Word Study for H8463 (תַּחֲלוּא)

tachălûwʼ /takh-al-oo'/ Ask about this word

Rootor תַּחֲלֻא · from חָלָא

Meaninga malady

KJV usagedisease, (that are) sick(-ness).

Idioms & phrasesidiom grievous

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of tachălûwʼ — 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 tachălûwʼ, represented by H8463, denotes a malady or disease. Stemming from a root meaning sickness, it appears 5 times in 5 unique verses. The term is used to describe severe physical ailments and, idiomatically, to intensify the concept of grievousness, particularly in the context of divine judgment.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical usage, H8463 often appears in contexts of severe affliction and judgment. In Deuteronomy, it is listed among the "sicknesses" which the LORD will lay upon a disobedient land Deuteronomy 29:22. Similarly, Jeremiah uses the word to describe the "grievous" H8463 nature of deaths that will result from judgment, where bodies will not be buried but left like dung on the earth Jeremiah 16:4. It also depicts the condition of those suffering from famine in a besieged city Jeremiah 14:18. However, the word is also used in a context of hope, where God is praised as the one who "healeth all thy diseases" Psalms 103:3, linking physical restoration to divine forgiveness.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help frame the meaning of H8463:

H2483 chŏlîy (malady, anxiety, calamity; disease, grief, (is) sick(-ness)): This word is a close synonym and is used to describe the underlying "sickness" that leads to death by "sore diseases" H8463 in 2 Chronicles 21:19.
H5771 ʻâvôn (perversity, i.e. (moral) evil; fault, iniquity, mischeif, punishment (of iniquity), sin): The parallel between forgiving "iniquities" and healing "diseases" in Psalms 103:3 directly links moral fault with physical malady.
H7495 râphâʼ (to cure; cure, (cause to) heal, physician, repair, [idiom] thoroughly, make whole): This word stands in direct contrast to H8463, representing God's power to heal the very diseases described Psalms 103:3.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H8463 is significant, highlighting the relationship between God, humanity, and suffering.

Disease as Divine Judgment: The term is explicitly used to describe afflictions sent by the LORD as a consequence of disobedience, seen as plagues and sicknesses upon a land (Deuteronomy 29:22, Jeremiah 16:4).
The Consequence of Sin: A direct line is drawn between the spiritual state of "iniquity" H5771 and the physical state of "disease" H8463, suggesting that physical suffering can be a manifestation of spiritual brokenness Psalms 103:3.
God's Sovereignty over Healing: Just as God can lay sickness upon a land, He is also the ultimate source of healing. The promise to heal all "diseases" is presented as a core aspect of His redemptive character, offered alongside the forgiveness of sin Psalms 103:3.

Summary

In summary, H8463 is more than a simple term for sickness. It is a powerful word that portrays disease as a severe affliction, often tied to divine judgment for sin. Its use in scripture illustrates a profound connection between the physical well-being of people and their spiritual relationship with God. The word ultimately points to God's sovereignty over both affliction and restoration, where the healing of "diseases" is an act of divine mercy and forgiveness.

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 5 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.

תַּחֲלֻאֶי
תַחֲלֻאִים

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 5 verses across 4 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Jeremiah (2 verses); never once in the other 35.

Deuteronomy

2 Chronicles

Psalms

Jeremiah

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.