תַּחֲלֻאִים (ta.cha.lu)
ta.cha.lu
disease
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun tachaluim refers to physical ailments or sicknesses. It appears only four times in the Old Testament, making it a rare term for illness. The word is used in contexts where health is compromised, often linked to divine judgment or human suffering.
In Jeremiah 15:18 and Psalm 38:3, tachaluim describes intense bodily pain that weighs heavily on the sufferer. In these passages, the disease is not merely a medical condition but a profound experience of distress. The term emphasizes the tangible reality of physical affliction rather than spiritual metaphors.
Its limited usage suggests it was not a common everyday word for minor ailments. Instead, it likely denoted serious or persistent conditions that disrupted daily life and community standing. The scarcity of occurrences highlights how significant each mention is within its specific narrative context.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When we face serious illness, it can feel like a heavy weight that isolates us from those around us. The Hebrew word tachaluim describes this tangible reality of physical affliction. It is not just a minor inconvenience but a profound experience of distress that disrupts our daily life and community standing. In passages like Psalm 103:3, we are reminded that God is the one who heals all such diseases.
This rare term reminds us that our suffering is seen and known by God. It validates the pain we feel without reducing it to a simple spiritual lesson. We do not have to hide our struggle or pretend it does not matter. God’s power to heal encompasses even the most severe conditions, offering hope when our bodies fail.
Even in times of deep sickness, we can trust in His care. The Bible acknowledges the reality of pain while pointing us toward the One who brings restoration. You are not alone in your suffering, and His grace is sufficient for every moment of weakness.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- in/ diseases1×
- diseases/ your1×
- diseases of1×
- diseases1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- תַּחֲלוּאֵ֣י1×
- תַּחֲלֻאָֽיְ/כִי\׃1×
- תַחֲלֻאִ֜ים1×
- בְּ/תַחֲלֻאִ֣ים1×
Key Verses
-
Psalms 103:3
who forgives all your sins, who heals all your diseases,
This verse highlights God’s comprehensive power to heal all diseases, offering direct comfort to those suffering from serious ailments.
-
II Chronicles 21:19
In process of time, at the end of two years, his bowels fell out by reason of his sickness, and he died of severe diseases. His people made no burning for him, like the burning of his fathers.
The use of this term here underscores the severity and finality of King Ahaziah's physical decline, showing that even kings are subject to human frailty.
-
Jeremiah 14:18
If I go out into the field, then behold, the slain with the sword! If I enter into the city, then behold, those who are sick with famine! For both the prophet and the priest go about in the land, and have no knowledge.’”
Here the word appears in a lament over widespread sickness and death, reflecting the collective trauma of a nation under judgment.