תָּהֳלָה H8417
error, folly — mistake or moral failing, possibly in Job 4:18 (though text is uncertain)
This noun appears in Job 4:18, though the text is disputed. Eliphaz claims God 'charges his angels with error' or folly. If the reading is correct, the noun means a mistake or moral failing—even celestial beings are not beyond reproach before God. However, many scholars prefer the reading 'untrustworthiness' (tiphlah), and textual variants suggest early confusion. Either way, the verse affirms God's transcendent holiness.
Senses
1. sense 1 — A disputed noun in Job 4:18, possibly meaning 'error' or 'folly' that God finds even in his angels. BDB notes connection to an Ethiopian root for wandering or roving, suggesting moral deviation. However, textual variants and the alternative reading 'untrustworthiness' caution against certainty. The verse's point remains: if even angels are imperfect before God, how much more are mortals? 1×
AR["ضَلالَةً"]·ben["ভ্রান্তি"]·DE["[תהלה]"]·EN["error"]·FR["תהלה"]·heb["תוהלה"]·HI["मूर्खता"]·ID["kesalahan"]·IT["error"]·jav["kalepatanl"]·KO["헛됨을"]·PT["loucura"]·RU["заблуждение"]·ES["locura"]·SW["upumbavu"]·TR["hata"]·urd["بےوقوفی"]
Related Senses
H3045 1. Qal: to know, perceive, understand (829×)H5315 1. soul, inner being (647×)H3820a 1. heart, inner self (mind/will/emotion) (572×)H4672 1. Qal: find, discover (289×)G1492 1. know facts or truths (285×)H3824 1. heart, inner self (mind/will/emotion) (250×)H1245 1. seek, search for (200×)G1097 1. know, be acquainted with (196×)H2142 1. Qal: remember, recall (173×)G2588 1. heart (inner self, mind, will) (158×)H0977 1. choose, select (Qal active) (145×)G2147 1. find, discover (144×)G5590 1. soul, inner self (100×)H4672 2. Niphal: be found, be discovered (99×)H1875 1. seek, search for (96×)H5315 2. life, vitality (94×)H1847 1. knowledge, discernment (90×)H2450 1. wise, prudent (84×)H7911 1. Qal: to forget (83×)H3684 1. fool, dullard (70×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
תָּהֳלָה n.f. error (? si. vera l.; √ תהל according to DiLex. Æth. 522, who cp. Ethiopic ተሐለ: iii. rove, wander; Arabic وَهَلَ is commit error, cf. BaNB § 179, Anm. 3);—וּבְמַלְאָכָיו יָשִׂים ת׳ Jb 4:18, תִּפְלָה q.v.