טְוָת (H2908) — Hebrew Lexicon

טְוָת

𐤈𐤅𐤕

ṭᵉvâth

H2908 adverb

SILEX Entry

Root טוה to twist, to spin, to turn

Definition

Twisting sensation caused by hunger, hunger regarded as a state or condition (not merely the act of fasting); the experience of severe lack of food, sometimes implying the pain or physical effect of hunger.

Semantic Range

hunger, sensation of twisting hunger, bodily pain from fasting, self-affliction, severe lack of food

Root / Etymology

From the root טוה (t-v-h), meaning 'to twist' or 'spin.' Although the specific root in this Aramaic form is rare in Biblical Hebrew, the common semantic thread relates to twisting, here metaphorically applied to the contortion or discomfort of hunger. The Hebrew form טָוָה is 'to spin' (thread), so the derived noun in Aramaic depicts the body twisting with hunger.

Historical & Contextual Notes

טְוָת occurs only in Daniel 9:3 in Biblical Aramaic, describing Daniel's experience of self-affliction. The term connects hunger with metaphorical physical contortion — a common ancient Near Eastern image for acute hunger pangs. Although the Strong's gloss associates it directly with 'fasting,' the sense is not the formal religious practice but the physical experience of hunger, a nuance that can be blurred by English translations. In post-exilic contexts, especially in Aramaic portions of Daniel, such terms highlight personal or communal suffering, sometimes as part of penitential actions. This noun should be distinguished from terms like רָעָב (rāʿāb, famine/hunger) in Hebrew, which emphasize deprivation or catastrophe. טְוָת specifically conveys the inward, physical aspect of hunger rather than its societal or large-scale implications.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Aramaic) from a root corresponding to טָוָה; hunger (as twisting); fasting.

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Root Family

טוה (ṭ-w-h) — to twist, to spin, to turn

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H2901	טָוָה	they spun thread
H4299	מַטְוֶה	spun yarn

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`H2908-01`	טְוָ֔ת	tevat	`AD`	anxious	twisting-hunger of	1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`H2908-01`	Daniel 6:19	טְוָ֔ת	tevat	`AD`	anxious	twisting-hunger of

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