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Libnah

Biblical
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A Canaanite city conquered by Joshua and later a site of revolt against Judah’s king.

Detailed Definition
Libnah appears in conquest and rebellion narratives (Joshua 10; 2 Kings 8). In poetry, it symbolizes resistance, the cyclical nature of power, and the persistent struggle for autonomy within larger empires or kingdoms.
Example
Example in poetry:
Libnah—city in Judah—rarely appears; a poet might write, “Libnah’s revolt against Judah was brief, but her name endures”; In a minimalist verse: “Libnah: white city, brief rebellion”; Historical speculation: “Libnah may mean ‘white’—perhaps for its chalk hills or purity”; Liturgical invocation: “Remember Libnah, whose freedom was short but recorded.”
Additional Notes
Libnah (Joshua 10:29–30) was a Canaanite city conquered by Joshua; later, it revolted against Judah’s King Jehoram (2 Kings 8:22). Its name means “white” or “whiteness.” In poetry, Libnah can symbolize fleeting loyalty, the fragility of conquest, or the cyclical nature of rebellion and subjugation in the land.
Also Known As
white city Canaanite town Levitical refuge
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