H8518 H8518
To hang, suspend; used of execution by hanging, public display of corpses, and suspending objects.
Talah is the Hebrew Bible's primary verb for hanging, and its usage carries a weight far beyond the physical act. While it can describe the neutral suspension of an object — shields hung on a tower wall (Song 4:4), or God 'hanging the earth upon nothing' (Job 26:7) — its dominant register is grim: bodies impaled or gibbeted after execution, from Pharaoh's chief baker (Gen 40:19-22) to the sons of Saul (2 Sam 21:12) to Haman on his own gallows (Esth 7:9-10). The theological climax comes in Deuteronomy 21:23, 'a hanged man is cursed by God,' a verse that reverberates into Paul's theology of the cross (Gal 3:13). Spanish colgar and German haengen both cover the full range, but Korean and Swahili use distinct vocabulary for execution-hanging versus object-suspension, exposing the real semantic divide.
Senses
1. hang or suspend (active Qal) — The dominant active Qal sense: to hang or suspend someone or something, especially in contexts of execution or public display of corpses. Pharaoh hangs the chief baker (Gen 40:22); Joshua hangs the king of Ai (Josh 8:29); Esther requests that Haman's sons be hanged (Esth 9:13-14). The command form appears in Deuteronomy 21:22 — 'you shall hang him on a tree.' Spanish colgar and French pendre consistently select judicial-execution vocabulary here. Twenty occurrences spanning Genesis through Esther, making this by far the word's primary usage. 20×
AR["الْ-خَبَّازِينَ", "صُلِبُوا", "عَلَّقَ", "عَلَّقُوهُ", "عَلَّقُوهُمَا", "عَلَّقْنَا", "عَلِّقُوهُ", "فَ-عَلَّقُوا", "فَعَلَّقُوهُمَا", "لِ-يُعَلِّقَ", "لِيُعَلِّقُوا", "وَ-عَلَّقَهُم", "وَ-يُعَلِّقُكَ", "وَ-يُعَلِّقُوا", "وَتُعَلِّقُهُ", "وَيُعَلِّقُونَ", "وَ‒صُلِبَ", "يُصْلَبُوا"]·ben["(কেতিব)", "আর-ঝুলিয়ে-দিলেন", "আর-টাঙাবে-তিনি", "এবং-টাঙাল-তাদের", "এবং-তুমি-ঝুলাও", "ও-ঝুলবে", "ও-ঝুলিয়েছে", "ও-ঝোলাল", "ও-টাঙাক", "ঝুলিয়ে-রেখেছিল-তাদের", "ঝুলিয়ে-রেখেছিলাম-আমরা", "ঝুলিয়েছে", "ঝোলাও", "ঝোলাতে", "ঝোলানো-হোক", "ঝোলাল", "টাঙাল", "টাঙালেন-তিনি"]·DE["[k]", "[ותלו]", "[לתלות]", "er-haengte", "haengte", "hängte-er", "und-du-haengen", "und-haengte", "und-haengte-ihnen", "und-hängen", "und-sie-hung", "wir-hung"]·EN["[k]", "and-hang", "and-hanged-them", "and-let-them-hang", "and-they-hanged", "and-they-hung", "and-will-hang", "and-you-hang", "hang-him", "he-hanged", "hung-them", "let-them-hang", "they-hanged", "to-hang", "we-hung"]·FR["[k]", "[ותלו]", "[לתלות]", "et-ils-hung", "et-ils-pendirent", "et-pendit-eux", "et-pendre", "et-tu-hang", "hung-eux", "il-pendit", "pendre"]·heb["ו-יתלו", "ו-תלה", "ו-תלו", "ו-תלית", "ו-תלם", "יתלו", "ל-תלות", "תלאו-ם", "תלה", "תלהו-ו", "תלו", "תלו-ם", "תלינו"]·HI["उन्होंने लटकाया", "और-लटकाएगा", "और-लटकाया", "और-लटकाया गया", "और-लटकाया-उन्हें", "और-लटकाया-जाए", "और-लटकेंगे", "खूंटी", "तो-लटकाया-उन्होंने", "लटकाए", "लटकाए-जाएं", "लटकाओ-उसे", "लटकाया", "लटकाया-था", "लटकाया-है-उन्होंने", "हमने-लटकाई"]·ID["(menggantung-mereka)", "Dan-akan-menggantungkan", "[menggantung-mereka]", "biarlah-digantung", "dan-biarlah-digantung", "dan-kamu-menggantung", "dan-menggantung", "dan-menggantung-mereka", "dan-mereka-menggantung", "digantung", "gantunglah-dia", "ia-gantung", "kami-menggantungkan", "mereka-gantung", "untuk-menggantung", "untuk-menggantungkan"]·IT["[k]", "[ותלו]", "[לתלות]", "[תלינו]", "appendere", "appese-loro", "e-appendere", "e-appesero", "e-essi-appese", "e-hanged-loro", "e-tu-appendere", "egli-appese", "egli-hanged"]·jav["(gantung-piyambakipun)", "Lan-dipun-gantung", "[gantung-piyambakipun]", "dipun-gantung", "dipungantung", "gantungna", "kanggé-nggantuaken", "kanggé-nggantung", "kita-nyantèlaken", "lan-dipun-gantung", "lan-dipun-gantungaken", "lan-mugi-dipun-gantung", "lan-nggantung", "lan-nggantung-tiyang-menika", "lan-panjenengan-nggandhul", "mugi-dipun-gantung", "nggantung"]·KO["(매달았다-그들을)", "[매달았다-그들을]", "걸기-위하여", "걸었도다", "그리고-달-것이다", "그리고-달아매니라", "그리고-달았다", "그리고-달으리라", "그리고-매달게하라", "그리고-매달리니", "그리고-매달았다", "달았다", "매달게하도록", "매달게하소서", "매달아라", "매달았다"]·PT["(penduraram-os)", "E-enforcaram", "E-pendurarão", "[penduraram-os]", "e-enforcaram", "e-enforquem", "e-o-pendurarás", "e-penduraram", "e-pendurará", "e-pendurou-os", "enforcaram", "enforcou", "enforquem", "enforquem-o", "para-enforcar", "para-pendurar", "penduramos", "pendurou"]·RU["[кетив]", "И-повесили", "Повесьте-его", "и-повесил-их", "и-повесили", "и-повесит", "и-повесишь", "и-повесят", "и-пусть-повесят", "повесил", "повесили", "повесили-их", "повесили-мы", "повесить", "пусть-повесят", "чтобы-вешать"]·ES["(los-colgaron)", "Colgadlo", "Y-colgaron", "Y-colgarán", "[colgaron-los]", "colgamos", "colgar", "colgaron", "colgó", "para-colgar", "que-cuelguen", "y-colgaron", "y-colgará", "y-cuelguen", "y-lo-cuelgues", "y-los-colgó"]·SW["Na-wataninginia", "akamtundika", "alimtundika", "juu-ya", "kulingana-na", "kumtundika", "kutundika", "kwa-mfalme", "na-akawatundika", "na-utamtundika", "na-wakamtundika", "na-walimtundika", "na-wamtundike", "tulitundika", "wakawatundika", "walimtundika", "walitundikwa"]·TR["(astılar-onları)", "Ve-asacaklar", "[astılar-onları]", "asmak-için", "asmak-için-", "assınlar", "astı", "astık", "astılar", "asın", "ve-asacak", "ve-asarsan", "ve-assınlar", "ve-astı", "ve-astılar"]·urd["(لٹکایا-تھا)", "[لٹکایا]", "اور-تُو-لٹکائے", "اور-لٹکائیں", "اور-لٹکائیں-گے", "اور-لٹکائے-گا", "اور-لٹکایا", "اور-لٹکایا-اُنہیں", "لٹکاؤ", "لٹکائیں", "لٹکائے", "لٹکانا", "لٹکانے-کو", "لٹکایا", "ہم-نے-لٹکائیں"]
Gen 40:19, Gen 40:22, Gen 41:13, Deut 21:22, Josh 8:29, Josh 10:26, 2 Sam 4:12, 2 Sam 21:12, 2 Sam 21:12, Esth 5:14, Esth 6:4, Esth 7:9 (+8 more)
2. hung, in state of suspension (passive participle) — The Qal passive participle describing the state of being hung or suspended — a person or object already in suspension. Deuteronomy 21:23 delivers the theologically charged declaration 'he who is hung is a curse of God,' which Paul later applies to Christ's crucifixion. In Song of Solomon 4:4 a thousand shields 'hang' on the tower of David, and in 2 Samuel 18:10 Absalom is seen 'hanging' in the oak tree. The shift from active execution to resultant state is cross-linguistically marked: Korean and Swahili both use stative constructions for this participial form. Four occurrences, each semantically distinct from the act of hanging itself. 4×
AR["الْمُعَلَّقُ", "تَلُوي", "مُعَلَّقينَ", "مُعَلَّقًا"]·ben["ঝুলছে", "ঝোলানো", "টাঙানো"]·DE["haengte", "hanging", "ist-haengte"]·EN["hanging", "hung", "is-hanged"]·FR["est-hanged", "hanging", "y-sont-suspendus,"]·heb["תלוי", "תלויים"]·HI["लटका-हुआ", "लटकी-हुई", "लटके-हुए"]·ID["tergantung", "yang-digantung"]·IT["e-appese", "hanging", "hung"]·jav["digantung", "gumantung", "ingkang-dipungandhul", "kang-dipungantung"]·KO["걸린", "달린-자가", "달린-채로", "매달린"]·PT["o-pendurado", "pendurado", "pendurados"]·RU["висит", "висящего", "висящими", "повешенный"]·ES["colgado", "colgados", "cuelgan", "es-el-colgado"]·SW["akining'inia", "aliyetundikwa", "wametundikwa", "zimetundikwa"]·TR["asili", "asılan", "asılmış", "asılı"]·urd["لٹکا-ہوا", "لٹکا-ہوا-ہے", "لٹکی-ہوئی-ہیں", "لٹکے-ہوئے"]
3. hang up (intensive Piel) — The intensive Piel stem: to hang up or affix by hanging with emphasis on completeness or deliberateness. In Ezekiel 27:10-11, warriors hang their shields and helmets on Tyre's walls as ornamental display — a military-decorative context quite different from judicial execution. The Piel intensification suggests careful, purposeful placement. Only two occurrences, both in Ezekiel's lament over Tyre, confirming this as a specialized martial-display usage. 2×
AR["عَلَّقُوا", "عَلَّقُوا-"]·ben["টাঙানো-", "টাঙানো-হয়েছে"]·DE["[תלו]"]·EN["they-hung", "they-hung-"]·FR["[תלו]"]·heb["תלו"]·HI["लटकाए-"]·ID["mereka-menggantungkan", "mereka-menggantungkan-"]·IT["[תלו]"]·jav["sami-nggandhulaken", "sami-nggandhulaken-"]·KO["걸었다-", "걸었다-그들이"]·PT["penduraram"]·RU["вешали", "вешали-"]·ES["colgaron"]·SW["walitundika"]·TR["astılar", "astılar-"]·urd["لٹکائیں", "لٹکائے-"]
4. be hanged (Nifal passive) — The Nifal passive: to be hanged, describing the subject as undergoing execution by hanging. Bigthana and Teresh 'were hanged' after their assassination plot was uncovered (Esth 2:23); the princes of Judah 'were hanged' by their hands in Lamentations 5:12. Spanish fueron colgados and French pendirent both employ passive voice to match the Hebrew morphology. Two occurrences, both describing completed judicial punishment suffered by the subject. 2×
AR["عُلِّقُوا", "فَ-عُلِّقَا"]·ben["ও-টাঙানো-হল", "ঝোলানো-হয়েছিল"]·DE["haengte", "und-haengte"]·EN["and-were-hanged", "were-hanged"]·FR["[נתלו]", "et-ils-pendirent"]·heb["ו-יתלו", "ניתלו"]·HI["और-टाँगे-गए", "लटकाए-गए"]·ID["dan-digantung", "digantung"]·IT["[נתלו]", "e-appesero"]·jav["lan-dipun-gantung", "sami-digantung"]·KO["그들-이-매달았네", "그리고-매달렸다"]·PT["e-foram-pendurados", "foram-enforcados"]·RU["вешали", "и-были-повешены"]·ES["fueron-colgados", "y-fueron-colgados"]·SW["na-wakatundikwa", "walitundikwa"]·TR["asıldılar", "ve-asıldı"]·urd["اور-لٹکائے-گئے", "لٹکایا-گیا"]
5. one who hangs (active participle) — The Qal active participle used as a divine epithet: 'the one who hangs' — a single magnificent occurrence in Job 26:7 where God is described as 'hanging the earth upon nothing' (toleh erets al-belimah). Here the violent and juridical associations of the verb vanish entirely, replaced by a cosmological portrait of divine creative power. Spanish colgando and Korean's present-participial form both capture the ongoing, sustaining character of God's act. A striking theological repurposing of a word otherwise dominated by death. 1×
AR["مُعَلِّقٌ"]·ben["তিনি-ঝুলিয়ে-রাখেন"]·DE["haengte"]·EN["hanging"]·FR["suspendre"]·heb["תולה"]·HI["लटकाने-वाला"]·ID["menggantungkan"]·IT["hanging"]·jav["nggantung"]·KO["매다시는-자"]·PT["pendura"]·RU["подвешивающий"]·ES["colgando"]·SW["anatundika"]·TR["asan"]·urd["لٹکانے-والا"]
Related Senses
G0846 1. third-person pronoun reference (5552×)H???? 1. (4670×)H6213a 1. do, perform, act (2383×)G4160 1. do, act, perform (473×)H5221 1. Hifil: to strike in battle, smite enemies (362×)H4421 1. war, battle, armed conflict (319×)H0341 1. enemy, adversary, foe (284×)H0899b 1. garment, article of clothing (216×)H3898a 1. Nifal: to fight, wage war (167×)H6213a 2. make, construct, fabricate (148×)H2026 1. kill, slay (active) (146×)H2451 1. wisdom, discernment (146×)H5483b 1. horse (the animal) (138×)H0006 1. to perish, be destroyed (105×)H3772 1. cut a covenant / make a pact (97×)H5060 1. touch physically (Qal) (96×)H3615 1. complete a task (Piel) (85×)H7843 1. Hifil: destroy, annihilate (83×)H3772 2. cut off / destroy (Hifil causative) (81×)H3920 1. capture, seize (Qal) (76×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† תָּלָה vb. hang (NH id.; Assyrian Pi. tullû, hang up; Arabic تَّلَ let down, dangle (a rope, etc.); Aramaic תְּלָא, ܬܠܴܐ hang; perhaps Old Aramaic תלה id., Lzb386; Ethiopic ተለወ in derived sense, be devoted, addicted, to);— Qal Pf. 3 ms. ת׳ Gn 40:22 +; 2 ms. וְתָלִ֫יתָ Dt 21:22 consec.; 3 pl. תָּלוּ Est 8:7; 9:14, sf. תלום 2 S 21:12 Kt (Qr v. תלא), etc.; Impf. 3 ms. sf. וַיִּתְלֵם Jos 10:26,…