תְּקוּמָה (te.qu.mah)
te.qu.mah
standing
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 tequmah means standing, specifically the physical ability or power to remain upright. It appears only once in the Old Testament, found in Leviticus 26:37. In this context, it describes a state of weakness where people stumble as if under the weight of a sword, lacking the strength to stand firm.
The word is derived from the root qum, which means to rise or stand up. By using the noun form tequmah, the text emphasizes not just the act of standing, but the inherent capacity to do so. This highlights a total loss of physical stability and resilience.
Translators typically render this word as "strength" or "power to stand." The usage here is concrete and visceral, illustrating how fear can physically incapacitate a person. It serves as a vivid image of defeat, where the body cannot support itself against overwhelming pressure.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word tequmah describes the basic physical capacity to remain upright. It is not merely about taking a step, but having the strength to hold your ground against pressure. In Leviticus 26:37, this term paints a stark picture of total exhaustion. The people are so overwhelmed that they stumble over each other, lacking even the power to stand firm before their enemies.
For your daily walk, this image reminds us that our own resilience has limits. There are seasons when fear or burden strips away our ability to stand on our own. Recognizing this weakness is not a failure of faith; it is a honest assessment of our human condition. When we feel like we cannot hold ourselves up, we are reminded that stability comes from a source beyond our own strength.
God’s grace meets us in these moments of collapse. Instead of demanding that we muster more willpower, He offers His presence to bear the weight we cannot carry. We can rest in the knowledge that when our own tequmah fails, His sustaining power remains. This promise invites us to lean on Him rather than striving alone.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- power to stand1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- תְּקוּמָ֔ה1×
Key Verses
-
Leviticus 26:37
They will stumble over one another, as it were before the sword, when no one pursues. You will have no power to stand before your enemies.
This verse uses the word to describe a visceral loss of physical stability where fear causes people to stumble and lack the power to stand before enemies.