Word Study for H2928 (טֶלֶם) | Strong's Concordance

Ṭelem /teh'-lem/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom an unused root meaning to break up or treat violently

Meaningoppression; Telem, the name of a place in Idumaea, also of a temple doorkeeper

KJV usageTelem.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of Ṭelem — 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 Ṭelem, represented by H2928, is defined from an unused root meaning to break up or treat violently. It signifies oppression, and is used as the name of a place in Idumaea and of a temple doorkeeper. This word appears 2 times across 2 unique verses in the Bible.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The word H2928 has two distinct applications in the biblical record. First, it appears as a geographical place name, listed among the cities in the south of Judah alongside Ziph and Bealoth Joshua 15:24. Secondly, it is used as the personal name of a man. In the book of Ezra, Telem is identified as one of the porters, or temple doorkeepers, who served alongside Shallum and Uri Ezra 10:24.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words provide context for the two occurrences of Ṭelem:

H7778 shôwʻêr (doorkeeper, porter): This term defines the role held by the man named Telem. These positions were official appointments for temple service 2 Chronicles 8:14, and Telem is listed among the porters in Ezra's time Ezra 10:24.
H2128 Zîyph (Ziph): This is the name of a place in Palestine. It is listed directly with Telem in the allotment of cities, grounding the location geographically Joshua 15:24.
H7967 Shallûwm (Shallum): The name of fourteen Israelites. One man named Shallum is listed as a fellow porter with Telem, connecting them in their service at the temple Ezra 10:24.

Theological Significance

The significance of H2928 is found in its specific, dual application within the scriptural narrative.

Geographical Identity: As a place name, Telem is part of the record of the land distribution to the tribes of Israel, specifically marking a location within the territory of Judah Joshua 15:24.
Role in Worship: As a personal name, Telem is associated with the sacred duties of the temple. The mention of a porter by this name in Ezra highlights the importance of individuals and their specific roles in the restoration of worship after the exile Ezra 10:24.
Meaning of Oppression: While used as a proper noun in its occurrences, the base definition of Ṭelem is derived from a root meaning "to break up or treat violently," which points to an underlying concept of oppression.

Summary

In summary, H2928 is a term with a limited but precise function in the Old Testament. Though appearing only twice, it serves to identify both a specific location in the land of Israel and a specific individual serving in a religious capacity. The word Ṭelem thus contributes to both the geographical and the personnel records of key moments in Israel's history.

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 noun across 2 occurrences, inflected in 2 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.

טֶלֶם
טֶלֶם

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 2 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Joshua and Ezra (1 verse each); never once in the other 37.

Joshua

Ezra

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.