תַּחֲלוּא
a malady
Definition
The Hebrew noun תַּחֲלוּא (tachălûwʼ) refers to a severe or grievous malady, sickness, or disease. It describes physical afflictions that are often serious and debilitating, as seen in the account of King Jehoram's incurable bowel disease (2 Chronicles 21:19). The word can also be used in a collective sense for widespread plagues or epidemics, such as the 'diseases' God promises to heal in Psalm 103:3 or the devastating national sicknesses described in prophetic curses (Deuteronomy 29:22, Jeremiah 14:18). Its usage consistently conveys the concept of a distressing physical infirmity.
Biblical Usage
This word appears five times in the Old Testament, primarily in contexts of divine judgment, healing, or national calamity. It is used in historical narrative (2 Chronicles 21:19), law/covenant contexts describing curses (Deuteronomy 29:22), poetry of praise for God's healing (Psalm 103:3), and prophetic oracles of doom (Jeremiah 14:18, 16:4). The pattern shows תַּחֲלוּא is employed for serious, often divinely connected afflictions, whether on an individual or a national scale.
Etymology
Derived from the root חָלָא (ḥālāʼ, H2456), meaning 'to be weak, sick, or afflicted.' The noun form תַּחֲלוּא intensifies the sense into a state or condition of sickness. It is related to the more common word for sickness, חֹלִי (ḥŏlî, H2483), but תַּחֲלוּא often carries a connotation of grievous or severe disease.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it frequently appears in contexts of covenant blessings and curses, highlighting the link between human physical condition and relationship with God. In Deuteronomy 29:22, it is part of the covenant curses for disobedience, while in Psalm 103:3, its healing is a central act of God's redemptive mercy. The prophets use it to describe the terminal sickness of a faithless nation (Jeremiah 14:18, 16:4). Understanding תַּחֲלוּא enriches reading by connecting physical affliction to spiritual realities of sin, judgment, and divine healing.
In the ancient Near East, serious diseases were often understood as direct divine actions—either as punishment, as in the case of King Jehoram (2 Chronicles 21), or as a test. The lack of modern medicine meant such 'maladies' were viewed with great dread and were frequently seen as supernatural in origin, whether from God or hostile spiritual forces. This contrasts with a modern, purely biomedical view of sickness.
חֹלִי (ḥŏlî, H2483) — A more general term for sickness or disease. מַכָּה (makkâ, H4347) — A blow, wound, or plague, often from an external strike. נֶגַע (negaʿ, H5061) — A stroke, plague, or mark, often used for infectious skin diseases or divine afflictions.
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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