תַּרְעֵלָה (tar.e.lah)
tar.e.lah
reeling
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun tar‘elah describes a physical state of instability, meaning reeling or staggering. It captures the image of someone who is unsteady on their feet, often due to exhaustion, injury, or overwhelming force. The word appears only twice in the Old Testament, both within the book of Isaiah, where it paints a vivid picture of vulnerability.
In Isaiah 28:7 and 29:9, the term illustrates how intoxication or divine judgment can strip away clarity and stability. It is not merely dizziness but a profound loss of balance that affects one’s ability to stand firm. This concrete imagery helps readers understand the severity of spiritual blindness or moral confusion described in these passages.
Though rare, tar‘elah serves as a powerful metaphor for the consequences of straying from wisdom. Its limited usage underscores the specific contexts in which Scripture employs physical weakness to describe spiritual or communal collapse.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word tar‘elah describes a physical state of instability, like someone reeling or staggering under a heavy load. In Scripture, this image often points to the overwhelming weight of divine judgment or the confusion that comes from spiritual exhaustion. It is not just dizziness but a profound loss of balance that affects one’s ability to stand firm.
When you feel unsteady in your faith, these verses remind you that God sees your vulnerability. He does not leave you swaying in the storm. Instead, He removes the cup of staggering from your hand, offering stability and peace to those who trust in Him.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- <the>/ staggering2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הַ/תַּרְעֵלָ֛ה1×
- הַ/תַּרְעֵלָ֑ה1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 51:17
Awake, awake! Stand up, Jerusalem, you who have drunk from Yahweh’s hand the cup of his wrath. You have drunken the bowl of the cup of staggering, and drained it.
This verse identifies Jerusalem as having drunk the 'bowl of the cup of staggering,' showing how the consequences of sin can leave a community physically and spiritually unsteady.
-
Isaiah 51:22
Your Lord Yahweh, your God who pleads the cause of his people, says, “Behold, I have taken out of your hand the cup of staggering, even the bowl of the cup of my wrath. You will not drink it any more.
Here God promises to remove the cup of staggering from His people's hand, demonstrating His role as their defender who restores stability and ends their suffering.