What does תַּחַת (tachtav) mean in the Bible?
תַּחַת (tachtav): Spatial foundation shifting to substitution: beneath becomes "in place of" or "instead of" through positional logic.
Hebrew · H8478
תַּחַת
The bottom (as depressed); only adverbially, below (often with prepositional prefix underneath), in lieu of , etc.
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תַּחַת H8478
Pronunciation tachtav
What does תַּחַת (tachtav) mean in the Bible?
תַּחַת (tachtav): Spatial foundation shifting to substitution: beneath becomes "in place of" or "instead of" through positional logic.
Full entry for תַּחַת (H8478) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H8478?
The BSB source-word alignment has 505 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include under (104), in his place (67), for (34), . . . (20), below (18).
Where does תַּחַת (tachtav) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 1:7. Its strongest book concentrations include Exodus (52), 1 Kings (42), 2 Kings (40), Ecclesiastes (34).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It under 104× Genesis 1:9, Genesis 6:17, Genesis 7:19, Genesis 18:8
in his place 67× Genesis 36:33, Genesis 36:34, Genesis 36:35, Genesis 36:36
for 34× Exodus 21:23, Exodus 21:24, Exodus 21:25, Exodus 21:36
. . . 20× Exodus 22:1, Leviticus 13:28, Leviticus 14:42, Leviticus 16:32
below 18× Genesis 35:8, Genesis 49:25, Exodus 20:4, Exodus 30:4
in place of 18× Genesis 22:13, Genesis 44:33, Numbers 3:12, Numbers 3:41
beneath 15× Genesis 1:7, Exodus 20:4, Deuteronomy 5:8, Deuteronomy 33:13
instead of 14× Job 31:40, Isaiah 3:24, Isaiah 55:13, Isaiah 60:17
- 10× Exodus 26:19, Exodus 27:5, Exodus 36:24, Exodus 36:26
and under 10× Deuteronomy 12:2, 1 Kings 14:23, 2 Kings 16:4, 2 Kings 17:10
from under 9× Exodus 17:14, Deuteronomy 7:24, Deuteronomy 25:19, Deuteronomy 29:20
in their place 9× Deuteronomy 2:12, Deuteronomy 2:21, Deuteronomy 2:22, Deuteronomy 2:23
because 8× Numbers 25:13, Deuteronomy 4:37, Deuteronomy 22:29, Deuteronomy 28:47
in place 8× Genesis 4:25, Numbers 3:45, Numbers 32:14, 2 Samuel 17:25
against 6× 2 Kings 8:20, 2 Kings 8:22, 2 Chronicles 21:8, 2 Chronicles 21:10
beneath me 6× 2 Samuel 22:37, 2 Samuel 22:40, 2 Samuel 22:48, Psalms 18:36
with 6× Leviticus 22:27, Deuteronomy 3:17, Job 28:15, Psalms 38:20
place 5× 2 Samuel 16:8, 1 Kings 2:35, 1 Kings 3:7, 1 Kings 5:1
vvv 4× Genesis 44:4, Joshua 6:5, Proverbs 1:29, Isaiah 3:6
at the base of 3× Exodus 24:4, Exodus 32:19, Ezekiel 46:23
beneath Him 3× Job 9:13, Job 18:16, Micah 1:4
in its place 3× 1 Kings 21:2, 1 Kings 21:6, Daniel 8:8
in your place 3× 1 Kings 5:5, Isaiah 43:3, Amos 2:13
is under 3× 1 Chronicles 17:1, Song Of Solomon 2:6, Song Of Solomon 8:3
on 3× 1 Samuel 21:3, 1 Samuel 21:4, 1 Samuel 21:8
underneath 3× Joshua 7:21, Joshua 7:22, 1 Kings 7:44
while under 3× Numbers 5:19, Numbers 5:20, Numbers 5:29
a place of their own 2× 2 Samuel 7:10, 1 Chronicles 17:9
among 2× Isaiah 10:4
and below 2× 1 Kings 7:29, Ezekiel 42:9
are under 2× Psalms 10:7, Song Of Solomon 4:11
as compensation for 2× Exodus 21:26, Exodus 21:27
at the foot of 2× Joshua 11:3, Joshua 11:17
by 2× Exodus 21:20, Isaiah 24:5
from 2× Exodus 18:10, Exodus 26:33
in my place 2× 1 Kings 1:30, 1 Kings 1:35
In return for 2× Psalms 109:4, Zephaniah 2:10
in the place 2× Genesis 30:2, Joshua 4:9
instead 2× Judges 15:2, Isaiah 61:7
out from under 2× Exodus 6:6, Exodus 6:7
under him 2× Leviticus 15:10, 2 Samuel 18:9
under it 2× Jeremiah 52:20, Ezekiel 17:23
under me 2× Nehemiah 2:14, Psalms 144:2
[and] under 1× Micah 4:4
[the king] 1× Ecclesiastes 4:15
a place below 1× Jeremiah 38:11
all the way to 1× 1 Samuel 7:11
and 1× 1 Kings 4:25
and instead of 1× Isaiah 55:13
and underneath 1× Deuteronomy 33:27
at the base 1× Deuteronomy 4:11
Below [the rim] 1× 2 Chronicles 4:3
beneath it 1× Ezekiel 24:5
beneath them 1× Numbers 16:31
beneath us 1× Psalms 47:3
beneath you 1× Deuteronomy 28:23
beneath your feet 1× Psalms 45:5
but from below 1× Job 28:5
but in its place 1× Jeremiah 28:13
For under 1× Daniel 9:12
for you 1× Obadiah 1:7
for your 1× Joshua 2:14
from His place 1× Zechariah 6:12
from their homes 1× Job 36:20
from under you 1× Proverbs 22:27
his enemies under 1× 1 Kings 5:3
his place 1× Exodus 10:23
his position 1× Judges 7:21
His undersides 1× Job 41:30
I will do this because 1× Jeremiah 29:19
in 1× Habakkuk 3:7
in exchange for 1× Genesis 30:15
in exchange for you 1× Isaiah 43:4
in her place 1× Zechariah 14:10
in Joab’s place 1× 1 Kings 2:35
in the place of 1× Genesis 50:19
instead of you 1× 2 Samuel 18:33
is on 1× Psalms 140:3
it in its place 1× Isaiah 46:7
it under 1× Job 20:12
it under him 1× Exodus 17:12
must be under 1× Exodus 25:35
on his behalf 1× 2 Samuel 3:12
secure 1× Zechariah 12:6
since 1× Deuteronomy 21:14
sit under 1× Zechariah 3:10
succeeds him 1× Exodus 29:30
that replaced 1× Daniel 8:22
the area 1× Genesis 2:21
the land 1× 1 Chronicles 5:22
there 1× Joshua 5:8
those beneath 1× Job 26:5
through 1× Job 30:14
to 1× 1 Chronicles 29:24
to her authority 1× Genesis 16:9
to put under 1× Exodus 36:24
to replace 1× 2 Kings 17:24
to succeed you 1× 1 Kings 19:16
to take his place 1× Leviticus 6:22
unchanged 1× Leviticus 13:23
under [Jehu] 1× 2 Kings 9:13
under their own weight 1× Job 26:8
underfoot 1× Lamentations 3:34
underneath [the Sea] 1× 2 Chronicles 4:15
was under 1× Exodus 37:21
were under it 1× 2 Kings 16:17
where 1× Jeremiah 38:9
where he is 1× Exodus 16:29
where I stood 1× Habakkuk 3:16
where it stood 1× Ezekiel 17:6
where they stand 1× Job 40:12
where we are 1× 1 Samuel 14:9
Whereas 1× Isaiah 60:15
while she was still Mine 1× Ezekiel 23:5
will succeed 1× Psalms 45:16
yourselves under 1× Genesis 18:4
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 1:7 מִתַּ֣חַת to beneath Preposition-m Genesis 1:9 מִתַּ֤חַת to under Preposition-m Genesis 2:21 תַּחְתֶּֽנָּה׃ to the area Preposition | third person feminine singular Genesis 4:25 תַּ֣חַת to in place Preposition Genesis 6:17 מִתַּ֖חַת to under Preposition-m Genesis 7:19 תַּ֖חַת to under Preposition Genesis 16:9 תַּ֥חַת to to her authority Preposition Genesis 18:4 תַּ֥חַת to yourselves under Preposition Genesis 18:8 תַּ֥חַת to under Preposition Genesis 21:15 תַּ֖חַת to under Preposition
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 1:7
Aligned rows 505
Books represented 36
Genesis 31 Exodus 52 Leviticus 12 Numbers 15 Deuteronomy 27 Joshua 14 Judges 9 Ruth 1 1 Samuel 12 2 Samuel 17 1 Kings 42 2 Kings 40 1 Chronicles 16 2 Chronicles 28 Nehemiah 1 Esther 2 Job 22 Psalms 22 Proverbs 9 Ecclesiastes 34 Song Of Solomon 4 Isaiah 33 Jeremiah 16 Lamentations 2 Ezekiel 22 Daniel 3 Hosea 2 Joel 1 Amos 2 Obadiah 1 Jonah 1 Micah 3 Habakkuk 2 Zephaniah 1 Zechariah 5 Malachi 1
Source forms
תַּ֣חַת 89x ta·ḥaṯ Genesis 4:25, Genesis 35:8, Genesis 44:33, Genesis 47:29
תַּ֥חַת 52x ta·ḥaṯ Genesis 16:9, Genesis 18:4, Genesis 18:8, Genesis 22:13
תַּ֖חַת 41x ta·ḥaṯ Genesis 7:19, Genesis 21:15, Genesis 30:15, Exodus 21:25
תַּחְתָּֽיו׃פ 30x taḥ·tāw 1 Kings 14:20, 1 Kings 14:31, 1 Kings 15:8, 1 Kings 15:24
תַּחְתָּֽיו׃ 19x taḥ·tāw Deuteronomy 10:6, 2 Samuel 10:1, 1 Kings 15:28, 1 Kings 16:6
תַּ֚חַת 17x ta·ḥaṯ Exodus 26:21, Exodus 26:25, Exodus 36:26, Numbers 32:14
תַּֽחַת־ 17x ta·ḥaṯ- Exodus 26:19, Exodus 36:24, Exodus 37:21, Judges 4:5
תַּחְתָּ֔יו 17x taḥ·tāw Genesis 36:33, Genesis 36:34, Genesis 36:36, Genesis 36:37
Parsing patterns
Preposition 265x Genesis 4:25, Genesis 7:19, Genesis 16:9, Genesis 18:4
Preposition | third person masculine singular 97x Genesis 36:33, Genesis 36:34, Genesis 36:35, Genesis 36:36
Preposition-m 46x Genesis 1:7, Genesis 1:9, Genesis 6:17, Genesis 35:8
Conjunctive waw | Preposition 27x Exodus 24:10, Deuteronomy 4:37, Deuteronomy 12:2, 1 Kings 4:25
Preposition | third person feminine singular 17x Genesis 2:21, Leviticus 13:23, Leviticus 13:28, Joshua 6:5
Preposition | third person masculine plural 16x Numbers 16:31, Deuteronomy 2:12, Deuteronomy 2:21, Deuteronomy 2:22
Preposition | first person common singular 11x 2 Samuel 22:37, 2 Samuel 22:40, 2 Samuel 22:48, 1 Kings 1:30
Preposition | second person masculine singular 9x Deuteronomy 28:23, 2 Samuel 18:33, 1 Kings 5:5, 1 Kings 19:16
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Spatial foundation shifting to substitution: beneath becomes "in place of" or "instead of" through positional logic.
Source Gloss
the bottom (as depressed); only adverbially, below (often with prepositional prefix underneath), in lieu of , etc.
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Spatial foundation shifting to substitution: beneath becomes "in place of" or "instead of" through positional logic.
the bottom (as depressed); only adverbially, below (often with prepositional prefix underneath), in lieu of, etc. BDB: the under part Usage: as, beneath, × flat, in(-stead), (same) place (where...is), room, for...sake, stead of, under, × unto, × when...was mine, whereas, (where-) fore, with.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
in place of, instead of
Showing 1 selected witness from 511 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
תַּחַת is built from this root:
תּוֹחַ H8430
Why This Word Matters
The phrase expresses the reversal motif where the wicked experience the trouble meant for others. Proverbs 11:8
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain