) to be insane
3. (also, from the exhaustion of frenzy) to languish

faint, mad

A primitive root meaning properly, to burn, i.e. (by implication) to be rabid (figuratively, insane); also (from the exhaustion of frenzy) to languish -- faint, mad.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to languish, faint
NASB Translation
languished (1).

[לָהָה] verb languish, faint (= לָאָה) (ᵑ7 לְהִי, id.; —

Qal Imperfect3feminine singular with apocope וַתֵּ֫לַהּ אֶרֶץ Genesis 47:13 (of famine).

[לִהְלֵהַּ]

verb quadriliteral amaze, startle (compare Syriac Palpel confudit, obstupefecit; Ethpalpel stupore percussus est; consternatio, all in Lexicons, PS¹⁸⁹⁴) —

Hithpalpel Participle מִתְלַהְלֵהַּ as substantive = madman, followed by הַיֹּרֶה זִקִים Prov Genesis 26:18 (see Now).

Entry Summary

An infrequent but vivid Hebrew verb, לָהַהּ appears only twice in the Old Testament. Both contexts portray extreme human conditions—one of physical collapse under famine (Genesis 47:13) and the other of uncontrolled, destructive frenzy (Proverbs 26:18). In each scene the word underscores the peril that results when people are severed from ordered dependence on God’s provision and wisdom.

Genesis 47:13 – National Exhaustion under Divine Sovereignty

“There was no food, however, in the whole region, because the famine was so severe; the lands of Egypt and Canaan wasted away from the famine.” (Genesis 47:13)

1. Historical Setting
• The verse stands in the Joseph narrative, where God positions His servant to preserve life (Genesis 45:5–7).
• Egyptian and Canaanite economies wither despite their once-storied abundance, displaying the limits of human administration apart from divine mercy.

2. Theological Emphasis
• לָהַהּ conveys utter depletion: society’s resources, morale, and ability to sustain itself ebb away.
• Such exhaustion magnifies God’s sovereignty; in the very moment of collapse He raises Joseph as a redeemer-figure, foreshadowing a greater salvation in Jesus Christ.

3. Ministry Reflection
• Modern readers meet the warning that prosperity can evaporate quickly. Trust must rest not in barns or banks but in the One who “gives life, breath, and everything else” (Acts 17:25).
• The passage models wise stewardship: Joseph gathers, plans, and distributes, proving that faith in God invites prudent action rather than passivity.

Proverbs 26:18 – Reckless Violence Masquerading as Humor

“Like a madman shooting firebrands and deadly arrows.” (Proverbs 26:18)

1. Literary Picture
• The proverb pairs לָהַהּ with imagery of flaming missiles and lethal shafts. The focus is the person who wreaks havoc and then excuses himself, as verse 19 continues, “and says, ‘Was I not only joking?’ ”
• The word portrays a deranged impulse: moral restraints discarded, others’ welfare ignored.

2. Ethical Application
• Speech and actions carry real consequences. Thoughtless humor, gossip, or online “pranks” can wound as severely as arrows.
• Believers are summoned to “let your speech always be gracious” (Colossians 4:6), refusing the chaos that לָהַהּ here represents.

Unifying Themes

1. Human Frailty
• Whether a nation starving or an individual acting insanely, humanity apart from God drifts toward breakdown—physical, social, or moral.

2. Divine Provision and Restraint
• In Genesis, God’s provision through Joseph reverses decay. In Proverbs, divine wisdom curbs destructive folly. Scripture consistently counters לָהַהּ-like collapse with covenant faithfulness.

3. Foreshadowing the Gospel
• The wasting land cries for bread; the crazed assailant cries for sanity. Jesus Christ calls Himself both “the bread of life” (John 6:35) and the Prince of Peace who stills the storm within (Mark 4:39).

Pastoral and Discipleship Implications

1. Crisis Response
• Congregations facing economic hardship can look to Genesis 47 for patterns of communal support, transparent planning, and confidence that God is at work even in scarcity.

2. Guarding the Tongue
• Proverbs 26 instructs counseling, youth work, and social media engagement: careless words ignite fires that are hard to extinguish.

3. Shepherding Toward Dependence on God
• Both passages teach that self-sufficiency is illusory. Discipleship cultivates prayer, generosity, and accountability, turning hearts from frantic, destructive independence to restful trust.

Intertextual Echoes

• Psalm 107:4–9 – The hungry faint (parallel to Genesis 47:13) but are satisfied when they cry to the Lord.
• Jeremiah 14:18 – “Both prophet and priest go about in a land they do not know,” capturing national languish similar to לָהַהּ.
• Luke 12:45–46 – The servant who acts recklessly “thinking his master delays” mirrors the Proverbs madman, oblivious to accountability.

Conclusion

לָהַהּ offers a compact study in contrasts: ruin versus rescue, recklessness versus restraint. Though rare in occurrence, it exposes perennial human need and directs readers to the God whose wisdom and mercy restore what exhaustion and madness threaten to destroy.

וַתֵּ֜לַהּ ותלה כְּֽ֭מִתְלַהְלֵהַּ כמתלהלה kə·miṯ·lah·lê·ah Kemitlahleah kəmiṯlahlêah vatTelah wat·tê·lah wattêlahInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts