בֶּֽהָלָה (be.ha.lah)
be.ha.lah
dismay
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun behalah describes a state of sudden dismay, often translated as panic or terror. It captures that sharp, immediate reaction to danger where fear overwhelms composure. In the biblical text, this word usually appears in contexts of distress, such as when enemies surround a community or when divine judgment brings unexpected ruin.
Its usage is concentrated in specific books like Psalms and Jeremiah, highlighting moments of crisis. For instance, Psalm 48:6 links it to trembling seized by people on the day of trouble, while Leviticus 26:16 warns that disobedience will bring behalah, causing wasting sickness and anxiety. The term emphasizes the visceral impact of threat rather than a slow-building dread.
Etymologically, it relates to verbs meaning to shake or tremble, suggesting a physical response to spiritual or external peril. Translators typically render it as "dismay" or "terror," preserving the sense of sudden alarm. This word serves as a stark reminder of human vulnerability when facing forces beyond control.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When life feels like it is collapsing around you, the feeling of sudden dismay can be overwhelming. This Hebrew word describes that sharp, immediate reaction to danger where fear overwhelms composure. It captures the visceral impact of threat rather than a slow-building dread. In times of crisis, this sense of panic reminds us of our human vulnerability and our need for stability beyond ourselves.
Scripture acknowledges this deep fear without shaming it. The psalmist records moments where trembling seized people on the day of trouble, showing that such reactions are part of the human experience under pressure. Instead of ignoring these feelings, we can bring them into the light of prayer, recognizing that our composure often fails when forces seem beyond our control.
Even in the midst of this anxiety, there is a path forward through trust. The biblical narrative does not promise the absence of fear, but it offers presence within it. You are invited to rest in the understanding that God sees your distress and holds you when your strength gives way. This hope anchors the soul when the ground beneath feels unstable.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- sudden terror1×
- in <the>/ sudden terror1×
- for <the>/ sudden terror1×
- and/ sudden terror1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לַ/בֶּהָלָ֑ה1×
- וּ/בֶהָלֽוֹת\׃1×
- בַּ/בֶּהָלָֽה\׃1×
- בֶּֽהָלָה֙1×
Key Verses
-
Leviticus 26:16
I also will do this to you: I will appoint terror over you, even consumption and fever, that shall consume the eyes, and make the soul to pine away. You will sow your seed in vain, for your enemies will eat it.
This verse establishes the word as a divine consequence of disobedience, linking spiritual failure with physical wasting and anxiety.
-
Psalms 78:33
Therefore he consumed their days in vanity, and their years in terror.
Here the term describes how God consumed the Israelites' years in terror, highlighting the suddenness of judgment during their wilderness wanderings.
-
Jeremiah 15:8
Their widows are increased more than the sand of the seas. I have brought on them against the mother of the young men a destroyer at noonday. I have caused anguish and terrors to fall on her suddenly.
The prophet uses this word to depict sudden anguish and terrors falling on the mother of young men at noonday, emphasizing the shock of loss.