תְּעוּדָה
attestation, i.e. a precept, usage
Definition
The Hebrew noun תְּעוּדָה (tᵉʻûwdâh) refers to a formal attestation or binding testimony. It denotes a solemn declaration that serves as a legal witness or a permanent, authoritative instruction. In Ruth 4:7, it describes the symbolic act of removing a sandal to attest to a legal transaction. In Isaiah 8:16 and 8:20, the word shifts to mean the authoritative teaching or instruction given by God through his prophet, which the disciples are to preserve and to which the people must ultimately appeal.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only three times in the Old Testament, in two distinct contexts. In Ruth 4:7, it is used in a legal, covenantal setting to describe the 'attestation' or 'testimony' of a property redemption. In Isaiah 8:16 and 8:20, it is used in a prophetic context, referring to the sealed 'testimony' or 'instruction' of God's revelation that is to be preserved for future reference and against which all other claims must be tested.
Etymology
Derived from the root עוּד (ʻûd, H5749), which means 'to return, repeat, bear witness.' This root conveys the idea of something being established or confirmed through repetition or testimony. תְּעוּדָה is a noun form indicating the thing that bears witness—the attestation or the authoritative instruction itself.
Semantic Range
This word connects the concepts of legal testimony and divine revelation. In Isaiah, the 'testimony' is not just a human contract but God's own sealed instruction, forming a core part of prophetic authority. Understanding תְּעוּדָה enriches reading by showing how God's word functions as the ultimate, binding witness against which all human teachings and spiritual claims (Isaiah 8:19-20) must be judged.
In ancient Israelite culture, legal transactions required public, symbolic acts (like the sandal exchange in Ruth 4:7) to serve as a permanent 'attestation.' This tangible, witnessed act guaranteed the agreement. The prophetic use in Isaiah builds on this cultural understanding of a binding testimony, applying it to the permanence and authority of God's spoken word through his messenger.
עֵדוּת (ʻēdûth, H5715) — A more common term for 'testimony,' often used for the Ten Commandments or the Ark of the Covenant; implies a collective body of witness. עֵד (ʻēd, H5707) — A 'witness' (person or thing) or 'testimony'; the basic term from the same root.
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.
Full methodology & sources →