טֶלֶם
𐤈𐤋𐤌
Telem
H2928 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
(1) A proper noun designating (a) a location associated with the return from exile, likely referring to a site in the Negev or in connection with the Idumaean region; (b) a personal name, specifically that of a temple gatekeeper listed among returnees in post-exilic records. As a common noun, it does not occur in the Hebrew Bible in the sense of 'oppression' but is preserved only as a name. The underlying root, while uncertain, has been tentatively associated with the idea of breaking up (soil), but this is speculative.
Semantic Range
personal name (probable meaning lost or uncertain), place name (site, possibly in Idumaea or the Negev); not attested with the meaning 'oppression' in actual Biblical practice
Root / Etymology
Root: טלם (uncertain). The traditional linkage is to a root meaning 'to break up, treat violently,' though this is not attested elsewhere in Biblical Hebrew. The word functions as a proper noun, and the association with the verbal idea is conjectural and not clearly evidenced in surviving texts.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The name טֶלֶם occurs as both a toponym (possibly a settlement in a region bordering Judah/Idumaea) and as a personal name for a gatekeeper in post-exilic Jerusalem (cf. Nehemiah 11:19). The meaning of the name is opaque; unlike most Biblical Hebrew words, it is not attested as a common noun, and so its presumed sense is based on root speculation and possible cognates in other Semitic languages. English translations generally transliterate this name rather than translating it, correctly reflecting its function as a proper noun. The traditional gloss 'oppression' may reflect a later interpretive association, but this meaning is not substantiated by contextual usage in the Hebrew Bible.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root meaning to break up or treat violently; oppression; Telem, the name of a place in Idumaea, also of a temple doorkeeper; Telem.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
טלם (Telem) — uncertain; conjecturally to break up, to treat violently
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2928-01 |
וָ/טֶ֖לֶם | vatelem | HC/Np |
and Telem | and Telem | and Telem | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H2928-01 |
Joshua 15:24 | וָ/טֶ֖לֶם | vatelem | HC/Np |
and Telem | and Telem | and Telem |
H2928-01 |
Ezra 10:24 | וָ/טֶ֖לֶם | vatelem | HC/Np |
and-Telem | and Telem | and Telem |