Original Word: תְּחוֹת
Part of Speech: Preposition
Transliteration: tchowth
Pronunciation: te-khoth'
Phonetic Spelling: (tekh-oth')
KJV: under
NASB: under
Word Origin: [corresponding to H8478 (תַּחַת - under)]

1. beneath

Tohu

(Aramaic) or tchoth (Aramaic) {tekh-oth'}; corresponding to tachath; beneath -- under.

see HEBREW tachath

Word Origin
(Aramaic) corresponding to tachath
Definition
under
NASB Translation
under (5).

תְּחוֺת preposition under (Biblical Hebrew תַּחַתּ; ᵑ7 תְּחוֺת, Syriac , , adverb ; Palmyrene מן לתחת Cooke³²⁰); — Daniel 7:27 תְּחוֺת כָּלשְֿׁמַיָּא (compare Biblical Hebrew II. 1); in plural with suffix (as Biblical Hebrew, Syriac, ᵑ7) Daniel 4:9 תְּחֹתֹהִי (so ᵑ7^Onk Leviticus 15:10: Dalm^{§ 47, 2}), Leviticus 15:18. With מִן, Jeremiah 10:11 מִן תְּחוֺת שְׁמַיָּא (compare Biblical Hebrew III. 2); suffix Daniel 4:11 מִןתַּֿחְתּוֺהִי (the form as Syriac adverb above, unless a Hebraizing punct.).

Root Concept

תְּחוֹת conveys the idea of something located beneath or under another object or realm. In Scripture it consistently marks the created order as being “under the heavens,” thereby emphasizing the transcendent supremacy of God who is enthroned above all creation.

Occurrences in Scripture

Jeremiah 10:11; Daniel 4:12; Daniel 4:21; Daniel 7:27.

Jeremiah 10:11 – Polemic against Idolatry

“This is what you are to say to them: ‘The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth will perish from this earth and from beneath these heavens.’”

Here the word sharpens the contrast between the idols’ limited, earthly sphere and the Lord’s limitless dominion. Everything “beneath these heavens” is transient; only the Maker of heaven and earth endures. The verse, written in Aramaic amid Hebrew discourse, functions as a ready‐made confession for Judah’s exiles surrounded by polytheism.

Daniel 4:12, 21 – Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream of the Tree

“Under it the beasts of the field found shelter, and the birds of the air nested in its branches; from it every creature was fed.” (Daniel 4:12)

The colossal tree symbolizes imperial Babylon whose reach extends “under” heaven. Yet the subsequent felling of the tree (Daniel 4:14) demonstrates that even the greatest empire occupying space beneath heaven remains contingent upon divine decree. Verse 21 repeats the description, reinforcing the lesson to a proud king who must learn that “the Most High is sovereign over the kingdom of men” (Daniel 4:17).

Daniel 7:27 – Transfer of Dominion

“Then the kingdom, dominion, and greatness of the kingdoms under all heaven will be given to the people—the saints of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will serve and obey Him.”

The term frames the eschatological hope: every dominion located “under all heaven” is destined to be handed over to the saints. The word thus becomes a literary hinge, moving from human kingdoms to the everlasting reign of God through His anointed.

Historical Setting

All four occurrences arise in exilic or early post-exilic contexts where God’s people are subject to pagan powers. The vocabulary of what lies “under” heaven reminds readers that earthly supremacy is provisional. Whether in Jeremiah’s Jerusalem on the brink of destruction or in Daniel’s Babylon and Medo-Persia, the term points to the same reality: all earthly structures exist within a realm subordinate to the true King.

Theological Significance

1. Divine Transcendence: By marking creation as “under” heaven, Scripture underscores God’s exalted position.
2. Human Humility: Kings and idols alike are shown to operate within a limited domain; they rise and fall at God’s pleasure.
3. Eschatological Assurance: While tyrants may dominate the realm beneath heaven for a season, final dominion belongs to the saints through God’s everlasting kingdom.

Practical Ministry Application

• Worship: Directs believers to reserve ultimate devotion for the Creator, not for any power situated beneath heaven.
• Humility: Challenges leaders and nations to acknowledge their subordinate status before God.
• Hope: Encourages the faithful to endure oppression, knowing that the Most High will bestow an eternal kingdom on His people.

Intertextual Connections

Deuteronomy 4:39 links heaven’s heights with earth’s depths in proclaiming the Lord’s sole sovereignty, while Philippians 2:10 projects the theme into the New Testament, declaring that every knee shall bow “in heaven and on earth and under the earth.” Such passages echo the same vertical hierarchy implied by תְּחוֹת.

Summary

Through its brief but strategic appearances, תְּחוֹת becomes a theological signpost. It points downward so that the reader may look upward—recognizing that all reality “under the whole heaven” is accountable to the God who reigns above, and that ultimate dominion will rest with His redeemed people forever.

תְּח֣וֹת תְּח֥וֹת תְּחֹת֗וֹהִי תְּחֹת֜וֹהִי תחות תחתוהי tə·ḥō·ṯō·w·hî tə·ḥō·wṯ teChot techoTohi təḥōṯōwhî təḥōwṯInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts