תַּעֲלֻמָּה
a secret
Definition
The Hebrew noun תַּעֲלֻמָּה refers to something hidden, concealed, or secret. It describes knowledge, wisdom, or actions that are not readily accessible or visible to ordinary perception. In Job 11:6, it refers to the profound, hidden aspects of God's wisdom. In Job 28:11, it describes the secret sources of rivers and precious metals, hidden deep within the earth. In Psalm 44:21, it denotes the hidden, innermost thoughts of the human heart, which God alone fully knows.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only three times in the Old Testament, exclusively in poetic and wisdom literature (Job and Psalms). It consistently describes profound, inaccessible knowledge. In Job, it refers to the hidden depths of divine wisdom (Job 11:6) and the concealed sources of earthly treasures (Job 28:11). In Psalm 44:21, it is used for the secret thoughts of the heart, which cannot be hidden from God. The usage emphasizes the theme of hiddenness from human understanding.
Etymology
Derived from the root עָלַם (ʿālam, H5956), meaning 'to conceal, hide, or be hidden.' This root is also the source for the word for 'eternity' or 'forever' (עוֹלָם, ʿôlām), conceptually linking what is hidden in time or space. תַּעֲלֻמָּה is a noun form indicating the state or object of being hidden.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it highlights the limits of human knowledge and the omniscience of God. It points to mysteries that belong to God alone (Job 11:6), the hidden order of creation (Job 28:11), and the inescapable scrutiny of the human heart by God (Psalm 44:21). Understanding this Hebrew term enriches reading by emphasizing that God's wisdom and knowledge transcend human discovery, and that true secrets are only fully known to Him.
In ancient Israelite thought, secrets were not merely private information but often represented profound, foundational realities of the cosmos, divine wisdom, or the human spirit that were inaccessible through ordinary means. The search for such hidden things, as in Job 28, reflects a cultural value placed on wisdom and understanding the deep structures of the world, which were ultimately seen as under God's sovereign control.
סוֹד (sôd, H5475) — a confidential counsel or intimate circle; רָז (rāz, H7328, Aramaic loanword in Daniel) — a mystery or divine secret revealed.
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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