H8582 H8582
To go astray, wander, err; in Hifil: to lead astray, cause to err; of physical, moral, or intoxicated straying.
The verb ta'ah captures the full arc of going wrong — from a child literally lost in the wilderness, to a nation spiritually wandering from God, to a drunkard reeling from wine. Hagar 'wandered' (vatteta') in the wilderness of Beersheba (Gen 21:14) with the same root that describes Israel 'going astray' from God's commandments (Ps 119:176) and false prophets 'leading astray' entire peoples (2 Kgs 21:9). The Hifil causative, accounting for nearly half the occurrences, adds a sinister agent: someone or something actively causing the wandering. The multilingual evidence splits revealingly — Spanish errar and German irren both preserve the ambiguity between physical and moral wandering, while French distinguishes s'égarer ('lose one's way') from faire errer ('cause to stray'), and Arabic contrasts dalla ('go astray') with adalla ('lead astray'), each language forced to make explicit what Hebrew leaves unified.
Senses
1. lead astray, cause to err — Hifil causative: to lead astray, cause to err, mislead — 22 occurrences where an agent actively causes others to deviate from truth, righteousness, or the right path. Manasseh 'led Judah astray' (2 Kgs 21:9; 2 Chr 33:9); God 'makes counselors wander' in judgment (Job 12:24-25); false prophets deceive the people. Spanish hizo errar and French causer à errer both require an explicit causative construction, confirming this as a grammatically and semantically distinct sense from the Qal. The theological weight is heavy: the same God who guides can also, in judgment, remove guidance and leave nations to stumble. 22×
AR["أَتَاهَ","أَضَلَّهُم","أَضَلُّوا","أَضَلُّوهُمْ","أَضْلَلْتُمْ","الْمُضِلِّينَ","تُضِلُّنَا","تُضِلُّهُم","فَأَضَلُّوا","مُضِلٌّ","مُضِلُّونَ","وَ-أَضَلَّ","وَ-أَضَلَّتْهُمْ","وَ-أَضَلُّوا","وَ-يُتيهُهُم","وَ-يُضِلُّونَ","وَأَضَلَّهُمْ","وَيُضِلُّهُمْ"]·ben["(তোমরা-প্রতারিত-করেছ)","[তোমরা-প্রতারিত-করেছ]","এবং-তাদের-ভ্রমানো","এবং-তিনি-তাদের-ভ্রমণ-করালেন","এবং-বিপথগামী-করলেন-তাদের","এবং-বিপথগামী-করেছে-তাদের","এবং-ভ্রমানো","ও-তারা-বিপথগামী-করেছে","ও-পথভ্রষ্ট-করালেন","ও-ভ্রান্ত-করিয়েছে","ঘুরিয়ে-বেড়ালেন","তাদের-বিপথগামী-করে","তাদের-বিপথে-নিয়েছে","তুমি-বিপথে-চালাও-আমাদের","বিপথগামী","ভুল-পথে-নেয়","ভ্রান্ত-করিয়েছে","ভ্রান্ত-করেছে","যারা-বিপথগামী-করে"]·DE["[המתעים]","[ויתעום]","[ויתעם]","[תתעם]","der-irrte","irren","mich-wandern-ließen","sie-fuehrten-irre","und-er-macht-ihnen-wander","und-irren","und-led-astray-ihnen","und-sie-fuehrten-irre","von-irrte"]·EN["(you-have-gone-astray)","[ketiv:you-have-deceived]","and-He-makes-them-wander","and-causes-to-wander-them","and-he-led-astray","and-lead-astray","and-led-astray","and-led-astray-them","and-led-them-astray","and-they-lead-astray","caused-to-wander-me","do-You-cause-us-to-wander","has-led-astray","lead-astray","leading-astray","leads-them-astray","led-them-astray","mislead","the-ones-leading-astray"]·FR["[ויתע]","caused-à-errer-moi","errer","et-errer","et-led-astray-eux","et-s'égarer","et-s’égarer","et-égarer-eux","s’égarer","égarer-eux"]·heb["ה-מתעים","התעה","התעו","התעום","התעיתם","ו-התעו","ו-יתע","ו-יתעו","ו-יתעוּם","ו-יתעם","מתעה","מתעים","תתעם","תתענו"]·HI["और-उन्हें-भटकाता-है","और-उसने-भटकाया-उन्हें","और-भटका-दिया","और-भटकाते-हैं","और-भटकाया","और-भटकाया-उन्हें","और-वह-उन्हें-भटकाता-है","भटका-दिया","भटकाई","भटकाए-हो","भटकाएगा-उन्हें","भटकाता-है-तू-हमें","भटकाते-हैं","भटकाने-वाली","भटकाने-वालों","भटकाया-उन्हें","भतकय"]·ID["(kamu-menyesatkan)","Engkau-membiarkan-kami-tersesat","[kamu-menyesatkan]","dan-Ia-menyesatkan-mereka","dan-Manasye-menyesatkan-mereka","dan-menyesatkan","dan-menyesatkan-mereka","dan-mereka-menyesatkan","mengembara-menyuruh-aku","menyesatkan","menyesatkan-mereka","yang-menyesatkan"]·IT["[ויתע]","caused-a-wander-me","e-condusse-astray-loro","e-errare","e-essi-fecero-errare","e-si-svio'","e-sviare-loro","errare","essi-fecero-errare","sviare-loro"]·jav["Lan-nyasaraken","Panjenengan-damel-kawula-klunta-kluntu","[]","ingkang-nasaraken","kang-nyasaraken","lan-dipunkesarekaken","lan-nasaraken","lan-nyasaraken-piyambakipun","lan-sami-nasaraken","lan-sami-nyasaraken","lan-sampun-ngapusi","nasaraken","ndamel-klunta","nyasaraken","nyasaraken-piyambakipun","panjenengan-nasaraken","sampun-ngapusi"]·KO["(속였다-너희가)","[속였다]","그-들-을-길-잃게한다","그-미혹하는-자들","그리고-그가-길을-잃게-했다","그리고-미혹하였다","그리고-미혹하였으니","그리고-미혹했다","그리고-방황케-하셨으니-그들-을","그리고-방황하게-하신다","그리고-유혹하였다","미혹하게-하는","미혹하고","미혹하였으니","미혹했다","방황하게-하셨다","방황하게-하시나이까-우리를","인도하였다-그들을"]·PT["E-fez-errar","[ketiv]","as-desviaram","desviam","desviando","desviou","e-desviou-os","e-fazem-errar","e-fizeram-errar","e-os-desviaram","e-os-faz-cambalear","e-os-faz-vagar","fizeram-errar","fizeram-peregrinar","nos-fazes-errar","os-desvia","os-que-fazem-errar","vos-enganastes"]·RU["(обманули)","[обманули]","ввели-в-заблуждение","вводят-в-заблуждение","вводящих-в-заблуждение","ввёл-в-заблуждение","даёшь-заблудиться-нам","и-ввели-в-заблуждение","и-завёл","и-заставляет-блуждать-их","и-заставляет-шататься-их","и-сбили-их-с-пути","и-совратил-их","и-совращали","и-совращают","повел-скитаться","сбивает-их-с-пути","сбивающая","сбили-их-с-пути"]·ES["e-hizo-errar","han-hecho-errar","hicieron-errar","los-extraviaron","los-ha-desviado","los-hace-errar","los-que-hacen-errar","nos-haces-errar","os-engañasteis","que-extravía","te-hacen-errar","y-extraviaron","y-extravían","y-han-hecho-errar","y-les-descarriaron","y-les-hizo-errar","y-los-hace-tambalear","y-los-hace-vagar"]·SW["imewapoteza","inawapoteza","mmejidanganya","na-Manase-akawapoteza","na-akawatawanya","na-anawafanya-kutangatanga","na-anawapoteza","na-uongo-wao-uliwapoteza","na-wakawapoteza","na-wameipoteza","na-wanawapoteza","unatupoteza","walitata","waliwapoteza","wamepoteza","wanakupoteza","wanaowapoteza","wayeּta","ya-kupotosha"]·TR["Ve-saptırdı","[yanılttınız]","dolaştırdılar","saptiran","saptirirsin-bizi","saptiriyor","saptitilar","saptıranların-o","saptırdı","saptırdı-onları","sapıtır-onları","ve-dolaştırdı-onları","ve-saptitilar","ve-saptırdı-onları","ve-saptırdılar","ve-saptırır-onları","yanılttınız"]·urd["(دھوکہ-دیا-تم-نے)","[دھوکہ-دیا-تم-نے]","اور-بھٹکاتا-ہے-اُنہیں","اور-بہکا-دیا-اُنہیں","اور-گمراہ-کرتے-ہیں","اور-گمراہ-کیا","اور-گمراہ-کیا-اُنہیں","بھٹکانے-والی","بھٹکایا","بہکایا-اُنہیں","تُو-بھٹکاتا-ہے-ہمیں","گمراہ-کرتے-ہیں","گمراہ-کرنے-والے","گمراہ-کرے-گی-اُنہیں","گمراہ-کیا"]
Gen 20:13, 2 Kgs 21:9, 2 Chr 33:9, Job 12:24, Job 12:25, Ps 107:40, Prov 10:17, Prov 12:26, Isa 3:12, Isa 9:16, Isa 19:13, Isa 19:14 (+10 more)
2. go astray, err morally — Moral and spiritual straying: to err from God's ways, go astray ethically — 19 occurrences in the Qal. The psalmist confesses 'I have gone astray like a lost sheep' (Ps 119:176); the wicked 'go astray from birth' (Ps 58:3); Israel is 'a people who err in heart' (Ps 95:10). French s'égarer and German in die Irre gehen both select moral-deviation vocabulary here. This sense bridges the literal and figurative — the spatial metaphor of wandering off a path is fully alive even when the 'path' is Torah obedience (Ps 119:110). 19×
AR["أَضِلَّ","الضَّالُّونَ-فِي","بِ-ضَلَالِ","بِـ-ضَلَالَةِ","تاهوا","تَاهُوا","تَضِلَّ","ضالٌّ","ضالّاً","ضَالُّو","ضَلَلْتُ","ضَلَلْنَا","ضَلَّ","ضَلُّوا","يَضِلَّ","يَضِلُّ","يَضِلُّوا","يَضِلُّونَ"]·ben["আমি-ভ্রান্ত-হয়েছি","তারা-বিপথগামী-হবে","তারা-বিপথে-হাঁটে","তারা-ভ্রান্ত-হয়েছে","বিপথগামিতায়","বিপথগামী-হও","বিপথগামী-হয়েছিল","বিপথগামী-হয়েছিলাম","বিপথগামী-হয়েছে","বিপথগামীরা-","ভ্রান্ত","ভ্রান্ত-হয়","যে-বিচ্যুত-হয়","হারানো"]·DE["[יתעו]","[תתע]","going-astray","ich-haben-strayed","ich-strayed","irren","irrend","sie-gehen-astray","wandering"]·EN["I-have-strayed","I-strayed","go-astray","going-astray","shall-stray","stray","they-go-astray","they-wander","those-erring","wandering","we-went-astray","went-astray","when-went-astray"]·FR["errant","errer","s'égarer","s’égarer","égarer"]·heb["ב-תעות","יתעו","תועה","תועי","תיתע","תעו","תעינו","תעיתי"]·HI["भटक","भटक-गए","भटकता-हुआ","भटकते-हैं","भटकने-में","भटकने-वाली","भटका-हुआ","भटके","भटके-हुए-","भटकेंगे","में-भटकने","मैं-भटका-हूँ","वे-भटकें"]·ID["Aku-sesat","akan-tersesat","aku-sesat","dalam-kesesatan","menyimpang","mereka-sesat","mereka-tersesat","sesat","tersesat","yang-menyimpang","yang-sesat","yang-sesat-"]·IT["errare","si-svio'","sviare","wandering"]·jav["Kula-nasar","ing-sasar","ingkang-kesasar","kang-kesasar","kesasar","kesasar,","kula-nasar","sami-nindakaken","sami-sasar","sampun-kesasar","tiyang-ingkang-kesasar-"]·KO["길-잃은","마음이-미혹된-자들이-","머돌아다니지","미혹하리니","방황하는","방황하였고","방황하였나이다","방황하지","방황한다","방황했다","벗어났다","벗어났도다","에-방황하는-것에","에-벗어남에","헤매었다"]·PT["Andei-errante","desviam-se","desviaram","desviou-se","erra-de","errantes-de-","errarão","extraviado","me-desviei","no-desviar-se","nos-desviamos","que-vagueia","se-desviam","se-desvie","te-extravies","vaguearam"]·RU["Заблудился-я","в-заблуждении","заблудились","заблудишь","заблудшего","заблудшие-","заблудятся","заблуждались","заблуждался","заблуждаются","заблуждающийся","заблуждающихся","когда-заблуждались","когда-заблуждался","уклонился-я"]·ES["Anduve-errante","en-errar-de","en-extravío-de","erraron","errarán","extraviado","los-extraviados-de","me-desvié","nos-descarriamos","que-erró-de","que-se-desvía","se-descarríen","se-extraviaron","te-extravíes","yerran"]·SW["Israeli-ilipopotea","akipotea","apoteaye","hawatapotea","katika-kupotea-kwa","nimepotea","potea","potee","sijapotea","tumepotea","usipotee","wa-mioyo-inayopotea","waliopotea-","walipotea","wamepotea","wana-wa-Israeli-walipopotea","wapotei"]·TR["baştanları","kaybolan","kayboldu","sapacak","sapan","sapanlari-","sapar","sapmasında","sapsasinlar-diye","saptik","saptılar","saptım","yoldan-çıktılar","yolunu-şaşırma"]·urd["بَھٹکے","بھٹک","بھٹک-گئے","بھٹک-گیا","بھٹکا","بھٹکا-میں","بھٹکتا-ہوا","بھٹکتے-ہیں","بھٹکنے-میں","بھٹکنے-والا","بھٹکیں-گے","بھٹکے","بھٹکے-ہوئے","جب-بھٹکے"]
Exod 23:4, Ps 58:3, Ps 95:10, Ps 119:110, Ps 119:176, Prov 7:25, Prov 14:22, Prov 21:16, Isa 29:24, Isa 35:8, Isa 47:15, Isa 53:6 (+7 more)
3. wander, roam physically — Physical wandering, roaming aimlessly — 6 Qal occurrences where the movement is literal and spatial. Hagar wanders in the desert (Gen 21:14), Joseph finds his brother 'wandering' in the field (Gen 37:15), young ravens 'wander about' seeking food (Job 38:41), and exiles 'wander in the wilderness' (Ps 107:4). Spanish erró/vagaron and French errant/erra use physical-wandering vocabulary distinct from moral-error terms. Isaiah 16:8 applies the image to the spreading tendrils of Moab's vines — even plants can ta'ah when they sprawl without direction. 6×
AR["امْتَدَّتْ","تائِهٌ","تاهوا","تَاهَ","وَ-تَاهَتْ","يَتِيهُونَ"]·ben["ও-ঘুরে-বেড়ালেন","তারা-ঘুরে-বেড়ায়","তারা-বিপথে-ঘুরেছিল","বিপথগামী-হল","ভ্রমণ-করল","সে-ঘুরে-বেড়াচ্ছিল"]·DE["[יתעו]","irren","irrte","sie-wandered","umherirrend","und-irrte-umher"]·EN["and-wandered","they-strayed","they-wander","they-wandered","wandering","wanders"]·FR["errant","et-erra","s'égarer","s’égarer","égarer"]·heb["ו-תתע","יתעו","תעה","תעו"]·HI["और-भटकी","भटक-गई","भटक-गया","भटक-रहा-था","भटकते-हैं","वे-भटके"]·ID["Tersesatlah","dan-mengembara","mereka mengembara","mereka-mengembara","tersesat"]·IT["e-wandered","errare","si-svio'","sviare","wandering"]·jav["Sami-kesasar","kesasar","lan-kesasar","piyambak-ipun-kluyuran"]·KO["그것들이-헤맨다","그리고-방황했다","방황하였으니","헤매고-있었다","헤매었으니","헤매였으니"]·PT["Divagou","Vagaram","e-vagou","errando","vagam","vagaram"]·RU["Блуждали","блуждали","блуждают","блуждающий","заблудилось","и-блуждала"]·ES["Erró","Vagaron","vagan","vagando","vagaron","y-erró"]·SW["Limepotea","akatanga-tanga","akitangatanga","walitangatanga","wanatangatanga","yalitangatanga"]·TR["Sasti","dolastilar","dolaştılar","dolaşırlar","dolaşıyordu","ve-dolaştı"]·urd["اور-بھٹکی","بھٹک-رہا-تھا","بھٹک-گیا","بھٹکتے ہیں","بھٹکیں","وہ-بھٹکے"]
4. stagger, reel — Staggering or reeling, especially from intoxication — 3 occurrences that describe unsteady, lurching movement. Isaiah 28:7 is the locus classicus: priests and prophets 'reel with wine' and 'stagger with strong drink' (ta'u bayyayin, shagu min-hashshekar). In Isa 19:14 Egypt is made to 'stagger in all its doings' like a drunkard. Spanish tambalearse ('to sway, totter') and French s'égarer in this context both shift toward physical instability rather than directional error. The sense develops naturally from physical wandering: one who staggers cannot hold a straight path. 3×
AR["تَاهُوا","كَتَرَنُّحِ"]·ben["-বিচরণের-মতো","বিপথ-হয়েছে"]·DE["irren"]·EN["as-staggering-of","reel"]·FR["s’égarer"]·heb["כ-התעות","תעו"]·HI["डगमगाते-हैं","भटकने-जैसे"]·ID["seperti-tersesatnya","tersesat"]·IT["errare"]·jav["kados-anggenipun-sempoyongan","kesasar"]·KO["방황하였다","비틀거림-같이"]·PT["como-o-cambalear-de","vaguearam"]·RU["блуждают","как-шатание"]·ES["como-tambalearse-de","se-extraviaron"]·SW["kama-kupepesuka","wamepotoshwa"]·TR["saptilar","sendelemesi-gibi"]·urd["بھٹکے","جیسے-بھٹکتا-ہے"]
5. sense 5 — Passive self-deception or being deceived — a single Nifal occurrence at Job 15:31 where Eliphaz warns 'let him not trust in emptiness, deceiving himself.' The reflexive-passive nuance marks this as distinct from both active misleading (sense 1) and voluntary straying (sense 2): the subject is victim of his own or another's deception. Spanish engañado ('deceived') and French égarer both select passive-deception vocabulary. The verse stands at the intersection of moral culpability and hapless victimhood — the deceived one is somehow complicit in his own delusion. 1×
AR["ضَالٌّ"]·ben["প্রতারিত"]·DE["[נתעה]"]·EN["deceived"]·FR["égarer"]·heb["נתעה"]·HI["भटका-हुआ"]·ID["tersesat"]·IT["sviare"]·jav["nyasar"]·KO["속이면서"]·PT["o-enganado"]·RU["заблудший"]·ES["engañado"]·SW["akidanganywa"]·TR["aldanan"]·urd["گمراہ-ہوا"]
Related Senses
G4102 1. faith, trust, belief (239×)G4100 1. believe / have faith in (233×)H0982 1. trust in, rely on (105×)H3988a 1. reject, refuse (56×)G4103 1. faithful, trustworthy, reliable (54×)H0530 1. faithfulness, fidelity, reliability (47×)H0539 1. believe, accept as true (42×)H3985 1. refuse, be unwilling (41×)H0539 2. faithful, trustworthy, sure (39×)H2623 1. faithful ones / saints (community) (21×)G0571 1. unbelieving, unbeliever (20×)G3982 1. be persuaded or convinced (19×)G4105 1. to deceive, lead astray (18×)G3982 2. trust or have confidence in (17×)H2186a 1. reject, spurn (Qal) (16×)H3988a 2. despise, scorn (14×)G3982 3. persuade or convince someone (13×)G4103 2. believing, a believer (13×)G4105 2. to go astray, wander, err (13×)H5377 1. deceive, beguile (Hifil active) (13×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† תָּעָה vb. err (‖ form of טָעָה, q.v.; Aramaic (sometimes) תְּעָא, תְּעִי id.; NH = BH (rare));— Qal Pf. 3 ms. ת׳ Is 21:4; 1 s. תָּעִ֫יתִי ψ 119:110, 176, etc.; Impf. 3 fs. תֵּתַע Gn 21:14 Pr 7:25; 3 mpl. יִתְעוּ Is 35:8 +; Inf. cstr. תְּעוֹת Ez 44:10 +; Pt. תֹּעֶה Gn 37:15 +, etc.;— 1. physically, wander about, abs. Ex 23:4 (E) Is 35:8; 53:6; Jb 38:41 ψ 119:176;;c.; ב loc. Gn 21:14; 37:15…