### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **tâlâh**, represented by `{{H8518}}`, is a primitive root meaning **to suspend** or **hang (up)**. It appears 28 times across 27 unique verses. While its basic meaning is to suspend an object, it is most frequently used in the context of execution by hanging, often on a tree or gallows, but also appears in poetic and descriptive contexts to convey divine power or dependence.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In biblical law, `{{H8518}}` is central to the protocol for certain capital offenses. A person put to death for a sin worthy of death could be hung `{{H8518}}` on a tree [[Deuteronomy 21:22]]. This act carried profound significance, as the law states, "he that is hanged is accursed of God" [[Deuteronomy 21:23]]. This practice is depicted in the historical narratives, such as when Joshua hanged the king of Ai [[Joshua 8:29]] and five other kings [[Joshua 10:26]]. The book of Esther extensively features this word, where Haman is ironically hanged on the gallows he built for Mordecai [[Esther 7:10]]. Beyond punishment, the term is used poetically to describe God's creative power, as he "hangeth the earth upon nothing" [[Job 26:7]], and to describe the hanging of shields and harps ([[Ezekiel 27:10]], [[Psalms 137:2]]).
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words expand upon the concept of suspension and its consequences:
* `{{H6086}}` **ʻêts** (a tree... gallows): This word is frequently used as the object on which someone or something is hanged. In contexts of execution, a person is hanged on a "tree" ([[Genesis 40:19]], [[Deuteronomy 21:22]]). In the book of Esther, the same word is translated as "gallows" [[Esther 5:14]].
* `{{H4191}}` **mûwth** (to die... to kill): This word often describes the act that precedes being hanged. The law specifies that after a person is "put to death," they may then be hung on a tree [[Deuteronomy 21:22]]. Similarly, Joshua first slew the five kings before he "hanged them on five trees" [[Joshua 10:26]].
* `{{H7045}}` **qᵉlâlâh** (vilification; (ac-) curse(-d, -ing)): This term reveals the theological status of one who is hanged. The law in Deuteronomy explicitly connects the act of hanging with being under a divine curse, stating "he that is hanged is accursed of God" [[Deuteronomy 21:23]].
### Theological Significance
The thematic weight of `{{H8518}}` is significant. It is used to illustrate several key ideas:
* **Execution and Judgment:** The word is primarily associated with carrying out a death sentence. This is seen in the commands of kings to hang individuals, such as David ordering his men to slay and hang up the murderers of Ishbosheth [[2 Samuel 4:12]], and the king in Esther commanding Haman to be hanged [[Esther 7:9]].
* **Symbol of a Divine Curse:** The act of hanging is not merely a method of execution but a sign of ultimate disgrace. According to the law, being hanged on a tree designates a person as "accursed of God" [[Deuteronomy 21:23]], signifying a state of defilement that required the body to be buried the same day.
* **Cosmic and Figurative Suspension:** In a departure from its punitive use, `{{H8518}}` illustrates God's omnipotence in creation, where he "hangeth the earth upon nothing" [[Job 26:7]]. It is also used figuratively to represent bearing a great weight of honor and responsibility, as when "all the glory" of a house is to "hang" upon one man [[Isaiah 22:24]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H8518}}` is a powerful word with a dual application. Primarily, it denotes the act of hanging as a form of capital punishment, carrying with it the severe theological weight of being accursed by God [[Deuteronomy 21:23]]. This is illustrated through its repeated use in legal and historical contexts, particularly in Joshua and Esther. However, it also serves a broader descriptive purpose, from depicting the suspension of weapons and instruments ([[Psalms 137:2]], [[Ezekiel 27:10]]) to illustrating God's supreme power over creation [[Job 26:7]]. The word thus moves between the physical act of suspension and the profound spiritual status it can signify.
TRV