תְּעָלָה (te.a.lah)
te.a.lah
conduit; healing
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 10 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The noun te‘alah primarily denotes a conduit or water channel, such as a trench dug for irrigation or a pipe carrying rainwater. In the Hebrew Bible, this physical image appears in books like Kings and Jeremiah, describing the infrastructure that directs flow from one place to another.
Remarkably, the word also carries a secondary meaning of healing, specifically referring to the new flesh and skin that forms over a wound. This usage suggests a metaphorical connection: just as a conduit channels water to sustain life, the body’s natural process of knitting together damaged tissue restores wholeness. Translators often render this sense as "bandage" or "plaster," highlighting the visible result of the healing process rather than the act itself.
This dual meaning links the physical and the spiritual. The sources indicate that the concept of a channel guiding water parallels the way healing guides a body back to health. By using a term for infrastructure to describe recovery, the text emphasizes restoration as a structured, purposeful process.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word te‘alah describes a channel dug to direct water, ensuring it flows exactly where it is needed. This image reminds us that God often provides structure and order in our lives, guiding His blessings toward the places of deepest need. Just as a trench channels rainwater to sustain dry ground, spiritual disciplines can become conduits for grace, directing God’s peace into the parched areas of your heart.
Remarkably, this same word also refers to the new skin that forms over a wound, acting as a bandage or plaster. This dual meaning suggests that healing is not random chaos but a structured process of restoration. When you feel broken, there is a purposeful knitting together happening beneath the surface, restoring wholeness through God’s care.
Whether you are experiencing the steady flow of provision or the slow work of recovery, this word offers comfort. It points to a God who designs channels for life and oversees the healing of every wound, ensuring that nothing is wasted and no pain is without hope.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 10 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- at/ [the] conduit of2×
- the/ trench1×
- the/ conduit1×
- healing1×
- a trench1×
- a channel1×
- [was] in the/ trench1×
- [the] conduit of1×
- [is] healing1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- תְּעָלָ֖ה2×
- בִּ/תְעָלַת֙2×
- תְּעָלָ֗ה1×
- תְּעָלָ֑ה1×
- תְּעָלַת֙1×
- הַ/תְּעָלָ֖ה1×
- הַ/תְּעָלָ֔ה1×
- בַּ/תְּעָלָ֖ה1×
Key Verses
-
I Kings 18:38
Then Yahweh’s fire fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust; and it licked up the water that was in the trench.
This verse highlights the power of God to consume even the water in the trench, showing His ability to use prepared channels for dramatic divine intervention.
-
Jeremiah 30:13
There is no one to plead your cause, that you may be bound up. You have no healing medicines.
Here the word refers to healing medicines or bandages, emphasizing that human efforts alone cannot bind up the deep wounds of spiritual exile without God's help.
-
Isaiah 7:3
Then Yahweh said to Isaiah, “Go out now to meet Ahaz, you, and Shearjashub your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, on the highway of the fuller’s field.
The reference to the conduit of the upper pool grounds a prophetic encounter in a specific, tangible location, reminding us that God speaks into real-world circumstances.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does te‘alah mean in the Bible?
Why does this word have two different meanings?
Where does this word appear in Scripture?
Every Occurrence (10 verses across 5 books)
I Kings 3 verses
With the stones he built an altar in Yahweh’s name. He made a trench around the altar large enough to contain two seahs…
I Kings 18:35The water ran around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water.
I Kings 18:38Then Yahweh’s fire fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust; and it licked up the water…