תִּפְלֶצֶת
𐤕𐤐𐤋𐤑𐤕
tiphletseth
H8606 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A state, feeling, or object of terror, dread, or intense fear; frequently denotes a terrifying event, horror, or the sense of something awe-inspiringly dreadful. It can refer both to the emotion of fearfulness and to a source or agent inspiring terror.
Semantic Range
fearfulness, horror, terror, dreadful event, that which causes trembling or shuddering, intense calamity, shock
Root / Etymology
Root פָּלַץ (palatz), meaning 'to tremble,' 'to shudder,' 'to quake.' תִּפְלֶצֶת (tiphletseth) is a noun form built on this root, intensifying or concretizing the abstract sense of terror or horror. The vocalization points to an abstract noun formation, denoting the state or substance of that which causes or is characterized by terror.
Historical & Contextual Notes
תִּפְלֶצֶת occurs infrequently in the Hebrew Bible, notably in prophetic and poetic passages to express extreme terror or horror (e.g., Jeremiah 49:16; Ezekiel 7:18; Ezekiel 26:21). The usage emphasizes the overwhelming, paralyzing nature of fear, whether as an emotion experienced or as an offensive (calamitous or dreadful) event or thing. In comparison, related nouns such as אֵימָה (eimah, 'dread, terror') focus more on the subjective emotional response, while תִּפְלֶצֶת often includes the objective aspect—the thing or event producing fear. The term is not limited to human emotions, but often describes catastrophic or divine acts that inspire terror, particularly in prophetic judgment contexts. Translations such as 'horror,' 'dread,' or 'terror' are generally good but may not fully capture the sense of both subjective fear and objective horror present in the biblical use. English versions sometimes narrow its force to 'fearfulness' or 'terror,' but in its biblical usage it often carries vivid connotations of shock and catastrophe.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from פָּלַץ; fearfulness; terrible.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
פלץ (p-l-ts) — to tremble, to shudder, to quake
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4656 | מִפְלֶצֶת | horror-image |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8606-01 |
תִּֽפְלַצְתְּ/ךָ֞ | tifelatsetekha | HNcfsc/Sp2ms |
your terribleness | your terror | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8606-01 |
Jeremiah 49:16 | תִּֽפְלַצְתְּ/ךָ֞ | tifelatsetekha | HNcfsc/Sp2ms |
your terribleness | your terror |