תַּחְתִּי (tach.ti)
tach.ti
lower
H:AQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 9 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:A
Word Overview
The Hebrew word tachti functions as an adjective meaning "lower" or "lowest," and occasionally serves as a noun for "the lower parts." It appears nine times in the Old Testament, primarily within poetic books like Psalms and Lamentations, with one occurrence in Judges. The term establishes a clear spatial hierarchy, distinguishing what is beneath from what stands above.
In its adjectival use, it often modifies nouns to indicate depth or inferior position, such as describing the "lower" depths of the sea or the lowest places of the earth. For instance, Psalm 63:9 uses it to describe being in the "lowest pit," emphasizing a state of profound distress or humility. This usage highlights not just physical location but also a condition of being brought low.
The word’s strength lies in its simplicity and directness. It does not carry complex theological connotations on its own but serves as a precise descriptor for relative position. By consistently pointing downward, it reinforces biblical themes of God’s sovereignty over all heights and depths, reminding readers that no place is beyond His reach.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word tachti points to what is beneath us, whether it is a physical depth or a state of humility. In Scripture, this 'lower' position often marks a place where human strength ends and divine help begins. When we find ourselves in the lowest pit, as David describes in Psalm 63:9, we are not abandoned but brought into closer proximity to God’s saving power.
This term reminds us that no depth is too great for God’s reach. From the lowest Sheol to the depths of the earth where we were formed, His presence remains constant. We do not need to climb higher to find Him; He meets us in our low places with steadfast love and deliverance.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 9 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- lowest2×
- lower2×
- lowest parts1×
- lower [decks]1×
- in/ [the] lower parts of1×
- at/ [the] lower part of1×
- O lower parts of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- תַּחְתִּיּֽוֹת\׃\ \פ1×
- תַּחְתִּיּֽוֹת\׃1×
- תַּחְתִּיָּֽה\׃1×
- תַּחְתִּיִּ֛ם1×
- תַּחְתִּיּ֣וֹת1×
- תַּחְתִּֽית\׃\ \פ1×
- תַּחְתִּ֑ית1×
- בְּֽ/תַחְתִּיּ֥וֹת1×
- בְּ/תַחְתִּ֥ית1×
Key Verses
-
Psalms 86:13
For your loving kindness is great toward me. You have delivered my soul from the lowest Sheol.
The psalmist celebrates that God has rescued his soul from the lowest Sheol, emphasizing that divine deliverance extends to the deepest places of death and despair.
-
Lamentations 3:55
I called on your name, Yahweh, out of the lowest dungeon.
Jeremiah calls out from the lowest dungeon, showing that prayer remains valid and heard even when one is confined in the most oppressive circumstances.
-
Deuteronomy 32:22
For a fire is kindled in my anger, that burns to the lowest Sheol, devours the earth with its increase, and sets the foundations of the mountains on fire.
This verse describes God’s anger burning to the lowest Sheol, illustrating that His sovereignty encompasses both the highest heights and the deepest underworld.