### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **tᵉlâʼâh**, represented by `{{H8513}}`, is a term for severe **distress, travail, and trouble**. It appears only 4 times across 4 unique verses in the Bible. Its usage consistently points to a state of wearisome hardship and affliction, often experienced over a prolonged period.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In the biblical narrative, `{{H8513}}` describes both national and personal suffering. It is used by Moses to recount to his father-in-law "all the **travail** that had come upon" Israel during the journey from Egypt, which served as the backdrop for the LORD's deliverance [[Exodus 18:8]]. Similarly, it is used to summarize Israel's collective hardship in a message to the king of Edom [[Numbers 20:14]]. In a corporate prayer, the people of Israel ask God not to let "all the **trouble**" they have endured seem insignificant [[Nehemiah 9:32]]. The word also conveys intense personal anguish, as when the writer of Lamentations feels compassed with "gall and **travail**" [[Lamentations 3:5]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help clarify the nature of this hardship:
* `{{H4672}}` **mâtsâʼ** (find or acquire): This word frequently describes how the distress of `{{H8513}}` is experienced, as something that has "come upon" or "befallen" God's people ([[Exodus 18:8]], [[Numbers 20:14]], [[Nehemiah 9:32]]).
* `{{H5337}}` **nâtsal** (deliver, save): This term is presented as the divine answer to the hardship of `{{H8513}}`. After recounting the "travail," Moses explains how the LORD "delivered them" [[Exodus 18:8]].
* `{{H7219}}` **rôʼsh** (gall, poison, venom): In Lamentations, this word is paired directly with `{{H8513}}`, emphasizing the bitter and poisonous nature of the suffering being endured [[Lamentations 3:5]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H8513}}` is significant in understanding the relationship between suffering and faith.
* **A Precursor to Deliverance:** The experience of **travail** sets the stage for God's salvation. The suffering of the Israelites in the wilderness is the context in which the LORD's power to deliver is revealed [[Exodus 18:8]].
* **An Appeal to Covenant Faithfulness:** In Nehemiah's prayer, the nation's immense **trouble** is laid before a God who is great, mighty, and terrible, but who also keeps "covenant and mercy." The hardship becomes the basis of an appeal for divine intervention, not a sign of God's absence [[Nehemiah 9:32]].
* **The Weight of National History:** The term is used to encapsulate the long, wearisome history of a people, from the initial journey out of Egypt [[Numbers 20:14]] to the cumulative suffering under foreign kings [[Nehemiah 9:32]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H8513}}` is more than a simple word for difficulty. It conveys a deep sense of exhausting distress and affliction. Whether describing the collective hardship of a nation's journey or the bitter anguish of an individual, **tᵉlâʼâh** serves as a powerful biblical expression of suffering that prompts a cry for divine remembrance and deliverance.
TRV