תִּרְגֵּם (tir.gam)
tir.gam
to translate
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb tirgam appears only once in the entire Old Testament, found in Ezra 4:7. In this specific context, it describes the act of translating a document from one language to another. The form used is the Pual, which typically indicates a passive or reflexive action, suggesting that the scribes were interpreting or rendering the Aramaic text for an audience that required clarity.
Its rarity makes this single occurrence particularly significant. It highlights the practical realities of communication in the Persian Empire, where official correspondence often needed to be conveyed across linguistic boundaries. The word underscores the administrative effort required to maintain dialogue between different cultural and political groups during this historical period.
While modern translations simply use "translate," the Hebrew term carries a sense of interpretation that bridges understanding. This solitary usage provides a rare glimpse into the linguistic tools available to biblical writers when dealing with foreign correspondence, emphasizing the importance of accurate communication in preserving historical records.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word tirgam appears just once in the Old Testament, found in Ezra 4:7. Here it describes how officials translated a letter from Aramaic into Hebrew so that King Artaxerxes could understand the concerns of his opponents regarding Jerusalem. This single verb captures the practical effort required to bridge linguistic gaps in the ancient world.
For your faith life, this reminds us that God cares about clear communication across boundaries. Whether in personal relationships or global missions, the desire to be understood is important. Accurate translation helps prevent misunderstanding and fosters peace between different groups.
When you encounter difficult texts or conversations with people from different backgrounds, remember that patience and clarity matter. God uses these small acts of interpretation to preserve His story and protect His people throughout history.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ [was] translated1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וּ/מְתֻרְגָּ֥ם1×
Key Verses
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Ezra 4:7
In the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in Syrian and delivered in the Syrian language.
This verse shows the word describing the translation of official correspondence from Aramaic to Hebrew for the Persian king.