תּוֹרָה
𐤕𐤅𐤓𐤄
tôwrâh
H8451 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Instruction, teaching, or guidance; specifically, a body of instruction or law, often referring to authoritative or divinely given guidance. In particular contexts, denotes the collection of instructions delivered to Moses (the Pentateuch), but in broader use can refer to any instruction, legal code, or corpus of teaching, religious or secular.
Semantic Range
instruction, teaching, guidance, direction, law code, legal instruction, body of law, body of teaching, Mosaic law, Pentateuch, any corpus of authoritative instruction
Root / Etymology
From the root ירה (yarah), meaning 'to instruct, point out, teach, direct.' The form תּוֹרָה (tôwrâh) is a feminine noun meaning 'instruction' derived from the causative sense of the root: that which is taught or pointed out.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, תּוֹרָה (tôwrâh) fundamentally means 'instruction' or 'teaching,' emphasizing the act of guidance more than the imposition of binding statute. In early texts (e.g., Deuteronomy, Leviticus), it refers to specific instructions or collections of laws delivered to the Israelites through Moses. However, the term also appears in wisdom literature (e.g., Proverbs 1:8, 'instruction of your mother'), indicating its broad semantic reach beyond legal code to any authoritative teaching. In later usage (Second Temple period and beyond), תּוֹרָה increasingly denoted the complete collection of Mosaic instructions (the Pentateuch) and ultimately became central to Jewish identity and life—though this usage belongs to periods after the biblical era. English 'law' captures only part of the semantic field: תּוֹרָה often conveys a living tradition of instruction and guidance, not only statutory decree. Distinct from other Hebrew legal terms such as מִשְׁפָּט (judgment, legal decision) and חֹק (statute, fixed ordinance), reflecting its broader, more formative sense. In some English translations, תּוֹרָה is rendered 'law,' but this may narrow the original intent where the focus is education, training, or theological teaching.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or תֹּרָה; from יָרָה; a precept or statute, especially the Decalogue or Pentateuch; law.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
ירה (y-r-h) — to instruct, to teach, to direct, to point out
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3138 | יוֹרֶה | his early rain |
| H3139 | יוֹרָה | Autumn-Rain |
| H3140 | יוֹרַי | Rain-Causer |
| H3384 | יָרָה | the shooters |
| H3385 | יְרוּאֵל | El-Founded Place |
Word Forms
36 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8451-06 |
הַ/תּוֹרָ֗ה | hatorah | HTd/Ncfsa |
of the law | the instruction | 48 |
H8451-14 |
תּוֹרַ֥ת | torat | HNcfsc |
is the law | instruction of | 47 |
H8451-13 |
תּוֹרָ֣ה | torah | HNcfsa |
law | instruction | 23 |
H8451-15 |
תֽוֹרָתֶ֗/ךָ | toratekha | HNcfsc/Sp2ms |
Your law | your instruction | 18 |
H8451-02 |
בְּ/תוֹרַ֣ת | betorat | HR/Ncfsc |
in the law | in instruction-of | 15 |
H8451-16 |
תּוֹרָתִ֣/י | torati | HNcfsc/Sp1cs |
my law | my instruction | 11 |
H8451-31 |
וְ/תוֹרָתְ/ךָ֖ | vetoratekha | HC/Ncfsc/Sp2ms |
and your law | and your instruction | 7 |
H8451-01 |
בַּ/תּוֹרָ֑ה | batorah | HRd/Ncfsa |
in the law | in the instruction | 6 |
H8451-29 |
וְ/תוֹרָה֙ | vetorah | HC/Ncfsa |
and a law | and instruction | 5 |
H8451-12 |
מִ/תּוֹרָתֶֽ/ךָ | mitoratekha | HR/Ncfsc/Sp2ms |
from your law | from your instruction | 3 |
Occurrences in Scripture
222 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8451-34 |
Genesis 26:5 | וְ/תוֹרֹתָֽ/י | vetorotay | HC/Ncfpc/Sp1cs |
and my laws | and my instructions |
H8451-13 |
Exodus 12:49 | תּוֹרָ֣ה | torah | HNcfsa |
law | instruction |
H8451-14 |
Exodus 13:9 | תּוֹרַ֥ת | torat | HNcfsc |
the law of | instruction of |
H8451-03 |
Exodus 16:4 | בְּ/תוֹרָתִ֖/י | betorati | HR/Ncfsc/Sp1cs |
in my law | in my instruction |
H8451-34 |
Exodus 16:28 | וְ/תוֹרֹתָֽ/י | vetorotay | HC/Ncfpc/Sp1cs |
and My laws | and my instructions |
H8451-19 |
Exodus 18:16 | תּוֹרֹתָֽי/ו | torotayv | HNcfpc/Sp3ms |
His laws | his instructions |
H8451-07 |
Exodus 18:20 | הַ/תּוֹרֹ֑ת | hatorot | HTd/Ncfpa |
the laws | the instructions |
H8451-26 |
Exodus 24:12 | וְ/הַ/תּוֹרָה֙ | vehatorah | HC/Td/Ncfsa |
and the law | and the instruction |
H8451-14 |
Leviticus 6:2 | תּוֹרַ֖ת | torat | HNcfsc |
law.of | instruction of |
H8451-14 |
Leviticus 6:7 | תּוֹרַ֖ת | torat | HNcfsc |
is the law | instruction of |