8408. tagmul
Lexical Summary
tagmul: Recompense, Reward, Benefit

Original Word: תַּגְמוּל
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: tagmuwl
Pronunciation: tag-mool
Phonetic Spelling: (tag-mool')
KJV: benefit
NASB: benefits
Word Origin: [from H1580 (גָּמַל - weaned)]

1. a bestowment

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Tiglath-pileser, Tilgath-pilneser

From gamal; a bestowment -- benefit.

see HEBREW gamal

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from gamal
Definition
a benefit
NASB Translation
benefits (1).

Topical Lexicon
Biblical Occurrence

Psalm 116:12 is the sole canonical appearance of תַּגְמוּל. The psalmist asks, “How can I repay the LORD for all His goodness to me?”. The word centers on the “goodness” or “benefits” that the LORD has lavished on the believer.

Contextual Setting

Psalm 116 forms part of the Egyptian Hallel (Psalms 113–118), traditionally sung at Passover. The psalmist recounts personal deliverance from death (Psalm 116:3-8) and then turns to responsive gratitude (Psalm 116:12-19). תַּגְמוּל functions as the pivot: the rescued worshiper measures divine favors and seeks an adequate response. The setting grounds the concept in covenant faithfulness—Yahweh’s saving acts obligate His people to thankful obedience.

Thematic Significance

1. Covenant Benefit: The term gathers up all the LORD’s saving deeds—rescue, preservation, and ongoing provision.
2. Moral Calculus: Scripture does not depict a commercial exchange; rather, the psalmist recognizes that grace elicits gratitude beyond human repayment (compare Romans 11:35).
3. Public Worship: The ensuing vows (“I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all His people,” Psalm 116:14, 18) show that gratitude is expressed communally, not merely privately.
4. Life Orientation: By recalling תַּגְמוּל, the believer moves from distress to doxology, modeling a life pattern of remembering and responding.

Relation to the Vocabulary of Recompense

While תַּגְמוּל occurs once, related forms (גְּמוּל, מִגְמָל) appear in passages ranging from Psalm 103:2 (“forget not all His benefits”) to Isaiah 35:4 (“He will come with vengeance; with divine retribution He will save you”). The semantic range spans positive reward to just retribution, underscoring that the righteous and the wicked alike receive fitting recompense from the LORD (compare Proverbs 11:31). In Psalm 116 the word is unambiguously benevolent.

Intertestamental and Rabbinic Reflection

Second-Temple literature often paraphrases Psalm 116 in liturgical prayers, emphasizing God’s גְמֻלוֹת (benefits). Rabbinic commentators link the verse to daily blessings (berakhot), encouraging constant enumeration of God’s favors.

Typological and Christological Implications

Psalm 116 is read during Passover, the feast ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Luke 22:15-20). The benefits celebrated by the psalmist reach their fullness in the cross and resurrection. Believers “receive grace upon grace” in the Messiah (John 1:16), an overflow that deepens the question, “How can I repay the LORD?” The answer finds expression in Romans 12:1, offering bodies as “living sacrifices.”

New Testament Echoes

Ephesians 1:3–14 catalogs spiritual blessings that parallel Psalm 116’s benefits—election, redemption, inheritance. The motif of grateful response resurfaces in 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, where Christ’s love compels believers to live for Him. Hebrews 13:15-16 links continual praise and practical service as fitting repayment.

Pastoral and Worship Applications

• Cultivate Remembrance: Encourage congregants to journal answered prayers, mirroring the psalmist’s review of benefits.
• Corporate Testimony: Incorporate testimonies into worship services to magnify collective gratitude.
• Sacrificial Stewardship: Frame giving and service as tangible responses to divine benefits, not as meritorious deeds.
• Songs of Response: Hymns like “What Shall I Render to My God” echo Psalm 116:12; selecting such hymns reinforces the theme.

Homiletical Insights

A sermon on Psalm 116:12 may move through three movements:

1. Recollection of Deliverance (verses 1-11)
2. Recognition of Benefits (verse 12, תַּגְמוּל)
3. Resolution to Worship (verses 13-19)

Practical application can emphasize that while repayment is impossible, thanksgiving is imperative and transformative.

Devotional Summary

תַּגְמוּל invites every redeemed life to linger over God’s manifold mercies and to translate awe into action—lifting the cup of salvation, calling on the name of the LORD, and fulfilling vows in the assembly of His people.

Forms and Transliterations
תַּגְמוּל֥וֹהִי תגמולוהי taḡ·mū·lō·w·hî tagmuLohi taḡmūlōwhî
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Psalm 116:12
HEB: לַיהוָ֑ה כָּֽל־ תַּגְמוּל֥וֹהִי עָלָֽי׃
NAS: For all His benefits toward
KJV: unto the LORD [for] all his benefits toward me?
INT: to the LORD for all his benefits toward

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 8408
1 Occurrence


taḡ·mū·lō·w·hî — 1 Occ.

8407
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