Lexical Summary tequmah: Restoration, rising, standing up Original Word: תְּקוּמָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance power to stand From quwm; resistfulness -- power to stand. see HEBREW quwm NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom qum Definition a standing, power to stand NASB Translation stand (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs תְּקוּמָה noun feminine standing, power to stand (compare √Qal 7 a); — absolute ׳ת Leviticus 26:37 (with לִפְנֵי person). Topical Lexicon Canonical SettingThe single canonical appearance of תְּקוּמָה occurs in the covenant‐curse section of Leviticus 26, Israel’s foundational charter for life in the land. Within the escalating judgments, the LORD warns that disobedient Israel “will be unable to stand against your enemies” (Leviticus 26:37). The word pictures the collapse of Israel’s national resolve; it is the loss of the power to rise, stand, or mount a defense. By placing the term in a context of covenant discipline, Scripture underscores that the ability to “stand” is not merely a human capacity but a divine gift withheld when the covenant is despised. Literary and Historical Context Leviticus 26 forms the counterpart to the earlier Sinaitic blessings and curses announced in Exodus and later elaborated in Deuteronomy 28. “Standing before enemies” was a decisive issue for a nation that would soon face entrenched Canaanite powers. Victory in battle, political stability, and moral courage all flowed from covenant fidelity (Numbers 14:42-45; Joshua 7:10-12). The warning of no תְּקוּמָה anticipates exilic realities (2 Kings 17:18-20; 2 Chronicles 36:16-17), where Israel’s armies literally melted before invading forces and the people stumbled in panic. Semantic and Conceptual Associations Though תְּקוּמָה itself is a hapax legomenon, Scripture repeatedly employs the cognate verb “to rise/stand” when: • granting deliverance (Exodus 9:16; Judges 2:16); Leviticus 26:37 therefore sits amid a rich conceptual tapestry: the capacity to rise is emblematic of divine endorsement, while its removal signals judgment. Theological Significance 1. Sovereign Enablement: Israel’s military and moral footing depended on God’s empowering presence (Psalm 20:7-8). תְּקוּמָה denied is tangible proof that “apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). 2. Covenant Accountability: The verse illustrates retributive symmetry; as Israel “walks contrary” to the LORD (Leviticus 26:27), He reverses their fortunes, demonstrating that judgment is never arbitrary but covenantal. 3. Foreshadowing of Resurrection Grace: Where judgment removes standing power, redemption restores it. Isaiah foresees the Servant who will be “raised and lifted up and highly exalted” (Isaiah 52:13). The ultimate reversal appears in the empty tomb, where God “raised Him from the dead” (Acts 13:30). Thus the loss of תְּקוּמָה anticipates its eschatological recovery in Christ. Practical and Pastoral Implications • Dependence in Spiritual Warfare: Believers are charged to “take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand your ground” (Ephesians 6:13). Victory flows from obedience, not self‐confidence. • Warning against Presumption: Like Israel, churches that tolerate sin may find their witness collapsed. Revelation’s admonition to Ephesus—“or else I will come to you and remove your lampstand” (Revelation 2:5)—echoes Leviticus 26:37 in congregational life. • Hope for Restoration: Even after the severest discipline, Leviticus 26 ends with promise (Leviticus 26:40-45). God’s discipline aims at repentance, leading to renewed standing (Psalm 40:2). New Testament Parallels and Fulfillment • Personal Standing: Through justification believers “have access by faith into this grace in which we stand” (Romans 5:2). Summary תְּקוּמָה, though appearing only once, powerfully encapsulates the covenant principle that the ability to stand—militarily, morally, spiritually—rests entirely on the favor of God. Its withdrawal in Leviticus 26:37 is a sober reminder that sin robs God’s people of stability, while obedience and redemption restore it, ultimately culminating in the resurrection triumph secured in Jesus Christ. Forms and Transliterations תְּקוּמָ֔ה תקומה tə·qū·māh tekuMah təqūmāhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Leviticus 26:37 HEB: תִֽהְיֶ֤ה לָכֶם֙ תְּקוּמָ֔ה לִפְנֵ֖י אֹֽיְבֵיכֶֽם׃ NAS: and you will have [no strength] to stand up before KJV: when none pursueth: and ye shall have no power to stand before INT: and you will have stand before your enemies 1 Occurrence |
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