תַּאֲלָה
an imprecation
Definition
The Hebrew noun תַּאֲלָה (taʼălâh) refers to a curse or imprecation, specifically a formal, spoken malediction invoking harm or judgment upon someone. It denotes a solemn pronouncement of divine or supernatural retribution. The word appears only once in the Old Testament, in Lamentations 3:65, where the prophet Jeremiah asks God to give his enemies a 'curse' (תַּאֲלָה), indicating a divinely sanctioned judgment. Its meaning is consistent as a severe, judicial curse.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only in Lamentations 3:65. In this context, it is part of a lament where the prophet, representing suffering Jerusalem, petitions God to bring a curse upon the enemies who have persecuted them. The usage is in a poetic and judicial appeal for divine vengeance, fitting the book's themes of grief and plea for justice.
Etymology
Derived from the root אָלָה (ʼālâ, H422), which means 'to swear,' 'to curse,' or 'to take an oath.' תַּאֲלָה is a noun form indicating the product or result of that action—specifically, the curse itself. Cognates in other Semitic languages also relate to oaths and adjurations.
Semantic Range
This word highlights the biblical theme of divine justice and the solemn reality of curses within God's moral order. In Lamentations 3:65, it is not a petty wish but a plea for God to enact covenant justice against persistent evil. Understanding this Hebrew term enriches reading by showing that curses in Scripture are often formal appeals to God's righteousness, not merely emotional outbursts, connecting to the broader biblical tension between human suffering, imprecatory prayer, and God's ultimate judgment.
In ancient Near Eastern culture, formal curses were powerful speech-acts, often embedded in treaties or covenants, invoking deities to punish violators. In Israel's context, a curse like תַּאֲלָה was understood as a serious appeal to Yahweh, the covenant God, to execute justice, reflecting a worldview where words carried weight and divine intervention was sought in matters of right and wrong.
אָלָה (ʼālâ, H423) — The root verb meaning 'to curse' or 'to swear an oath,' focusing on the action. קְלָלָה (qəlālâ, H7045) — A more common general term for 'curse,' often used in blessings/curses formulaic contexts (e.g., Deuteronomy 28).
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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