Lexical Summary behalah: Terror, Dread, Sudden Alarm Original Word: בֶּהָלָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance terror, trouble From bahal; panic, destruction -- terror, trouble. see HEBREW bahal NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom bahal Definition dismay, sudden terror or ruin NASB Translation calamity (1), dismay (1), sudden terror (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs ֶבּהָלָה noun feminine dismay, sudden terror or ruin (compare Assyrian bêltu, terror, DlPr 32) — ׳בּ absolute Leviticus 26:16 2t.; plural וֶּבהָלוֺת Jeremiah 15:8; — sudden terror Leviticus 26:16 ׳וְהִפְקַדְתִּ֫י עֲלֵיכֶם בּ (appositives follow); compare Jeremiah 15:8; Isaiah 65:23 לֹא יֵָֽלְדוּ לַבֶּהָלָה, Psalm 78:33 וַיְכַלבַּֿהֶבֶל יְמֵיהֶ֑ם וּשְׁנוֺתָם בַּבֶּהָלָה and he ended their days in a breath, and their years in sudden terror. בהם (Arabic Topical Lexicon Scope of Occurrence בֶּהָלָה appears four times in the Old Testament (Leviticus 26:16; Psalm 78:33; Isaiah 65:23; Jeremiah 15:8). Each usage speaks to a sudden, overwhelming dread that either falls upon covenant-breakers or is promised to be absent from the restored people of God. Covenant Context: Leviticus 26:16 Within the curses section of the Mosaic covenant, the Lord warns, “I will bring upon you sudden terror” (Leviticus 26:16). The word punctuates the gravity of disobedience: terror is not random but divinely appointed. It inaugurates a sequence of escalating judgments, underscoring that the fear of God’s displeasure is as real as His promises of blessing. Historical Reflection: Psalm 78:33 Psalm 78 rehearses Israel’s wilderness unbelief, concluding, “So He ended their days in futility and their years in sudden terror” (Psalm 78:33). Here the term interprets Israel’s historical experience: their dread-filled deaths were not merely natural but judicial, demonstrating that God’s dealings in history remain morally and spiritually purposeful. Prophetic Reversal: Isaiah 65:23 In the vision of new heavens and new earth, the Lord pledges, “They will not labor in vain or bear children doomed to disaster” (Isaiah 65:23). בֶּהָלָה, which once described covenant curses, is now negated. The promised age eradicates the dread of fruitless toil and catastrophic loss, affirming the comprehensive restoration accomplished by God’s redemptive plan. Impending Judgment: Jeremiah 15:8 Confronting Judah’s stubborn rebellion, God declares, “I will suddenly bring upon them anguish and terror” (Jeremiah 15:8). The word functions as the climactic blow in a prophecy of national chastisement. The suddenness mirrors the unexpected siege tactics Babylon would deploy, reminding hearers that divine patience has limits. Theological Themes 1. Divine Sovereignty in Judgment: בֶּהָלָה never arises by chance; it is appointed or removed by the Lord. Ministry and Pastoral Implications • Warning and Invitation: Preaching should retain the biblical tension—faithful proclamation exposes the reality of divine terror while simultaneously extending the offer of grace. Christological and Redemptive Perspective The cross absorbs the fullest dimension of covenant terror: “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24). In Christ, the dread reserved for rebels falls on the sinless Substitute, securing the Isaiah promise for all who trust Him. The resurrection then guarantees a future where no vestige of בֶּהָלָה remains. Practical Application for the Church • Cultivate Holy Fear: Reverence guides obedience more effectively than sentimentalism. Summary בֶּהָלָה highlights both the severity of divine judgment and the splendor of divine restoration. Its trajectory—from the covenant curses, through historical narrative and prophetic indictment, to eschatological comfort—invites the believer to sobriety, repentance, and enduring hope. Forms and Transliterations בֶּֽהָלָה֙ בַּבֶּהָלָֽה׃ בבהלה׃ בהלה וּבֶהָלֽוֹת׃ ובהלות׃ לַבֶּהָלָ֑ה לבהלה bab·be·hā·lāh babbehaLah babbehālāh be·hā·lāh behaLah behālāh lab·be·hā·lāh labbehaLah labbehālāh ū·ḇe·hā·lō·wṯ ūḇehālōwṯ uvehaLotLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Leviticus 26:16 HEB: וְהִפְקַדְתִּ֨י עֲלֵיכֶ֤ם בֶּֽהָלָה֙ אֶת־ הַשַּׁחֶ֣פֶת NAS: over you a sudden terror, consumption KJV: this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, INT: will appoint over A sudden consumption and fever Psalm 78:33 Isaiah 65:23 Jeremiah 15:8 4 Occurrences |
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, IV. shut, x. impeded in speech, tongue-tied; Ethiopic 
be dumb).