What does תָּעָה (tāʿāh) mean in the Bible?
תָּעָה (tāʿāh): Vacillating movement—physical staggering or moral straying—often implies deception or leading others deliberately astray.
Hebrew · H8582
תָּעָה
To vacillate , i.e. reel or stray (literally or figuratively); also causative of both
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תָּעָה H8582
Pronunciation tāʿāh
What does תָּעָה (tāʿāh) mean in the Bible?
תָּעָה (tāʿāh): Vacillating movement—physical staggering or moral straying—often implies deception or leading others deliberately astray.
Full entry for תָּעָה (H8582) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H8582?
The BSB source-word alignment has 50 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include astray (5), go astray (4), stray (3), went astray (3), and makes them wander (2).
Where does תָּעָה (tāʿāh) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 20:13. Its strongest book concentrations include Isaiah (15), Ezekiel (7), Psalms (6), Proverbs (5).
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 astray 5× 2 Chronicles 33:9, Isaiah 19:13, Jeremiah 23:13, Jeremiah 23:32
go astray 4× Psalms 58:3, Psalms 95:10, Proverbs 14:22, Ezekiel 48:11
stray 3× Exodus 23:4, Proverbs 7:25, Ezekiel 14:11
went astray 3× Ezekiel 44:10, Ezekiel 44:15, Ezekiel 48:11
and makes them wander 2× Job 12:24, Psalms 107:40
[did] 1× Ezekiel 48:11
and spread 1× Isaiah 16:8
and stumble 1× Isaiah 28:7
and wandered 1× Genesis 21:14
as they wander about 1× Job 38:41
deceive himself 1× Job 15:31
do You make us stray 1× Isaiah 63:17
falters 1× Isaiah 21:4
goes astray 1× Proverbs 10:17
had me journey 1× Genesis 20:13
has been led astray 1× Isaiah 19:14
have deceived 1× Jeremiah 42:20
have gone astray 1× Isaiah 53:6
have led them astray 1× Jeremiah 50:6
He makes them stagger 1× Job 12:25
I have strayed 1× Psalms 119:176
lead them astray 1× Proverbs 12:26
leads them astray 1× Hosea 4:12
led them astray 1× 2 Kings 21:9
mislead them 1× Isaiah 9:16
mislead you 1× Isaiah 3:12
Some wandered 1× Psalms 107:4
staggers through 1× Isaiah 19:14
stray onto it 1× Isaiah 35:8
strayed 1× Psalms 119:110
strays 1× Isaiah 47:15
Then the wayward 1× Isaiah 29:24
they are led astray 1× Amos 2:4
They stumble 1× Isaiah 28:7
to lead them astray 1× Isaiah 30:28
wandered 1× Ezekiel 44:10
wandering 1× Genesis 37:15
who strays 1× Proverbs 21:16
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 20:13 הִתְע֣וּ to had me journey Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural Genesis 21:14 וַתֵּ֔תַע to and wandered Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular Genesis 37:15 תֹעֶ֖ה to wandering Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular Exodus 23:4 תֹּעֶ֑ה to stray Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular 2 Kings 21:9 וַיַּתְעֵ֤ם to led them astray Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural 2 Chronicles 33:9 וַיֶּ֣תַע to astray Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Job 12:24 וַ֝יַּתְעֵ֗ם to and makes them wander Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural Job 12:25 וַ֝יַּתְעֵ֗ם to He makes them stagger Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural Job 15:31 נִתְעָ֑ה to deceive himself Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Job 38:41 יִ֝תְע֗וּ to as they wander about Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 20:13
Aligned rows 50
Books represented 13
Genesis 3 Exodus 1 2 Kings 1 2 Chronicles 1 Job 4 Psalms 6 Proverbs 5 Isaiah 15 Jeremiah 4 Ezekiel 7 Hosea 1 Amos 1 Micah 1
Source forms
וַ֝יַּתְעֵ֗ם 3x way·yaṯ·‘êm Job 12:24, Job 12:25, Psalms 107:40
בִּתְע֤וֹת 2x biṯ·‘ō·wṯ Ezekiel 44:10, Ezekiel 44:15
תָּע֣וּ 2x tā·‘ū Psalms 107:4, Ezekiel 44:10
בִּתְעוֹת֙ 1x biṯ·‘ō·wṯ Ezekiel 48:11
הַמַּתְעִ֣ים 1x ham·maṯ·‘îm Micah 3:5
הִתְעָ֔ה 1x hiṯ·‘āh Hosea 4:12
הִתְע֣וּ 1x hiṯ·‘ū Genesis 20:13
הִתְע֥וּ 1x hiṯ·‘ū Isaiah 19:13
Parsing patterns
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural 9x Psalms 58:3, Psalms 107:4, Isaiah 16:8, Isaiah 28:7
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural 4x 2 Kings 21:9, Job 12:24, Job 12:25, Psalms 107:40
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural 4x Job 38:41, Proverbs 14:22, Isaiah 35:8, Ezekiel 14:11
Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct 3x Ezekiel 44:10, Ezekiel 44:15, Ezekiel 48:11
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular 3x Genesis 37:15, Exodus 23:4, Proverbs 21:16
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 2x Jeremiah 23:13, Jeremiah 23:32
Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural 2x Isaiah 3:12, Isaiah 9:16
Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular 2x Proverbs 10:17, Isaiah 30:28
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Vacillating movement—physical staggering or moral straying—often implies deception or leading others deliberately astray.
Strong's H8582
Lexical occurrences 51 verses Word forms 3 forms 32 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Isaiah 44:9-20 Source Gloss
to vacillate , i.e. reel or stray (literally or figuratively); also causative of both
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Vacillating movement—physical staggering or moral straying—often implies deception or leading others deliberately astray.
to vacillate, i.e. reel or stray (literally or figuratively); also causative of both BDB: err Usage: (cause to) go astray, deceive, dissemble, (cause to, make to) err, pant, seduce, (make to) stagger, (cause to) wander, be out of the way.
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 3 Aligned forms 32
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 23×
Perfect Ezek 44:10 · Ezek 48:11 · Isa 16:8 · Isa 28:7 · Isa 47:15 · Ps 58:4 · Ps 107:4 · Ps 119:110 · Ps 119:176 · Isa 21:4 · Isa 53:6 13×
Participle active Exod 23:4 · Gen 37:15 · Isa 29:24 · Prov 21:16 · Ps 95:10 5×
Imperfect Ezek 14:11 · Isa 35:8 · Job 38:41 · Prov 14:22 4×
Jussive Prov 7:25 1×
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 8×
Participle active Isa 3:12 · Isa 9:15 · Isa 30:28 · Prov 10:17 4×
Perfect Gen 20:13 · Isa 19:13 · Hos 4:12 · Jer 42:20 4×
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 1×
Perfect Job 15:31 1×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
To wander or go astray.
Showing 1 selected witness from 51 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
תָּעָה is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Why This Word Matters
Describes the heart’s self-deception in false worship. Isaiah 44:9-20
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