Word Study for H8566 (תָּנָה)

tânâh /taw-naw'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root

Meaningto present (a mercenary inducement), i.e. bargain with (a harlot)

KJV usagehire.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of tânâh — 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 tânâh, represented by H8566, is a primitive root defined as to present a mercenary inducement, or to bargain with and hire. This specific term appears only 2 times across 2 unique verses in the Bible, both within the same prophetic passage.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

Both uses of H8566 are found in the book of Hosea and describe the unfaithful actions of Ephraim. The text states that "Ephraim hath hired lovers" Hosea 8:9, directly associating the word with paying for illicit affection. This theme is immediately reinforced when the prophet declares, "though they have hired among the nations, now will I gather them" Hosea 8:10, framing Israel's pursuit of foreign political alliances as an act of hiring prostitutes.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words clarify the context of this act of hiring:

H158 ʼahab (love(-r)): This word, meaning affection in a good or bad sense, is used for the lovers that Ephraim hired, highlighting the unfaithful nature of their transactional relationships Hosea 8:9.
H1471 gôwy (nation): Defined as a foreign nation or Gentile, this term identifies the partners in Ephraim's unfaithfulness, as they "hired among the nations" instead of trusting God Hosea 8:10.
H4853 massâʼ (burden): This word describes the direct consequence of Ephraim's actions. Their hiring results not in security but in a burden, specifically "the burden of the king of princes" Hosea 8:10.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H8566 is focused on the concept of spiritual unfaithfulness.

Transactional Idolatry: The act of "hiring" portrays Israel's alliances not as simple treaties, but as a form of spiritual harlotry, where they pay for the favor of foreign powers ("lovers") rather than relying on their covenant relationship with God Hosea 8:9.
Fruitless Labor: The consequence of this hiring is sorrow and a heavy burden, demonstrating that seeking security outside of God's provision is ultimately futile and leads to oppression Hosea 8:10.
Divine Sovereignty: Despite Israel's attempts to secure its own future by hiring help, God declares that He will gather them, showing that His plan and judgment override their faithless dealings with the nations Hosea 8:10.

Summary

In summary, H8566 tânâh is a rare but powerful term used to condemn faithlessness. Though its appearances are limited to Hosea, it transforms the political act of making alliances into a vivid metaphor for spiritual adultery. It serves as a stark warning that hiring worldly powers for security ultimately results in a burdensome and sorrowful outcome, contrary to the faithfulness of God.

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 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.

הִתְנוּ
יִתְנוּ

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

2 verses, all in Hosea — and none of the other 38 Old Testament books.

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.