Lexical Summary toholah: Worm, maggot Original Word: תָּהֱלָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance praise Feminine of an unused noun (apparently from halal) meaning bluster; braggadocio, i.e. (by implication) fatuity -- folly. see HEBREW halal NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain derivation Definition error NASB Translation error (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs תָּהְָלָה noun feminine error (? si vera lectio; v תהל according to DiLex. Aeth. 522, who compare Ethiopic  III. rove, wander; Arabic  is commit error, compare BaNB § 179. Anm. 3); — ׳וּבְמַלְאָכָיו יָשִׂים ת Job 14:18, < read תִּפְלָה q. v. תְּהִלָּה see II. הלל. [תַּהֲלוּכָה] see הלך. תהם (probably √ of following, in view of Assyrian tiâmtu, tâmtu ( = תְּהוֺם) DlHWB 698 JenKosmol. 542 BartonJAOS xv. 1 ff., Syriac Topical Lexicon Meaning and Usage The term in question denotes moral folly—an act or condition of error, blame, or reckless lack of sound judgment before God. Rather than describing a simple mistake, the word accents culpable misbehavior in the sight of perfect holiness. It appears only once in the Old Testament but carries weighty theological freight. Occurrence and Immediate Context Job 4:18 gives the lone instance: “If God puts no trust in His servants, and He charges His angels with error” (Berean Standard Bible). Eliphaz the Temanite is warning Job that no created being stands unquestioned before the Almighty. The “error” attributed to angels underscores the sheer moral distance between Creator and creature. Contrast Between Divine Perfection and Created Frailty 1. Absolute Holiness of God – Scripture repeatedly affirms that “the heavens are not pure in His sight” (Job 15:15), much less the earth. The term reinforces this theme: even sinless beings, by comparison with God, are liable to reproach. Implications for Angelology The passage neither denies angelic integrity nor asserts wholesale angelic rebellion; rather, it teaches that angels are accountable servants. The verse harmonizes with other texts on angelic fall (Genesis 6:2; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6) without demanding that every angel sinned. It supplies a biblical warrant for recognizing graduated orders of moral responsibility among celestial beings. Connection with Wisdom Literature Job belongs to Israel’s wisdom corpus, and the appearance of this rare term fits wisdom’s agenda: driving the listener toward the fear of the Lord as “the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). Eliphaz’s argument may be flawed in application to Job’s situation, yet his principle—no creaturely righteousness suffices before God—remains true and echoes throughout the book (Job 25:4-6). Historical Reception • Ancient Jewish interpreters rendered the word as “folly” (Septuagint, Vulgate), implying culpable fault. Ministry and Devotional Significance 1. Humility – Leaders and congregants alike remember that service never earns God’s trust; it relies on His grace. Summary Though occurring only once, this term for “error” exposes the incapacity of every created order to stand secure apart from God’s sustaining grace. By contrasting angelic frailty with divine perfection, Scripture prepares the way for the consoling truth that the Righteous One has entered history to reconcile all things to Himself (Colossians 1:19-20). Forms and Transliterations תָּהֳלָֽה׃ תהלה׃ tā·ho·lāh tāholāh tohoLahLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Job 4:18 HEB: וּ֝בְמַלְאָכָ֗יו יָשִׂ֥ים תָּהֳלָֽה׃ NAS: He charges error. KJV: and his angels he charged with folly: INT: his angels charges error 1 Occurrence |
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; all from √ הום Thes Ew§ 161 Ol§ 213 d Sta§264 and others).