8388. ta'ar

Lexical Summary

ta'ar: Razor, knife, sheath

Original Word: תָּאַר
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: ta'ar
Pronunciation: tah'-ar
Phonetic Spelling: (taw-ar')
KJV: be drawn, mark out, (Rimmon-)methoar (by union with H7417)
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to delineate
2. reflex. to extend

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Taanath-shiloh

A primitive root; to delineate; reflex. To extend -- be drawn, mark out, (Rimmon-)methoar (by union with Rimmown).

see HEBREW Rimmown

Brown-Driver-Briggs

תָּאַר verb apparently incline (perhaps akin to תּוּר Thes; > Buhl denominative from תֹּאַר, q. v. ); —

Qal Perfect3masculine singular ׳ת, subject boundary: Joshua 18:14, with ה locative Joshua 15:9 b. 11; with מִן ֗֗֗ עַל Joshua 15:9 a; with מִן only, Joshua 18:17; probably also with accusative of location Joshua 19:13 (read רִמּ֫וֺנָה וְתָאַר הַנֵּעָה to Rimmon, and it inclined to Ne`;a Di Steuern Benn and others). See also [תָּאַר]

Pi`el below

[תָּאַר] verb Pi`el denominative draw in outline, trace out; — Imperfect3masculine singular suffix יְתָֽאֲרֵ֫הוּ Isaiah 44:13 (twice in verse) (both with ב instrumental), of shaping idols; for ᵑ02masculine plural תְּתָאוּ Numbers 34:7,8 Che^{Ency. Bib. 2109} proposes תְּתָאֲרוּ ye shall trace out (the boundary; with וְתֵאַרְתֶּם for וְהִתְאַוִּיתֶם Numbers 34:10); see also תאה, תוה.

תַּאֲרֵעַ see תַּחֲרֵעַ below חרע p. 357.

תְּאַשּׁוּר see below [אָשַׁר] p. 81.

Topical Lexicon

Semantic Scope

תָּאַר (taʾar) speaks of a drawn line or contour. In Joshua it traces the literal boundaries of land promised by God; in Isaiah it denotes the outline or shape an idol-maker carves. Whether geographic or artistic, the word always relates to defining limits or giving visible form.

Occurrences

Joshua 15:9 (twice); Joshua 15:11; Joshua 18:14; Joshua 18:17; Isaiah 44:13 (twice).

Boundaries in the Book of Joshua

1. Judah’s western and northern limits (Joshua 15:9, 11)
2. Benjamin’s western border (Joshua 18:14, 17)

These passages record the fulfillment of God’s covenant promise to Abraham (Genesis 15:18), showing that the allotment of Canaan was neither random nor merely political but divinely surveyed. The “curving” or “turning” of the border emphasizes precision; every village, outcropping, and water source lay inside or outside Israel’s inheritance by God’s decree.

Berean Standard Bible: “From the top of the mountain the border curved to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah and proceeded to the cities of Mount Ephron, then turned toward Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim)” (Joshua 15:9).

Form in Isaiah’s Polemic against Idolatry

Isaiah 44:13 exposes the futility of fashioning a god that must first be traced with measuring tools:

“The craftsman measures a line, he marks out an outline with a stylus, he shapes it with chisels and marks it with compasses. Then he forms it into the likeness of a man, like the beauty of man, to dwell in a shrine.”

Here תָּאַר highlights the absurdity that an alleged deity owes its existence to a carpenter’s outline. The same term that delineated Israel’s sacred territory now unmasks the profane limits of human-made religion.

Theological Themes

1. Divine Sovereignty—Only the Lord can set borders that endure (Acts 17:26; Proverbs 8:29).
2. Covenant Assurance—Precise boundaries validate the historicity of Israel’s inheritance and, by extension, every promise of God (2 Corinthians 1:20).
3. True vs. False Worship—The living God cannot be contained by human contours (1 Kings 8:27), whereas idols are products of human design and therefore powerless (Psalm 115:4-8).

Ministry Application

• Personal Boundaries: As God set borders for Judah and Benjamin, believers are called to honor moral and relational boundaries (Proverbs 4:23; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8).
• Guarding the Gospel: Paul speaks of “the standard of sound words” (2 Timothy 1:13), a New-Covenant counterpart to the land boundaries—truth must be carefully outlined and protected.
• Mission and Stewardship: Recognizing God’s precise allotment moves churches to steward their fields of ministry faithfully rather than covet another’s assignment (2 Corinthians 10:13-16).

Christological Reflection

Jesus Christ is the “boundary stone” the builders rejected yet chosen by God (Psalm 118:22; 1 Peter 2:7). In Him the church finds its secure inheritance (Ephesians 1:11) and its deliverance from the empty forms of idolatry (1 John 5:21).

Summary

תָּאַר unites geography and theology: the God who drew Israel’s borders also exposes the limits of idols. Its seven appearances remind readers that every promise, every inheritance, and every act of worship must conform to the precise contours established by the sovereign Lord.

Forms and Transliterations

וְתָאַ֣ר וְתָאַ֤ר וְתָאַ֨ר ותאר יְתָאֲרֵ֣הוּ יְתָאֳרֵ֑הוּ יתארהו vetaAr wə·ṯā·’ar wəṯā’ar yə·ṯā·’ă·rê·hū yə·ṯā·’o·rê·hū yəṯā’ărêhū yəṯā’orêhū yetaaRehu yetooRehu

Englishman's Concordance

Joshua 15:9
HEB: וְתָאַ֨ר הַגְּב֜וּל מֵרֹ֣אשׁ
NAS: the border curved to the spring
KJV: And the border was drawn from the top
INT: curved the border the top

Joshua 15:9
HEB: הַר־ עֶפְר֑וֹן וְתָאַ֤ר הַגְּבוּל֙ בַּעֲלָ֔ה
NAS: then the border curved to Baalah
KJV: and the border was drawn to Baalah,
INT: of Mount Ephron curved the border to Baalah

Joshua 15:11
HEB: עֶקְרוֹן֮ צָפוֹנָה֒ וְתָאַ֤ר הַגְּבוּל֙ שִׁכְּר֔וֹנָה
NAS: Then the border curved to Shikkeron
KJV: and the border was drawn to Shicron,
INT: of Ekron northward curved the border to Shikkeron

Joshua 18:14
HEB: וְתָאַ֣ר הַגְּבוּל֩ וְנָסַ֨ב
NAS: The border extended [from there] and turned round
KJV: And the border was drawn [thence], and compassed
INT: extended the border and turned

Joshua 18:17
HEB: וְתָאַ֣ר מִצָּפ֗וֹן וְיָצָא֙
NAS: It extended northward and went
KJV: And was drawn from the north,
INT: extended northward and went

Isaiah 44:13
HEB: נָ֣טָה קָו֒ יְתָאֲרֵ֣הוּ בַשֶּׂ֔רֶד יַעֲשֵׂ֙הוּ֙
NAS: a measuring line; he outlines it with red chalk.
KJV: [his] rule; he marketh it out with a line;
INT: extends A measuring outlines chalk works

Isaiah 44:13
HEB: בַּמַּקְצֻע֔וֹת וּבַמְּחוּגָ֖ה יְתָאֳרֵ֑הוּ וַֽיַּעֲשֵׂ֙הוּ֙ כְּתַבְנִ֣ית
NAS: it with planes and outlines it with a compass,
KJV: it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass,
INT: planes A compass and outlines and makes the form

7 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 8388
7 Occurrences

wə·ṯā·’ar — 5 Occ.
yə·ṯā·’ă·rê·hū — 1 Occ.
yə·ṯā·’o·rê·hū — 1 Occ.