H8482 H8482
Lowest parts, depths of the earth (Sheol/underworld); lower (comparative, of chambers or stones); bottom or base of a feature.
The adjective-turned-substantive tachtiy derives from tachat ('under, beneath') and plunges the reader into the vertical cosmology of the Hebrew Bible. In its dominant plural form tachtiyyot ha'arets ('the lowest parts of the earth'), it names the subterranean realm of the dead — Sheol, the shadowy underworld beneath the living world. Moses warns that God's anger burns 'unto the lowest Sheol' (Deut 32:22), the Psalmist thanks God for rescue 'from the depths of Sheol' (Ps 86:13), and Ezekiel consigns proud nations to 'the lowest parts of the earth' (Ezek 26:20; 31:14-18; 32:18-24). Spanish profundidades, French profondeurs, and German Tiefen all reach for depth vocabulary in these passages. The comparative sense survives in architectural contexts — the 'lower' stories of Noah's ark (Gen 6:16), the 'lower' spring of Caleb's inheritance (Josh 15:19; Judg 1:15), and the 'lower millstone' of Job 41:24. One singular occurrence marks a spatial base: Israel stationed 'at the bottom of the mountain' at Sinai (Exod 19:17).
1. lowest parts, depths (underworld/Sheol) — The lowest parts, depths, or netherworld regions — a substantival use referring to Sheol, the underworld, or the deep subterranean spaces beneath the earth. This dominant sense (14 occurrences) pervades cosmological and eschatological poetry: Moses' Song warns that divine fire burns 'to the lowest Sheol' (Deut 32:22), the Psalmist celebrates deliverance 'from the lowest Sheol' (Ps 86:13), and Ezekiel repeatedly consigns the proud dead to 'the lowest parts of the earth' (Ezek 26:20; 31:14, 16, 18; 32:18, 24). Spanish profundidades de la tierra, French profondeurs de la terre, and Arabic اعماق الارض all employ underworld-depth vocabulary. Isaiah 44:23 invites even 'the depths of the earth' to shout for joy at God's redemption. 14×
AR["أَسْفَلَ","الأَسْفَلِ","السُّفْلَى","السُّفْلَيَاتِ","بِـ-أَعْمَاقِ","سُفْلَى","في-أَسفَلِ","فِي-الأَسْفَلِ","ٱلسُّفْلَى"]·ben["-নীচুতে","গভীরতম","গভীরতমের","গভীরে-","নিম্ন-ভূমি","নিম্ন-ভূমিতে","নিম্নতম","নীচের"]·DE["[מתחתיות]","[תחתיות]","[תחתית]","der-Tiefen","hinein-der-Tiefen-von","in-depths-of","lowest"]·EN["from-lowest-parts-of","in-depths-of","into-the-depths-of","lowest","lowest-parts","lowest-parts-of","of-the-depths","the-depths"]·FR["[מתחתיות]","[תחתיות]","[תחתית]","dans-profond","lowest","profond"]·heb["ב-תחתיות","מ-תחתיות","תחתיה","תחתיות","תחתית"]·HI["-पृथ्वी-की-गहराइयों-में","गहराइयों-में","गहराईयों","गहरे","निचली","नीचे-की","नीचे-के","सबसे-गहराईयों-से"]·ID["bagian-bawah","di-bagian-bagian-terdalam","di-tempat-tempat-terendah","ke-bagian-bawah","paling-bawah","terdalam","yang-paling-bawah","yang-paling-bawah,","yang-paling-bawah;"]·IT["[מתחתיות]","[תחתיות]","[תחתית]","lowest","profondita'"]·jav["dhasaring","dhateng-ngandhap-ngandhap","ing-ngandhap","ingkang-paling-ngandhap","ngandhap","saking-ngandhap","sangandhap"]·KO["가장-깊은","가장-깊은-곳들-에","가장-낮은-의","깊은","깊은-곳-에","깊은-곳들-에서","낮은-곳들의","아래-것들이여","아래의","아래쪽-에"]·PT["das-partes-baixas","inferior","mais-baixa","mais-baixo","mais-profunda","nas-profundezas","nas-profundezas-de","profundezas","profundezas-de","profundo"]·RU["в-глубинах-","в-глубины","в-нижних-частях","глубины","нижней","нижнейшую","нижнюю","преисподнего","преисподней"]·ES["de-abajo","de-las-partes-bajas","de-las-profundidades","en-profundidades-de","lo-más-bajo","lo-profundo","más-bajo","profundidades"]·SW["chini-kabisa","katika-sehemu-za-chini","la-chini-kabisa","sehemu-za-chini","vilindini-vya","ya-chini"]·TR["aşağı","aşağı-yerlerden","aşağıdaki","derinlikleri","derinliklerinde-","derinliklerine-","dibine","en-aşağı","en-derin"]·urd["بَ-ایھرائیوں","سے-نیچوں","میں-گہرائیوں","نچلی","نچلے","نچلے-ترین","نیچے-کی","گہرائیوں","گہرے"]
Deut 32:22, Neh 4:13, Ps 63:9, Ps 86:13, Ps 88:6, Ps 139:15, Isa 44:23, Lam 3:55, Ezek 26:20, Ezek 31:14, Ezek 31:16, Ezek 31:18 (+2 more)
▼ 2 more senses below
Senses
2. lower (comparative adjective) — Lower in position (comparative adjective) — describing something as being in a relatively lower position compared to something else, used attributively in architectural, geographic, or anatomical contexts. Four occurrences include the 'lower stories' of Noah's ark (Gen 6:16), the 'lower springs' given to Achsah by Caleb (Josh 15:19; Judg 1:15), and the 'lower millstone' describing Leviathan's impenetrable underside (Job 41:24). Spanish inferior/inferiores and French inferieur mark the straightforward comparative, while German untere preserves the spatial contrast with upper levels. 4×
AR["السُّفْلى","سُفْلى","سُفْلِيَّةً","سُفْلِيَّةٍ."]·ben["নীচের","নীচের-জাঁতাপেষাইয়ের"]·DE["-der-senken","[תחתית]","senken","untere"]·EN["-the-lower","lower","the-lower-millstone"]·FR["-le-inférieur","abaisser","inférieur","תחתית"]·heb["תחתיות","תחתים","תחתית"]·HI["नीचली।","नीचे-की-चक्की-का","नीचे-की-मनज़िल","नीचे-वाले"]·ID["bawah","tingkat-bawah","yang-di-bawah"]·IT["-il-lower","abbassare","lower","the-lower-millstone"]·jav["ngandhap","panggilingan-ngandhap."]·KO["아래-것들의","아래의","아래쬵","아랫"]·PT["(os)-inferiores","inferior","inferiores","mó-inferior."]·RU["нижнего-жернова","нижние","нижний"]·ES["inferior","inferiores"]·SW["chini","ya-chini","za-chini"]·TR["alt","alt-değirmenin","aşağı"]·urd["نچلی","نچلے-کا","نیچے-کے"]
3. bottom, base (of a feature) — The bottom or base of a geographic feature — a locative use with a preposition indicating position at the foot or lowest point of a landmark. One clear occurrence at the Sinai theophany: 'Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stationed themselves at the bottom of the mountain' (Exod 19:17). Spanish al pie de ('at the foot of'), French au pied de, and Arabic عند سفح الجبل all use dedicated 'foot of the mountain' vocabulary, confirming this as a distinct spatial sense from the cosmic depths of sense 1. 1×
AR["فِي-أَسْفَلِ"]·ben["নিচে"]·DE["bei-Boden-von"]·EN["at-bottom-of"]·FR["à-fond-de"]·heb["ב-תחתית"]·HI["में-तलहटी"]·ID["di-kaki"]·IT["a-bottom-di"]·jav["wonten-ing-ngandhaping"]·KO["아래-에"]·PT["ao-pé-de"]·RU["у-подножия"]·ES["al-pie-de-"]·SW["chini-ya"]·TR["eteğinde"]·urd["تلہٹی-میں"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† תַּחְתִּי adj. and subst. lower, lowest (places):—fs. תַּחְתִּיָּה †ψ 86:13, תַּחְתִּית Ex 19:17 +; mpl. תַּחְתִּיִּם †Gn 6:16; fpl. תַּחְתִּיּוֹת ψ 63:10 +;—Ex 19:17 ויתיצבו בְּתַתְתִּית הָהָר in the lower part of the mt., Ju 1:15 = Jos 15:19 (so read here with 𝔊 MSS 𝔖 𝔗 𝔙 for גֻּלֹּת תַּחְתִּיּוֹת) אֵת גֻּלַּת תַּחְתִּית the lower spring, Jb 41:16 כְּפֶלַח תַּהְתִּית like the lower…