Biblica Analytica

טָלַל

ta.lal (H2926)

to cover

1 verses 1 books OT 1 / NT 0
AI Word Study

# טָלַל (ta.lal): A Rare Hebrew Word for "Cover" The Hebrew verb טָלַל (ta.lal) means "to cover" and appears only once in the biblical text. This extreme scarcity limits our ability to establish a full semantic range or to observe how the word functions across different contexts. With only a single occurrence in the Bible, we cannot determine whether the verb has multiple shades of meaning or whether it was used in specific literary or historical periods. The rarity of this word raises questions about its practical significance in ancient Hebrew communication. Unlike common verbs that appear dozens or hundreds of times, allowing lexicographers to trace their usage patterns and nuances, ta.lal offers minimal evidence for understanding exactly how it was employed or what made it distinct from other Hebrew words with similar meanings. Its single appearance suggests it may have been archaic, poetic, dialectal, or simply one among several synonyms that speakers and writers could choose from depending on their particular needs. For biblical study, ta.lal serves as a reminder that the surviving text represents a limited corpus. Some Hebrew words appear only once—called "hapax legomena"—and their meanings must be inferred from context, etymology, or related languages rather than from repeated usage within Hebrew Scripture itself. This word's significance lies more in what its existence tells us about the vocabulary available to biblical writers than in any widespread

AI synthesis uses only provided lexicon data -- never training knowledge.

Nehemiah 3:15

Shallun the son of Colhozeh, the ruler of the district of Mizpah repaired the spring gate. He built it, and covered it, and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars, and the wall of the pool of Shelah by the king’s garden, even to the stairs that go down from David’s city.