תַּרְדֵּמָה (tar.de.mah)
tar.de.mah
deep sleep
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 7 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The noun tardemah describes a profound, unnatural state of unconsciousness, often translated as "deep sleep" or "trance." Unlike ordinary rest, this is a divinely induced condition where the senses are shut down and the individual is unable to respond to their surroundings. It appears in seven verses across the Hebrew Bible, most notably in Genesis, Job, and Proverbs.
In Genesis 2:21, God causes Adam to fall into tardemah before forming Eve from his side. This usage highlights the word’s theological weight: it is not merely fatigue but a supernatural suspension of awareness that allows for significant divine action. Similarly, in Job 33:15-16, Elihu explains that God speaks through dreams and tardemah to correct people, suggesting this state serves as a channel for revelation rather than just physical rest.
The term distinguishes itself from other Hebrew words for sleep by emphasizing the passive, involuntary nature of the experience. The sleeper is entirely at the mercy of God’s purpose during this time. Translators often render it as "deep sleep" to capture the intensity, though "trance" better reflects the altered state of consciousness described in prophetic or revelatory contexts.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word tardemah describes more than ordinary fatigue. It refers to a profound, divinely induced state where human senses are suspended. In Genesis 2:21, God caused Adam to fall into this deep sleep before forming Eve. This was not rest from labor but a supernatural pause that allowed for the creation of humanity’s first partnership.
Throughout Scripture, this heavy sleep often precedes significant divine action or revelation. In Job 33:15, Elihu notes that God speaks through such states to correct and guide. It reminds us that God can work even when we are passive, unaware, or unable to respond. We do not need to force understanding in every moment.
When life feels overwhelming or unclear, this concept offers comfort. God’s purposes often unfold in ways we cannot control or fully grasp. Trusting in His timing means resting in the knowledge that He is active even when we feel still. May you find peace in knowing that your rest is held within His sovereign care.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 7 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- deep sleep4×
- and/ a deep sleep1×
- a deep sleep1×
- <the> deep sleep of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- תַּרְדֵּמָ֛ה1×
- תַּרְדֵּמָ֔ה1×
- תַּרְדֵּמָ֑ה1×
- תַּרְדֵּמַ֣ת1×
- תַּ֭רְדֵּמָה1×
- תַּ֝רְדֵּמָ֗ה1×
- וְ/תַרְדֵּמָ֖ה1×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 2:21
Yahweh God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. As the man slept, he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place.
This verse establishes the word's primary theological weight by showing God using a divinely induced sleep to facilitate the creation of woman from Adam's side.
-
Job 33:15
In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, in slumbering on the bed,
Here the term illustrates how God uses altered states of consciousness as a channel for revelation and correction rather than mere physical rest.
-
I Samuel 26:12
So David took the spear and the jar of water from Saul’s head, and they went away. No man saw it, or knew it, nor did any awake; for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from Yahweh had fallen on them.
David’s ability to move freely among Saul’s camp demonstrates that this sleep was a supernatural suspension of awareness protecting God’s anointed one.