Word Study for H8586 (תַּעֲלוּל)

taʻălûwl /tah-al-ool'/ Ask about this word

Meaningcaprice (as a fit coming on), i.e. vexation; concretely a tyrant

KJV usagebabe, delusion.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of taʻălûwl — 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 taʻălûwl, represented by H8586, describes concepts of caprice, vexation, and delusion. Concretely, it can refer to a tyrant or a babe. It appears only 2 times across 2 unique verses in the Bible, used to illustrate specific forms of divine judgment.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The two uses of H8586 highlight its dual meaning. In Isaiah 3:4, it is translated as babes, signifying a judgment where God will give children to be princes, and unqualified, capricious leaders will rule over the people. In Isaiah 66:4, it is used as delusions. God declares He will choose their delusions and bring their fears upon them as a direct consequence of their disobedience, because when He called and spoke, they did not hear but instead chose to do evil.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the context of H8586:

H4910 mâshal (to rule): This primitive root is used to describe the action of the babes, who "shall rule over" the people as a form of judgment Isaiah 3:4.
H8269 sar (prince): This term for a head person or captain is the title given to the children who will lead, linking the concept of babes to a position of authority Isaiah 3:4.
H977 bâchar (to choose): This word is central to the judgment in Isaiah 66:4, where God states He will choose their delusions because the people chose to do what displeased Him.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H8586 is centered on the nature of divine judgment.

Judgment Through Ineffective Leadership: The word is used to describe a punishment where societal structure is upended by the appointment of incompetent and capricious rulers, described as babes who shall rule Isaiah 3:4.
Consequences of Willful Disobedience: In Isaiah 66:4, delusions are presented as the direct result of Israel's choice to ignore God. Because they did not answer when called or hear when spoken to, God gives them over to their own deceptions.
Divine Sovereignty in Judgment: The context shows that this state of chaos is not accidental. God actively "will give" children to be princes and "will choose" their delusions, demonstrating His sovereign hand in executing judgment in response to sin.

Summary

In summary, H8586 is a rare but potent word that conveys a state of vexation and disorder. Though used only twice, it powerfully illustrates divine judgment as either the imposition of chaotic, immature leadership or the ratifying of a people's self-chosen delusions. In both cases, it signifies a troubling state that results from turning away from God's call.

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.

תַעֲלוּלִים
תַעֲלֻלֵי

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 Isaiah — 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.