H2849 H2849
terrors, sudden frights; overwhelming fears encountered unexpectedly
This plural noun means 'terrors' or 'sudden frights,' appearing in Ecclesiastes 12:5 in the allegory of old age: 'terrors are in the way.' The image is of fears arising on the road, perhaps fear of stumbling or of danger. The aged become fearful of travel and exertion. The term conveys sudden, paralyzing frights that accompany physical decline.
Senses
1. sense 1 — In Ecclesiastes 12:5, Qohelet describes the indignities of aging: 'the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, and terrors are in the way.' The elderly become fearful of ordinary activities like walking outside. The plural 'terrors' suggests multiple, recurrent frights. Spanish 'terrores,' French 'וחתחתים' (preserving the Hebrew), and English 'terrors' all emphasize the plurality and unpredictability of these age-related fears. 1×
AR["وِ-حَتْحَتِّيم"]·ben["এবং-সন্ত্রাসসমূহ"]·DE["[וחתחתים]"]·EN["and-terrors"]·FR["et-וחתחתים"]·heb["ו-חתחתים"]·HI["और-भय"]·ID["dan-teror-teror"]·IT["e-e-terrors"]·jav["lan-bab-medeni"]·KO["그리고-두려움들"]·PT["e-terrores"]·RU["и-ужасы"]·ES["y-terrores"]·SW["na-hofu"]·TR["ve-korkular"]·urd["اور-خوف"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [חַתְחַת] n.[m.] terror, only pl. חַתְחַתִּים בַּדֶּרֶךְ Ec 12:5 terrors are in the way (‖ ירא).