תַּרְדֵּמָה
𐤕𐤓𐤃𐤌𐤄
tardêmâh
H8639 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A state of deep, unnatural sleep; a profound unconsciousness or trance-like condition, often divinely induced and distinct from ordinary sleep; in some contexts, serves as a literary means for divine intervention or revelation, or to render a person insensible for a time.
Semantic Range
deep sleep, trance, unconscious state caused by divinity, extraordinary or unnatural sleep, lethargy
Root / Etymology
From the root רדם (radam), which primarily means 'to sleep deeply' or 'to slumber.' The noun תַּרְדֵּמָה is derived as a feminine abstract form denoting the state of this deep sleep.
Historical & Contextual Notes
תַּרְדֵּמָה appears primarily in contexts where a character is rendered insensible so that a significant divine act or revelation can occur—for example, Adam's sleep (Genesis 2:21), Abraham's trance (Genesis 15:12), Saul's camp (1 Samuel 26:12), or Daniel's visionary experience (Daniel 8:18; 10:9). The term does not simply refer to ordinary rest or physiological sleep, but rather to a condition, often attributed to YHWH, where the affected person is unable to consciously respond to their environment. This distinguishes תַּרְדֵּמָה both from שֵׁנָה (shenah, 'sleep') and from standard terms for trance or vision. In later interpretive tradition, such states sometimes came to be identified with revelatory experiences or prophetic ecstasy, but in biblical contexts, the emphasis is on involuntary divine suspension of awareness rather than on a visionary state per se. English translations sometimes use 'deep sleep' or 'trance,' but these may not fully capture the passive, imposed, and extraordinary character of the term in biblical Hebrew.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from רָדַם; a lethargy or (by implication) trance; deep sleep.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
רדם (r-d-m) — to sleep deeply, to slumber, to be unconscious
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H7290 | רָדַם | one overcome by deep sleep |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8639-01 |
תַּרְדֵּמָ֛ה | taredemah | HNcfsa |
deep sleep | profound slumber | 5 |
H8639-02 |
תַּרְדֵּמַ֣ת | taredemat | HNcfsc |
deep sleep | deep-sleep of | 1 |
H8639-03 |
וְ/תַרְדֵּמָ֖ה | vetaredemah | HC/Ncfsa |
and a deep sleep | deep unconscious sleep | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
7 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8639-01 |
Genesis 2:21 | תַּרְדֵּמָ֛ה | taredemah | HNcfsa |
a deep sleep | profound slumber |
H8639-03 |
Genesis 15:12 | וְ/תַרְדֵּמָ֖ה | vetaredemah | HC/Ncfsa |
and a deep sleep | deep unconscious sleep |
H8639-02 |
1 Samuel 26:12 | תַּרְדֵּמַ֣ת | taredemat | HNcfsc |
deep sleep | deep-sleep of |
H8639-01 |
Isaiah 29:10 | תַּרְדֵּמָ֔ה | taredemah | HNcfsa |
of deep sleep | profound slumber |
H8639-01 |
Proverbs 19:15 | תַּרְדֵּמָ֑ה | taredemah | HNcfsa |
into a deep sleep | profound slumber |
H8639-01 |
Job 4:13 | תַּ֝רְדֵּמָ֗ה | taredemah | HNcfsa |
deep sleep | profound slumber |
H8639-01 |
Job 33:15 | תַּ֭רְדֵּמָה | taredemah | HNcfsa |
deep sleep | profound slumber |