Original Word: לוּן
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: luwn
Pronunciation: loon
Phonetic Spelling: (loon)
KJV: abide (all night), continue, dwell, endure, grudge, be left, lie all night, (cause to) lodge (all night, in, -ing, this night), (make to) murmur, remain, tarry (all night, that night)
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to stop (usually over night)
2. (by implication) to stay permanently
3. (hence, in a bad sense) to be obstinate
4. (hence, especially in words) to complain

abide all night, continue, dwell, endure, grudge, be left, lie all night

Or liyn {leen}; a primitive root; to stop (usually over night); by implication, to stay permanently; hence (in a bad sense) to be obstinate (especially in words, to complain) -- abide (all night), continue, dwell, endure, grudge, be left, lie all night, (cause to) lodge (all night, in, -ing, this night), (make to) murmur, remain, tarry (all night, that night).

I. לוּן, לִין verb lodge, pass the night, figurative abide (Late Hebrew לִינָה noun lodging, spending the night; compare Nö^{ZMG xxxvii (1883), 535 ff.}; according to Thes kindred with לַיְלָה (q. v. infra), with change of ל and ן) —

Qal Perfect לָן Genesis 32:22; 2 Samuel 12:16; 3feminine singular וְ֫לָנֶה consecutive (before monosyl.) Zechariah 5:4; 1plural וְלַנּוּ consecutive Judges 19:13 (see Ges^{§ 73}. R. 1 Kö^{i. 508}); Imperfect יָלִין Exodus 23:18 13t. + 2 Samuel 17:8, but compare

Hiph`il; וַיָּ֫לֶן Genesis 28:11 4t.; 3 feminine singular תָּלִין Leviticus 19:13 4t.; תָּלַ֫ן Job 17:2 (see Kö^{i. 509}); 2 masculine singular jussive אַלתָּֿ֫לֶן 2 Samuel 17:16; תַָּל֑ן Judges 19:20 (see Kö^i.c.), etc.; Imperative לִין Judges 9:6,19, etc.; Infinitive construct לָלוּן Genesis 24:25 5t.; לָלִין Genesis 24:23; Participle plural לֵנִים Nehemiah 13:21; —

1 lodge, pass the night:

a. literally, human subject, often with preposition or adverb of place, Genesis 19:2; Genesis 28:11; Judges 19:13,15; 2 Samuel 17:16; Job 24:7 + often (on 2 Samuel 17:8 see Hiph`il); with ה locative, וְלָן וְשָׁכַב אַ֫רְצָה 2 Samuel 12:16; with ב location + ב temporal בַּלַּיְלָה הַהוּא Genesis 32:14; Genesis 32:22; Joshua 8:9; with הַלַּיְלָה (accusative temporal), Numbers 22:8; Joshua 4:3; 2 Samuel 17:16; 2 Samuel 19:8; Ruth 3:13; of the wicked Psalm 59:16, according to Hup De Pe and others; < from II.לון ᵐ5 ᵑ9 Aq Che Bae and others, compare AV; simile of temporary sojourn Jeremiah 14:8 (of ׳י in Israel)

b. of animals : wild ox (רְאֵם) Job 39:9 (followed by עַלאֲֿבוּסֶ֑ךָ ), porcupine (קִמֹּד) Zephaniah 2:14.

c. inanimate subject = remain all night : of fat of sacrifice Exodus 23:18 (E; followed by עַדבֹּֿקֶר), passover meal Exodus 34:25 (P; followed by לַבֹּקֶר), Deuteronomy 16:4 (followed by לַבֹּקֶר; all these without local designation), wages of hireling Leviticus 19:13 (H; אֶת = with + עַדבֹּֿקֶר); of dead body Deuteronomy 21:23 (עַל location); dew Job 29:19 (ב location); bunch of myrrh Songs 1:13 בֵּין location)

d. figurative יָלִין בֶּ֑כִי בָּעֶרֶב Psalm 30:6 at evening weeping may come to lodge (opposed to וְלַבֹּקֶר רִנָּה).

2 figurative abide, remain, subject עַיִן ( = look upon), with ב Job 17:2; of error, Job 19:4 (with preposition אֵת person), strength Job 41:14 (of crocodile; with ב); of righteousness, Isaiah 1:21 (with ב); תָּלִין נַפְשׁוֺ בְטוֺב Psalm 25:13; of hearkening ear Proverbs 15:31, with בְּקֶרֶב; of thoughts Jeremiah 4:14, with id.; absolute, of man, continue, endure, Psalm 49:13, שָׂבֵעַ יָלִין Proverbs 19:23 he shall continue satisfied.

Hiph`il Imperfect יָלִין cause to rest, lodge, followed by accusative, 2 Samuel 17:8 see Kö^{i. 509.}

Hithpalpel Imperfect יִתְלֹנָ֑ן Job 39:28 dwell, abide, of eagle; figurative יִתְלוֺנָ֑ן בְּצֵל שַׁדַּי Psalm 91:1 of one trusting in ׳י.

II. [לוּן] verb murmur, only Exodus 15, 16, 17; Numbers 14, 16, 17; and Joshua 9:18 (⅏ always defective, hence Nö^{ZMG xxxvii.1883, 535n.} thinks possibly לנן [compare רנן ?]; from limited occurrence, he supposes it disappeared early; but found chiefly in P); —

Niph`al Imperfect3masculine plural וַיִּלּוֺ֫נוּ Exodus 15:24 3t. + Exodus 16:2 Qr (Kt וילינו) + Numbers 14:36 Kt (Qr וַיַּלִּי֫נוּ,

Hiph`il); 2 masculine plural תִּלּוֺ֫נוּ Exodus 16:7; Numbers 16:11, both Kt (Qr תַּלִּי֫נוּ); on forms see Ges^{§ 72} Anm. 8 Kö^{i. 509}; — murmur against, followed by עַל Exodus 15:24 (JE), Exodus 16:2,7; Numbers 14:2; Numbers 16:11; Numbers 17:6; Joshua 9:18 (all P; all of people Israel); absolute Psalm 59:16 (see I.לון1a).

Hiph`il Perfect2masculine plural הֲלִינֹתֶם Numbers 14:29; Imperfect וַיָּ֫לֶן Exodus 17:3; וַיַּלִּי֫נוּ Exodus 16:2 Kt, Numbers 14:36 Qr; 2 masculine plural תַּלִּי֫נוּ Exodus 16:7 Qr, Numbers 16:11 Qr (on all see above); Participle plural מַלִּינִים Exodus 16:8 3t.; — murmur = Niph`al, followed by על Exodus 17:3 (E), elsewhere P: Exodus 16:8; Numbers 14:27 (twice in verse); Numbers 14:29; Numbers 17:20; cause to murmur, followed by accusative + עַל Numbers 14:36 Qr; (compare also above Niph`al)

Range of Meaning

The verb לוּן appears about eighty-three times and moves along two complementary axes. In its most common, concrete sense it describes spending the night, lodging, or remaining somewhere temporarily. In a more abstract development it portrays remaining stubbornly on a matter—hence the idea of murmuring, complaining, or “parking” a grievance. Both ideas revolve around the notion of “staying,” whether physically in a place or emotionally on a point of contention.

Distribution in Scripture

Occurrences cluster in the Pentateuch (especially Exodus and Numbers), the Historical Books, Psalms, and Prophets. Around two-thirds of the usages are literal references to lodging; roughly one-third carry the figurative idea of grumbling. The breadth of settings—from patriarchal travels (Genesis) to urban decline (Isaiah) and covenant litigation (Jeremiah)—underscores the verb’s versatility.

Literal Uses: Lodging and Sojourning

The word first appears in Genesis narratives of hospitality. Lot urges the angels, “Please turn aside into your servant’s house…spend the night” (Genesis 19:2). Abraham’s servant and entourage “spent the night” after receiving Rebekah’s family’s consent (Genesis 24:54). Jacob “reached a certain place and spent the night there because the sun had set” (Genesis 28:11), an overnight stay that became the occasion for the vision of the ladder and his vow at Bethel.

In the exodus motif, Israel is instructed not to let sacrificial meat “remain until morning” (Exodus 23:18), and an employer must not allow a hired man’s wages to “remain with you until morning” (Leviticus 19:13). The same verb that marks a traveler’s rest is used to forbid letting flesh or pay “lodge” beyond the allotted time, emphasizing covenant faithfulness in everyday transactions.

Military narratives contain strategic overnights: spies “went and came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab and lodged there” (Joshua 2:1); Joshua “rose early in the morning, and they set out from Shittim and came to the Jordan, and they lodged there before crossing over” (Joshua 3:1). Ruth’s pledge to Naomi joins companionship to lodging: “Where you lodge I will lodge” (Ruth 1:16).

Covenantal Legislation and Ritual Applications

By employing לוּן for left-over sacrifice (Exodus 29:34; Leviticus 7:15) and delayed payment (Leviticus 19:13), the Law converts an everyday verb into a theological warning: nothing holy and nothing owed may “stay overnight” unaddressed. Delay breeds corruption, whether in meat or in justice. The same vigilance appears in the Nazarite vow legislation, where a father or husband has only “the day he hears of it” before it “stands” (Numbers 30:5, 7); if he lets the matter lodge overnight his silence becomes assent.

Metaphorical and Devotional Uses

Psalms and wisdom literature lift the verb into the sphere of emotion and trust. “Weeping may stay the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5) frames sorrow as an unwanted overnight guest that cannot outstay dawn. Psalm 91:1 links lodging with security: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.” The fear of the LORD “leads to life, that one may rest content, untouched by trouble” (Proverbs 19:23), presenting spiritual rest as the true overnight refuge.

Negative Moral Sense: Grumbling in Unbelief

From the Red Sea to the borders of Canaan, Israel’s wilderness account is punctuated by לוּן in its complaining sense. “The people grumbled against Moses” when the waters of Marah were bitter (Exodus 15:24). They “grumbled against Moses and Aaron” for hunger (Exodus 16:2) and thirst (Exodus 17:3). At Kadesh-barnea “all the congregation grumbled” after the spies’ report (Numbers 14:2), provoking a generation’s exclusion from the land. The Lord’s verdict is clear: “How long will this wicked congregation grumble against Me?” (Numbers 14:27). The same word that describes an overnight stay now exposes hearts that remain fixed in unbelief.

Joshua notes that after the Gibeonite treaty, “the whole congregation grumbled against the leaders” (Joshua 9:18). Later prophetic literature applies the term to societal decay: Jerusalem, once faithful, has “lodged” murderers within her (Isaiah 1:21). Thus grumbling hardens into settled rebellion, illustrating how temporary discontent can turn into entrenched sin if not confessed.

Prophetic and Eschatological Nuances

Isaiah pictures idolaters who “spend the night in secret places” (Isaiah 65:4), showing that where one lodges can symbolize allegiance. Jeremiah pleads with God not to be “like a traveler who stays only for a night” (Jeremiah 14:8); the prophet longs for an enduring divine presence, hinting at the future promise of Emmanuel. Zephaniah foretells that once-raging Philistia will become pastures “where shepherds will dwell” (Zephaniah 2:7), using לוּן to promise peace after judgment.

Christological and Typological Insights

The verb’s tension between temporary lodging and settled residence foreshadows the Incarnation. The eternal Word “tabernacled” among humanity (John 1:14), taking up a transient dwelling to secure believers an eternal one. The grumbling episodes anticipate the crowd’s murmuring against Jesus (John 6:41), contrasting disbelief with the abiding life He offers. In Him the believer moves from restless complaint to restful abiding: “Remain in Me, and I will remain in you” (John 15:4).

Practical Implications for Ministry and Discipleship

1. Hospitality: The early occurrences commend welcoming the traveler. Ministry that opens homes imitates Lot, Rahab, and Lydia.
2. Timely Justice: Just as wages must not “lodge” overnight, churches must promptly honor commitments and address wrongdoing.
3. Contentment vs. Complaint: Wilderness grumbling warns contemporary believers against cultivating a settled spirit of criticism. Philippians 2:14 echoes the lesson: “Do all things without complaining.”
4. Abiding Prayer: Night-time lodgings often became places of revelation (Genesis 28; Ruth 3; Acts 16:9-10). Intentional pauses can open space for divine encounter.
5. Eschatological Rest: Earthly lodging is temporary; ultimate rest is “the Father’s house” (John 14:2). Pilgrimage theology encourages light attachment to temporal settings.

Key Passages for Further Study

Genesis 19:2; Genesis 28:11; Exodus 15:24; Exodus 16:2; Numbers 14:2; Joshua 2:1; Psalm 30:5; Psalm 91:1; Proverbs 19:23; Isaiah 65:4; Jeremiah 14:8; Zephaniah 2:7.

אָלִ֔ין אָלִ֖ין אלין הֲלִֽינֹתֶ֖ם הלינתם וְיִתְלֹנָ֑ן וְלִ֖ין וְלִ֙ינוּ֙ וְלַ֥נּוּ וְלָ֖ן וְלָ֙נֶה֙ וְנָלִ֥ין וַיִּלֹּ֙נוּ֙ וַיִּלֹּ֜נוּ וַיִּלֹּ֥נוּ וַיִּלֹּ֧נוּ וַיָּ֣לֶן וַיָּ֤לֶן וַיָּ֥לֶן וַיָּ֧לֶן וַיָּלִ֑ינוּ וַיָּלִ֖ינוּ וַיָּלִ֥נוּ וַיָּלִ֨ינוּ וַיָּלִֽינוּ׃ וַיִּלֹּ֜ונוּ וַיַּלִּ֤ינוּ וילונו וילינו וילינו׃ וילן וילנו ויתלנן ולין ולינו ולן ולנה ולנו ונלין יִתְלוֹנָֽן׃ יָ֝לִ֗ין יָ֭לִינוּ יָלִ֑ין יָלִ֑ינוּ יָלִ֖ין יָלִ֖ינוּ יָלִ֣ין יָלִ֥ין יָלִ֨ין יָלִֽין׃ ילין ילין׃ ילינו יתלונן׃ לִ֣ינִי ׀ לִ֣ינוּ לִ֤ינוּ לִ֥ין לִֽינוּ־ לֵנִים֙ לָ֥ן לָל֔וּן לָל֣וּן לָלִֽין׃ לָלֽוּן׃ לין לינו לינו־ ליני ללון ללון׃ ללין׃ לן לנים מַלִּינִ֖ים מַלִּינִ֖ם מַלִּינִ֛ים מלינים מלינם נָלִ֖ינָה נָלִֽין׃ נלין׃ נלינה תַלִּ֖ינוּ תָּ֤לֶן תָּלִ֑ין תָּלִ֔ינוּ תָּלִ֙ינִי֙ תָּלִ֥ין תָּלִ֥ינוּ תָּלִֽין׃ תָּלַ֥ן תָּלַֽן׃ תָלִ֞ין תָלִ֨ין תלין תלין׃ תלינו תליני תלן תלן׃ ’ā·lîn ’ālîn aLin hă·lî·nō·ṯem halinoTem hălînōṯem lā·lîn lā·lūn laLin lālîn laLun lālūn lan lān lê·nîm leNim lênîm lî·nî lî·nū lî·nū- lin lîn Lini lînî Linu lînū lînū- mal·lî·nim mal·lî·nîm malliNim mallînim mallînîm nā·lî·nāh nā·lîn naLin nālîn naLinah nālînāh tā·lan tā·len tā·lî·nî tā·lî·nū tā·lîn ṯā·lîn ṯal·lî·nū taLan tālan Talen tālen taLin tālîn ṯālîn taLini tālînî taLinu tālînū talLinu ṯallînū vaiYalen vaiyaLinu vaiyalLinu vaiyilLonu veLan veLaneh veLannu veLin veLinu venaLin veyitloNan way·yā·len way·yā·li·nū way·yā·lî·nū way·yal·lî·nū way·yil·lō·nū way·yil·lō·w·nū wayyālen wayyālinū wayyālînū wayyallînū wayyillōnū wayyillōwnū wə·lā·neh wə·lān wə·lan·nū wə·lî·nū wə·lîn wə·nā·lîn wə·yiṯ·lō·nān wəlān wəlāneh wəlannū wəlîn wəlînū wənālîn wəyiṯlōnān yā·lî·nū yā·lîn yaLin yālîn yaLinu yālînū yiṯ·lō·w·nān yitloNan yiṯlōwnānInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts