Original Word: תְּחִלָּה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: tchillah
Pronunciation: te-khil-LAH
Phonetic Spelling: (tekh-il-law')
KJV: begin(-ning), first (time)
NASB: beginning, first, first time, previously, before, began
Word Origin: [from H2490 (חָלַל - To profane) in the sense of opening]

1. a commencement
2. rel. original (adverb, -ly)

Tachmonite

From chalal in the sense of opening; a commencement; rel. Original (adverb, -ly) -- begin(-ning), first (time).

see HEBREW chalal

Word Origin
from chalal
Definition
a beginning
NASB Translation
before (1), began (1), beginning (11), first (5), first time (2), previously (2).

תְּחִלָּה noun feminine beginning, הַתְּחִלָּה Nehemiah 11:17 (read הַתְּחִלָּה ᵐ5 ᵑ9 SS Öttli), בַּתְּחִלָּה Genesis 13:3 10t.; construct תְּחִלַּת Hosea 1:2; Proverbs 9:10; Ecclesiastes 10:13, בִּתְחִלַּת 2 Kings 17:25 4t., תְ֯חִלַּת. 2 Samuel 21:9, מִתְּחִלַּת 2 Samuel 21:10: — construct with nouns חָכְמָה ׳תּ Proverbs 9:10 the beginning, first principle of wisdom דִּבְרֵי ׳תּ Ecclesiastes 10:13 the first word, followed by rel. clause ׳דִּבֶּר י ׳תּ at the beginning of, Yahweh spake (= when Yahweh first spake) Hosea 1:2; preceded by preposition מִן 2 Samuel 21:10, elsewhere by בְּ in the beginning, of the harvest Ruth 1:22; 2 Samuel 21:9 (Qr), of the kingdom Ezra 4:6, of their dwelling there 2 Kings 17:25, of supplications Daniel 9:23, of the shooting up of vegetation Amos 7:1, ׳כְּבַתְּ as in the beginning Isaiah 1:26; ׳בַּתְּ at first, first in order Judges 1:1; Judges 20:18 (twice in verse); 2 Samuel 17:9; at the first, first (or former) time, i.e. first in a series of occurrences, Genesis 13:3 (J), Genesis 41:21 (E), Genesis 43:18,20 (J), Daniel 8:1; Daniel 9:21.

A Word of Beginnings and Priority

תְּחִלָּה consistently points to the first moment, initial stage, or primary position in a sequence. Whether the word introduces a journey, a harvest, a vision, or a military campaign, it highlights that decisive instant when something commences under God’s providence.

Historical Narratives: Returning to the Point of Origin

• Genesis 13:3 records Abram’s return “to the place where his tent had been at the beginning.” The word marks the redemptive pattern of going back to foundational commitments—in Abram’s case, worship and altar.
• In Joseph’s story, the brothers fear judgment “because of the money returned in our sacks the first time” (Genesis 43:18, 43:20). The earlier incident (תְּחִלָּה) becomes a theological backdrop for testing repentance.
• 2 Kings 17:25 notes that the transplanted peoples in Samaria “did not fear the LORD at the beginning of their dwelling there,” a reminder that first responses to revelation bear long-term spiritual consequences.

Covenant Warfare and Leadership Priority

• Israel never treated battle as mere strategy; seeking God determined sequence. “Who will go up first to fight the Canaanites?” (Judges 1:1). Likewise in Judges 20:18, “Judah will go first.” תְּחִלָּה signals both precedence and divine authorization.
• Hushai warns Absalom that defeat “at the first attack” (2 Samuel 17:9) would demoralize the army—early outcomes set the tone for all that follows.

Agricultural Cycles and Community Life

• Ruth and Naomi arrive in Bethlehem “at the beginning of the barley harvest” (Ruth 1:22). The word situates redemption within Israel’s agrarian calendar; grace arrives with fresh grain.
• Saul’s descendants are executed “in the first days of the harvest” (2 Samuel 21:9-10). The same term frames Rizpah’s vigil “from the beginning of the harvest until the rain poured,” underscoring how covenant guilt disrupted an entire season.
• Amos 7:1 pictures locusts forming “when the spring crop began to sprout”—judgment touches the very onset of provision.

Foundations of Wisdom and Worship

• “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10). Here תְּחִלָּה grounds every intellectual pursuit in reverence.
• Ecclesiastes 10:13 contrasts blessed beginnings with foolish speech: “The beginning of his words is folly.” A wrong start corrupts the whole discourse.
• Nehemiah 11:17 mentions Mattaniah “who began the thanksgiving with prayer,” illustrating ordered worship in which praise must lead.

Prophetic and Visionary Beginnings

• Hosea’s entire ministry is stamped by the phrase, “When the LORD first spoke through Hosea” (Hosea 1:2). His inaugural word shapes an unbroken message of covenant love and discipline.
• Daniel twice uses the term: “after the one that had appeared to me at first” (Daniel 8:1) and “At the beginning of your petitions the word went out” (Daniel 9:23). Divine response is not delayed; it is triggered at the very first cry. Gabriel’s appearance “in the vision at the first” (Daniel 9:21) roots later clarity in an original revelation.
• Ezra 4:6 reaches back to “the beginning of the reign of Ahasuerus,” showing how opposition to God’s people often surfaces at the earliest opportunity.

Divine Reversals and Restorations

Isaiah promises, “I will restore your judges as at first” (Isaiah 1:26). The ideal past becomes the template for eschatological renewal—God returns His people to their תְּחִלָּה, yet on a higher plane.

Ministry Applications: Honoring the First Things

1. Spiritual disciplines: Daily prayer, Scripture intake, and worship should claim the day’s תְּחִלָּה, aligning life with Proverbs 9:10.
2. Leadership decisions: Like Israel in Judges, churches seek God before launching endeavors, settling the matter of who goes “first.”
3. Crisis response: Daniel 9:23 encourages believers that heaven answers at the outset of sincere petition, motivating fervent intercession.
4. Restorative work: Isaiah 1:26 inspires ministry that re-establishes biblical norms rather than multiplying innovations.
5. Harvest principles: Ruth 1:22 and 2 Samuel 21 remind pastors and missionaries to discern the spiritual season they enter and to protect the firstfruits from compromise.

Christological Reflection

Jesus Christ embodies every righteous תְּחִלָּה. He is “the firstborn over all creation” (Colossians 1:15) and “the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:2). In Him the believer’s new life begins, and through Him history moves toward its consummation. The pattern seen in Abram, Israel, and Daniel is fulfilled in the One who is Alpha—the ultimate beginning who guarantees a glorious end.

בִּתְחִלַּ֖ת בִּתְחִלַּ֨ת בִּתְחִלַּת֙ בַּתְּחִלָּ֑ה בַּתְּחִלָּ֔ה בַּתְּחִלָּ֖ה בַּתְּחִלָּֽה׃ בַּתְּחִלָּה֙ בַתְּחִלָּ֔ה בַתְּחִלָּֽה׃ בִּתְחִלַּ֖ת בתחלה בתחלה׃ בתחלת הַתְּחִלָּה֙ התחלה כְּבַתְּחִלָּ֑ה כבתחלה מִתְּחִלַּ֣ת מתחלת תְּחִלַּ֣ת תְּחִלַּ֥ת תחלת bat·tə·ḥil·lāh ḇat·tə·ḥil·lāh battechilLah battəḥillāh ḇattəḥillāh biṯ·ḥil·laṯ bitchilLat biṯḥillaṯ hat·tə·ḥil·lāh hattechilLah hattəḥillāh kə·ḇat·tə·ḥil·lāh kəḇattəḥillāh kevattechilLah mit·tə·ḥil·laṯ mittechilLat mittəḥillaṯ tə·ḥil·laṯ techilLat təḥillaṯ vattechilLahInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts