טִיט (tit)
tit
mud
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 7 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun tit refers to wet earth that has lost its structure, translating most directly as mud, clay, or mire. It describes the physical state of soil saturated with water, distinct from dry dirt or solid rock. The term appears seven times in the Hebrew Bible, primarily within the prophetic books of Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Zechariah.
Its usage often carries a negative connotation, symbolizing instability, weakness, or lowliness. In Jeremiah 19:1, for instance, the prophet is instructed to buy a potter’s flask made of this material, linking the substance to the fragility of Judah. The word emphasizes how easily formed earth can be crushed or scattered when wet, serving as a vivid image for human vulnerability before God.
While closely related to the Aramaic tin (H2917), which also means clay or mud, tit is specifically Hebrew and retains this focus on damp, pliable earth. It does not imply refined pottery but rather raw, unformed matter. This distinction helps readers see how biblical authors used the physical properties of mud to illustrate spiritual truths about dependence and impermanence.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word tit describes wet earth that has lost its structure. It is mud, clay, or mire. This substance is soft and easily crushed. In the Bible, it often stands for weakness or instability. When soil becomes too wet, it cannot hold a shape. It slips through fingers. This physical reality helps us understand our own fragility before God.
We are not solid rock. Like mud, we are vulnerable to pressure and change. Jeremiah sank in this mire when thrown into a dungeon. The imagery reminds us that human strength is limited. We cannot sustain ourselves without divine support. This truth invites humility rather than despair. It acknowledges our need for grace.
Yet this image also points to potential. Mud is the raw material for pottery. A potter shapes clay into something useful. Your life, though fragile, can be formed by God’s hands. He does not discard what is soft; He molds it. This process requires patience and trust. You are being shaped for a purpose that only He sees.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 7 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- like/ [the] mud of3×
- mud1×
- in/ [the] mud of1×
- in the/ mud1×
- clay1×
- and/ mud1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- כְּ/טִ֥יט2×
- כְּ/טִיט\־1×
- טִֽיט\׃1×
- טִ֔יט1×
- וָ/טִֽיט\׃1×
- בַּ/טִּֽיט\׃\ \ס1×
- בְּ/טִ֤יט1×
Key Verses
-
Jeremiah 38:6
Then they took Jeremiah and threw him into the dungeon of Malchijah the king’s son, that was in the court of the guard. They let down Jeremiah with cords. In the dungeon there was no water, but mire; and Jeremiah sank in the mire.
This verse shows the word describing a literal trap where Jeremiah sank, illustrating how overwhelming circumstances can feel when one is trapped in 'mire' without water.
-
Isaiah 41:25
“I have raised up one from the north, and he has come, from the rising of the sun, one who calls on my name, and he shall come on rulers as on mortar, and as the potter treads clay.
Here the term appears as 'clay' that a ruler treads upon, contrasting human arrogance with God’s power to humble those who act like a potter over others.
-
II Samuel 22:43
Then I beat them as small as the dust of the earth. I crushed them as the mire of the streets, and spread them abroad.
David uses this word to describe enemies crushed into 'mire of the streets,' emphasizing their complete defeat and loss of dignity under God’s judgment.