2928. Telem

Lexical Summary

Telem: Telem

Original Word: טֶלֶם
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Telem
Pronunciation: TEH-lem
Phonetic Spelling: (teh'-lem)
KJV: Telem
NASB: Telem
Word Origin: [from an unused root meaning to break up or treat violently]

1. oppression
2. Telem, the name of a place in Idumaea, also of a temple doorkeeper

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Telem

From an unused root meaning to break up or treat violently; oppression; Telem, the name of a place in Idumaea, also of a temple doorkeeper -- Telem.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from an unused word
Definition
an Isr., also a place in the desert of Judah
NASB Translation
Telem (2).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

טֶ֫לֶם proper name, of a location or

person

1. location in the Negeb of Judah, Joshua 15:24 = טלאים 1 Samuel 15:4, read perhaps טֵלָאם We Dr. We reads טֵלָם also for חוילה 1 Samuel 15:7, compare Dr.

2. person one of the porters Ezra 10:24.

Topical Lexicon

Overview

Telem (טֶלֶם, Strong’s Hebrew 2928) appears twice in the Old Testament: once as a southern Judean town (Joshua 15:24) and once as the name of a post-exilic gatekeeper who submitted to Ezra’s reform (Ezra 10:24). Though sparsely mentioned, these occurrences shed light on God’s faithfulness to preserve both place and people in His redemptive plan.

Telem of the Negev

• Location and Setting: Listed among twenty-nine settlements in the Negev allotted to Judah, Telem lay near the border with Edom. The group of towns in Joshua 15:21-32 forms a defensive and administrative network guarding Israel’s southern frontier.
• Strategic Function: Its position along caravan routes linking Beer Sheba to the Arabah suggests Telem served as a staging point for trade, military patrols, and the movement of pilgrims. The inclusion of such a small site in the inspired record underlines that every boundary marker of the covenant land mattered to the Lord (Deuteronomy 19:14).
• Continuity of Promise: By naming Telem, Scripture testifies that the tribal allotment in Joshua was not theoretical but territorially specific. Centuries later, when Nehemiah resettled Judah’s towns (Nehemiah 11:25-30), the catalog echoes Joshua’s list, implying that places like Telem retained their covenant identity even after exile.

Telem the Gatekeeper

• Context in Ezra: During Ezra’s call to separate from unlawful marriages, the gatekeepers Shallum, Telem, and Uri are singled out (Ezra 10:24). Their willingness to repent reinforced holiness at the very portals of the temple.
• Ministry Role: Gatekeepers regulated access to sacred space, safeguarding purity of worship (1 Chronicles 9:17-27). A gatekeeper’s compromise could have far-reaching effects on communal sanctity. Telem’s inclusion among the repentant highlights how personal obedience sustains corporate worship.
• Example of Covenant Renewal: Ezra’s list records offenders “who gave their word to send away their wives” (Ezra 10:17-19). Telem’s submission embodies the principle that genuine reform starts with leadership. By aligning his household with the Law, he helped restore right order in the restored temple.

Thematic Links Between Place and Person

1. Boundaries: Both occurrences involve guarding borders—geographical in Joshua, spiritual in Ezra. God values clear demarcations that protect covenant fidelity (Proverbs 4:23).
2. Remnant Faithfulness: Whether an obscure town clinging to Judah’s edge or a minor official standing at the temple gate, Telem illustrates how God preserves remnants to advance His purposes (Isaiah 1:9).
3. Holiness and Witness: The Negev town testified to Israel’s possession of the land; the gatekeeper testified to Israel’s moral renewal. Together they display the inseparable link between territory and testimony.

Practical Applications

• Stewardship of Small Things: Telem reminds believers that no assignment is insignificant when it serves God’s kingdom (Luke 16:10).
• Guarding Entrances: Modern ministry requires vigilant “gatekeepers” who protect doctrinal and moral integrity within the church (Acts 20:28-31).
• Repentance and Restoration: Like Telem in Ezra, leaders today must model repentance for the community to experience lasting revival (James 5:16).

Key References

Joshua 15:24; Ezra 10:24; see also 1 Chronicles 9:17-27; Nehemiah 11:25-30; Proverbs 4:23; Luke 16:10.

Forms and Transliterations

וָטֶ֖לֶם וטלם vaTelem wā·ṭe·lem wāṭelem

Englishman's Concordance

Joshua 15:24
HEB: זִ֥יף וָטֶ֖לֶם וּבְעָלֽוֹת׃
NAS: Ziph and Telem and Bealoth,
KJV: Ziph, and Telem, and Bealoth,
INT: Ziph and Telem and Bealoth

Ezra 10:24
HEB: הַשֹּׁ֣עֲרִ֔ים שַׁלֻּ֥ם וָטֶ֖לֶם וְאוּרִֽי׃ ס
NAS: Shallum, Telem and Uri.
KJV: Shallum, and Telem, and Uri.
INT: the gatekeepers Shallum Telem and Uri

2 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 2928
2 Occurrences

wā·ṭe·lem — 2 Occ.