מַֽהֲתַלּוֹת (ma.ha.tal.lah)
ma.ha.tal.lah
deception
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun maḥatallôt refers to illusions or deceptive things that lack substance. It appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, in Isaiah 30:10, where it describes the false assurances given by those who reject divine guidance.
Derived from a root meaning to be vain or empty, the word carries the sense of something that promises reality but delivers nothing. In its single scriptural occurrence, it characterizes the "illusions" spoken by prophets who cater to popular desire rather than truth, offering comfort that ultimately proves hollow and misleading.
Translators typically render this term as "deceptions" or "illusions," highlighting the gap between appearance and reality. The word serves as a sharp critique of spiritual blindness, where people prefer comforting lies over difficult truths, mistaking emptiness for substance.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word maḥatallôt describes illusions that promise substance but deliver nothing. It appears in Isaiah 30:10, where people ask prophets to stop speaking hard truths and instead offer comforting lies. This highlights a deep human tendency to prefer easy answers over difficult reality.
When we face uncertainty, it is natural to seek reassurance. Yet, spiritual growth often requires listening to guidance that challenges our comfort rather than confirming our biases. Choosing truth, even when it is painful, builds a foundation that stands firm against the shifting sands of false hope.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- deception<s>1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- מַהֲתַלּֽוֹת\׃1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 30:10
who tell the seers, “Don’t see!” and the prophets, “Don’t prophesy to us right things. Tell us pleasant things. Prophesy deceits.
This verse shows the word describing prophets who cater to popular desire by offering comforting lies instead of divine truth.