Word Study for H2921 (טָלָא) | Strong's Concordance

ṭâlâʼ /taw-law'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root

Meaningproperly, to cover with pieces; i.e. (by implication) to spot or variegate (as tapestry)

KJV usageclouted, with divers colours, spotted.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of ṭâlâʼ — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word ṭâlâʼ, represented by H2921, is a primitive root that properly means to cover with pieces. This leads to its application in scripture as to spot or variegate, and it is also translated as clouted or with divers colours. It appears 8 times across 6 unique verses.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In Genesis, H2921 is used repeatedly in the narrative of Jacob and Laban to describe livestock. Jacob's wages were to consist of all the spotted and speckled goats and brown sheep Genesis 30:32. As a result, when the flocks conceived, they brought forth young that were ringstraked, speckled, and spotted Genesis 30:39. The word also appears in a context of deception, when the Gibeonites presented themselves to Joshua with old and clouted (patched) shoes to feign a long journey Joshua 9:5. Figuratively, in Ezekiel, Israel is described as using garments to create high places of divers colours, an act associated with playing the harlot Ezekiel 16:16.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words clarify the contexts in which H2921 is found:

H5348 nâqôd (speckled): This word is consistently paired with ṭâlâʼ in Genesis to describe the markings of Jacob's flock. It specifies animals that are "spotted; speckled," reinforcing the idea of a variegated appearance Genesis 30:32.
H1087 bâleh (old): Meaning "worn out; old," this term describes the condition of the shoes that are clouted H2921 in the Gibeonites' deception, highlighting the deliberate appearance of age and wear Joshua 9:5.
H1116 bâmâh (high place): The term for "an elevation; height, high place, wave," it is the object that Israel "deckedst" with garments of divers colours H2921 in an act of spiritual unfaithfulness Ezekiel 16:16.
H2181 zânâh (playedst the harlot): This word, meaning "to commit adultery," reveals the symbolic gravity of decking high places with divers colours. The act is not merely decorative but represents idolatry, or figuratively going a-whoring from God Ezekiel 16:16.

Theological Significance

The applications of H2921 carry significant conceptual weight, moving from literal description to potent metaphor.

Designation of Value: In the context of Jacob's agreement with Laban, being spotted is the specific characteristic that designates which animals belong to Jacob as his hire or wages H7939 Genesis 30:33. The marking is a visible sign of ownership and divine provision.
Appearance of Deception: The "clouted" or patched shoes worn by the Gibeonites are a key element in their strategy of deceit. The patchwork appearance is intended to create a false impression of a long, arduous journey, showing how a variegated or pieced-together surface can be used to mislead Joshua 9:5.
Symbol of Spiritual Corruption: In Ezekiel, garments of divers colours are used to adorn high places for idolatrous worship. This variegated, mixed nature symbolizes spiritual impurity and unfaithfulness, as Israel "playedst the harlot" H2181 by mixing true worship with profane practices Ezekiel 16:16.

Summary

In summary, H2921 ṭâlâʼ is a term whose meaning extends from the literal to the metaphorical. It describes the physical appearance of animals with spotted coats, the patched state of clouted shoes, and the spiritually corrupt nature of idolatrous worship decorated with divers colours. The word consistently points to a state of being variegated, patched, or mixed, whether for establishing value, perpetrating a deception, or illustrating a fall into spiritual adultery.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 8 occurrences, inflected in 4 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

טָלוּא
טְּלֻאֹת
טְּלֻאִים
מְטֻלָּאוֹת

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 6 verses across 3 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Genesis (4 verses); never once in the other 36.

Genesis

Joshua

Ezekiel

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.