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תָּלָה

𐤕𐤋𐤄

tâlâh

H8518 verb

SILEX Entry

Root תלה to hang, to suspend

Definition

To hang or suspend something from above, whether physically by means of support/attachment or metaphorically (rare). In biblical contexts, most frequently refers to hanging a body or object for display, execution, or storage. Primary usage is to describe the act of suspending someone or something, often as a public display, sometimes for punitive measures.

Semantic Range

to hang (a body or object), to suspend from above, to display by hanging, to affix in an elevated position; rarely, to hang up for storage

Root / Etymology

Root תלה, a verbal root meaning 'to hang, suspend.' The root's basic meaning is the physical act of suspending an object or person from above by some means of support. The form תָּלָה is a Qal verb derived directly from the root.

Historical & Contextual Notes

תָּלָה appears primarily in narratives and legal passages relating to the act of hanging a body, either as a method of execution or, more commonly, displaying the body after death (e.g., Deuteronomy 21:22–23). In the ancient Near Eastern context, hanging could function as a public deterrent, a way to display punishment, or a means of humiliation. The word itself is primarily descriptive, not inherently specifying the manner of death (i.e., death may precede hanging, especially in biblical law regarding executed individuals being suspended post-mortem). The term is distinct from other Hebrew verbs of execution (e.g., רָגַם 'to stone,' שָׂרַף 'to burn'). In post-exilic and later periods, the legal and ritual connotations shifted, but in the Hebrew Bible, תָּלָה does not carry the fully developed connotations of 'crucifixion' found in the Hellenistic and Roman worlds. English translations often render this as 'to hang' or 'to hang up,' but may not adequately convey the act's function as public display rather than the primary means of execution. There are metaphorical uses in non-biblical Hebrew (e.g., to 'hang' expectation or hope), but these are not attested in the canonical Hebrew Bible.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to suspend (especially to gibbet); hang (up).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

תלה (t-l-h) — to hang, to suspend

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3494 יִתְלָה Yithlah
H8522 תְּלִי your suspended arrow-case

Word Forms

20 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H8518-03 תָּלָ֑ה talah HVqp3ms he hanged he suspended 3
H8518-06 תָּל֑וּי taluy HVqsmsa hanging suspended one 3
H8518-01 לִ/תְל֥וֹת litelot HR/Vqc to hang to hang 2
H8518-05 תָּל֣וּ talu HVqp3cp they hanged they hung 2
H8518-10 תִּלּוּ tilu HVpp3cp they hung they hung up 2
H8518-15 וַ/יִּתְל֥וּ vayitelu HC/Vqw3mp and hanged and they hung 2
H8518-18 וְ/תָל֨וּ vetalu HC/Vqq3cp and they hanged the suspended one 2
H8518-14 וַ/יִּתְלֵ֕/ם vayitelem HC/Vqw3ms/Sp3mp and hanged them and he hung them 1
H8518-16 וְ/תָלָ֥ה vetalah HC/Vqq3ms and hang and he hung 1
H8518-20 יִתְל֥וּ yitelu HVqj3mp be hanged let them hang 1

Occurrences in Scripture

29 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H8518-16 Genesis 40:19 וְ/תָלָ֥ה vetalah HC/Vqq3ms and hang and he hung
H8518-03 Genesis 40:22 תָּלָ֑ה talah HVqp3ms he hanged he suspended
H8518-03 Genesis 41:13 תָלָֽה talah HVqp3ms he hanged he suspended
H8518-17 Deuteronomy 21:22 וְ/תָלִ֥יתָ vetalita HC/Vqq2ms and you hang and you shall hang
H8518-06 Deuteronomy 21:23 תָּל֑וּי taluy HVqsmsa is hanged suspended one
H8518-03 Joshua 8:29 תָּלָ֥ה talah HVqp3ms he hanged he suspended
H8518-14 Joshua 10:26 וַ/יִּתְלֵ֕/ם vayitelem HC/Vqw3ms/Sp3mp and hanged them and he hung them
H8518-09 Joshua 10:26 תְּלוּיִ֥ם teluyim HVqsmpa hanging hung ones
H8518-15 2 Samuel 4:12 וַ/יִּתְל֥וּ vayitelu HC/Vqw3mp and hanged and they hung
H8518-06 2 Samuel 18:10 תָּל֖וּי taluy HVqsmsa hanging suspended one
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