תֶּ֫לֶם (te.lem)
te.lem
furrow
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The noun telem refers to a furrow, specifically the long trench dug into the earth for planting crops. In the Hebrew Bible, it appears only three times, anchoring agricultural imagery in texts that deal with judgment and restoration.
Its most striking usage occurs in Hosea 10:11-12, where the prophet urges Israel to plow with righteousness before the rains come. Here, telem represents the physical act of preparing the soil, serving as a metaphor for spiritual readiness. The word is also found in Job 39:29 and 1 Samuel 13:20, but its theological weight rests on Hosea’s call to cultivate the ground of the heart.
Translators typically render telem simply as "furrow" or "plowing," preserving the concrete nature of the image. The word does not describe the harvest itself, but the necessary labor that precedes it. This distinction highlights the biblical emphasis on preparation: the furrow is where potential life begins, waiting for the seed and the rain to bring forth fruit.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word telem describes a simple furrow, the long trench dug into the earth to receive seed. It does not describe the harvest or the fruit, but the quiet, preparatory work that makes growth possible. In the ancient world, this physical act was essential; without the furrow, the seed has nowhere to rest and no protection from the dry surface.
Spiritually, this image reminds us that readiness often looks like humble preparation. Before we can expect fruit, there is a season of tilling the soil of our hearts, removing hard places, and creating space for grace to take root. It is a call to engage in the steady, unglamorous work of spiritual maintenance.
This preparation is not about earning favor through labor, but about positioning ourselves to receive what God provides. When we allow Him to prepare the ground, we create an environment where His word can take hold and bear lasting fruit in our lives.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- in/ a furrow1×
- furrows/ its1×
- [the] furrows of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- תַּלְמֵ֥י1×
- תְּלָמֶ֥י/הָ1×
- בְּ/תֶ֣לֶם1×
Key Verses
-
Hosea 10:4
They make promises, swearing falsely in making covenants. Therefore judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.
This verse uses telem to show how judgment can sprup like weeds in the prepared ground of a broken covenant, highlighting the consequence of neglecting spiritual preparation.
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Job 31:38
If my land cries out against me, and its furrows weep together;
Here the furrows weep alongside the land, personifying the earth's distress when justice is violated, showing that even the prepared ground suffers from human sin.
-
Job 39:10
Can you hold the wild ox in the furrow with his harness? Or will he till the valleys after you?
The wild ox refuses to be held in the furrow, illustrating that some creatures resist the order and preparation required for productive labor.