Lexical Summary taphel: Worthless, insipid, untempered Original Word: תָּפֵל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance foolish things, unsavory, untempered From an unused root meaning to smear; plaster (as gummy) or slime; (figuratively) frivolity -- foolish things, unsavoury, untempered. Brown-Driver-Briggs I. תָּפֵל adjective tasteless, unseasoned; — absolute ׳ת, as substantive Job 6:6; figurative of unsatisfying prophecies Lamentations 2:14 ( + שָׁוְא). II. תָּפֵל noun [masculine] whitewash; — applied to wall, in Ezekiel's vision Ezekiel 13:10,11,14,15; figurative of false prophet Ezekiel 22:28. Topical Lexicon Semantic Range and Imagery תָּפֵל (Strong’s 8602) appears in contexts that stress insipidity, worthlessness, or a superficial coating meant to hide structural weakness. Whether describing tasteless food (Job) or the “whitewash” of lying prophets (Ezekiel; Lamentations), the term evokes the idea of something lacking true substance or integrity. Occurrences in Scripture • Job 6:6 – “Is tasteless food eaten without salt, or is there flavor in the white of an egg?” Historical Context Job’s lament predates the monarchy and portrays the personal anguish of a righteous sufferer whose friends offer counsel that proves as flavorless as unsalted food. Lamentations and Ezekiel arise amid the Babylonian crisis. Judah’s leaders preferred comforting illusions to hard truth; prophets “plastered” over sin with hollow assurances, intensifying national judgment. Theological Significance 1. Authenticity versus Appearance: God rejects religion that masks sin instead of confronting it. A “whitewashed wall” projects stability, yet collapses under divine testing (Ezekiel 13:14). Practical Ministry Lessons • Sound doctrine must not be diluted. Pastors who soften Scripture create “tasteless” teaching that cannot sustain the soul. Christological and New Covenant Implications Jesus denounced the scribes and Pharisees as “whitewashed tombs” (Matthew 23:27), echoing Ezekiel’s imagery. In Him alone we find the perfect antithesis to תָּפֵל: grace not devoid of truth, but “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). The gospel offers an inward transformation that renders external cover-ups unnecessary. Related Concepts and Cross-References • Salt as preservative and symbol of covenant faithfulness (Leviticus 2:13; Matthew 5:13). Summary תָּפֵל warns against anything insipid or deceptively cosmetic—whether words, counsel, or religious practice. Scripture calls believers to flavor their lives with truth and refuse every form of spiritual whitewash, trusting that what is built on reality, not appearance, will stand when tested by the Lord. Forms and Transliterations וְתָפֵ֔ל ותפל תָּ֭פֵל תָּפֵ֑ל תָּפֵ֔ל תָּפֵ֛ל תָּפֵֽל׃ תָפֵ֖ל תפל תפל׃ tā·p̄êl ṯā·p̄êl Tafel tāp̄êl ṯāp̄êl vetaFel wə·ṯā·p̄êl wəṯāp̄êlLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Job 6:6 HEB: הֲיֵאָכֵ֣ל תָּ֭פֵל מִבְּלִי־ מֶ֑לַח NAS: Can something tasteless be eaten KJV: Can that which is unsavoury be eaten INT: be eaten something without salt Lamentations 2:14 Ezekiel 13:10 Ezekiel 13:11 Ezekiel 13:14 Ezekiel 13:15 Ezekiel 22:28 7 Occurrences |
    |