H8586 H8586
wantonness, caprice; capricious behavior or treatment inflicted upon others
This term captures the idea of capricious, arbitrary behavior—rule by whim rather than justice. In Isaiah 3:4, it describes immature leaders whose governance is marked by impulsive decisions. In Isaiah 66:4, the same word takes on a darker shade: it refers to God's responsive punishment that mirrors the wanton treatment his people inflicted on others. The multilingual evidence shows translators grappling with this range, rendering it as everything from 'infants' to 'punishments' to 'mockeries.'
Senses
1. sense 1 — The Hebrew root conveys arbitrary, capricious conduct—behavior driven by whim rather than wisdom. The Spanish 'caprichosos' (capricious ones) and 'escarnios' (mockeries) capture the unpredictable, even contemptuous quality. In Isaiah 3:4, young rulers govern by caprice; in 66:4, God's judgment becomes the mirror of Israel's own wanton dealings with him. Both passages use the plural abstract form to emphasize the pattern of behavior rather than isolated acts. 2×
AR["بِ-مُعَامَلَاتِهِمْ", "وَ-صِبيَانٌ"]·ben["ও-খেয়ালীরা", "তাদের-কষ্টে"]·DE["[בתעלליהם]", "[ותעלולים]"]·EN["and-infants", "their-punishments"]·FR["[בתעלליהם]", "[ותעלולים]"]·heb["ב-תעלוליהם", "ו-תעלולים"]·HI["और-बच्चे", "दुर्व्यवहार-उनके-में"]·ID["dan-anak-anak", "perlakuan-kasar-terhadap-mereka"]·IT["[בתעלליהם]", "[ותעלולים]"]·jav["ing-ukuman-ipun", "lan-bocah-bocah-nakal"]·KO["그들의-불행을", "아이들이"]·PT["e-caprichosos", "em-calamidades-deles"]·RU["и-капризные", "наказаниями-их"]·ES["sus-escarnios", "y-caprichosos"]·SW["adhabu-zao", "na-watoto"]·TR["cezalarında", "ve-cocuklar"]·urd["اور-بچے", "اُن-کے-عذابوں-میں"]
Related Senses
H0376 1. man, person, human male (2130×)H0251 1. brother (blood sibling) (573×)H0120 1. man, human being (individual/generic) (527×)H0802 1. woman, female person (519×)H0802 2. wife, spouse (255×)H0517 1. mother, female parent (217×)G0435 1. man, male person (202×)G1135 1. woman, adult female (190×)H2233 1. offspring, descendants (172×)H0001 2. ancestor, forefather (146×)H5288 1. Youth, young man (122×)H0269 1. sister (female sibling) (113×)H1755 1. generation, contemporaries (96×)G5043 1. child, offspring (89×)G0444 2. people, humankind (86×)H3206 1. child, boy, youth (86×)H2145 1. male (human being) (79×)G3384 1. mother (77×)H6485a 1. Qal passive participle: numbered ones, enrollment (76×)H1397 1. man (strong/mighty) (65×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† תַּעֲלוּלִים n.m.pl.abstr. wantonness, caprice;—ת׳ יִמְשְׁלוּ בָם Is 3:4 caprice shall rule over them; sf. תַּעֲלֻלֵיהֶם 66:4 their wanton dealing, i.e. that inflicted on them.