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Discover the meanings of thousands of Biblical names in Abarim Publications' Biblical Name Vault: Lebbaeus

Lebbaeus meaning

Λεββαιος

Source: https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Lebbaeus.html

🔼The name Lebbaeus: Summary

Meaning
Courageous, Sentimental
Etymology
From לבב (leb), heart: courage or sentiment.

🔼The name Lebbaeus in the Bible

The name Lebbaeus occurs in Matthew 10:3 only, where it is listed as an alternate name of Thaddaeus, who was possibly but not necessarily the same as Jude, who in turn may have been the same as Judas, brother of Jesus and James the Just.

🔼Etymology of the name Lebbaeus

The name Lebbaeus comes from any of about half a dozen Aramaic variants (perhaps לבבא, lebaba, or ליבא, libba) of the Hebrew noun לבב (lebab):

Excerpted from: Abarim Publications' Biblical Dictionary
לב  לבי  כלב  לבן  להב

The unused verb לבב (labab) probably had to do with having, forming or using the emotional (animal) part of consciousness, in contrast to the rational and word-filled mind that is unique to humans. Nouns לבב (lebab) and לב (leb) both mean heart: the seat of one's sentiments, courage and resolve. The opposite of having a heart is being either ignorant, indifferent or cowardly, but a big heart that's not properly governed by a strong mind may cause more damage than good, and be the source of all sorts of foolish bravery, massive fear or whole-hearted zeal.

One of the few words for lion, namely לבי (lebi), strongly resembles an adjective that would mean "courageous". The Hebrew word for dog, namely כלב (keleb), could be construed as a compound of כל (kal), meaning all, plus the word לב (leb), heart or courage: all-heart, entirely courageous (but not very clever). Noun כלוב (kelub) describes a cage with birds or a basket with fruits, and is perhaps illustrative of the limited rational capacities of a dog who is otherwise "all heart".

Verb לבן (laben) means to be or become white in the sense of a blank slate, meaning that "all-heart" also implies "little rational wisdom" or even "little record of wrong doings". Noun לבנה (lebanah) describes the moon, which in turn signifies roused feelings and very little rational (or solar) enlightenment. Adjective לבן (laban) means white (i.e. blank, un-written upon: stupid). Nouns לבנה (lebonah) and לבונה (lebonah) describe frankincense. Noun לבנה (lebneh) describes the poplar. Noun לבנה (lebenah) means brick, and the denominative verb לבן (laban) means to make bricks.

The unused verb להב (lahab) probably meant to flame or burn. Nouns להב (lahab) and להבה (lehaba) mean flame, but also denoted the blade or a sword or tip of a spear.

🔼Lebbaeus meaning

The name Lebbaeus means Courageous or Hearted or perhaps even Lionlike but not necessarily in an entirely positive way. It emphasizes one's Sentimental self or one's unsophisticated Enthusiasm, as contrasted by being composed, reason-driven and "sober-minded" (1 Peter 5:8).