Original Word: טָרַד
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: tarad
Pronunciation: tah-RAHD
Phonetic Spelling: (taw-rad')
KJV: continual
NASB: constant
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to drive on
2. (figuratively) to follow close

continual

A primitive root; to drive on; figuratively, to follow close -- continual.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to pursue, chase, be continuous
NASB Translation
constant (2).

[טָרַד] verb pursue, chase, be continuous (Arabic pursue; II. prolong one's voice; VIII. continue uninterruptedly: Assyrian ‰arâdu, drive away COT^Gloss, so Aramaic , טְרַד) — only

Qal Participle active וְדֶלֶף טֹרֵד Proverbs 19:13 a continuous dripping, dropping, i.e. one in which one drop pursues another; so טוֺרֵד ׳ד Proverbs 27:15; in both simile of a contentious woman.

[טְרַד] verb chase away (see Biblical Hebrew); —

Pe`al Participle active plural מָֽרְדִין, ל accusative of person + מִן person Daniel 4:22; Daniel 4:29.

Pe`il Perfect3masculine singular טְרִיד (W^{CG 224}), subject person + מִן Daniel 4:30; Daniel 5:21.

Overview

טָרַד appears twice in Proverbs as the participle “toréd,” describing the relentless “dripping” that characterizes domestic strife. Though elsewhere the root can speak of being driven or expelled, in Proverbs it is the picture of something so incessant that it finally drives one away. Scripture thus links the physical irritation of a leak with the moral and relational erosion caused by quarrelsomeness inside the covenant home.

Literary Setting in Proverbs

1. Proverbs 19:13: “A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping.”
2. Proverbs 27:15: “A constant dripping on a rainy day and a contentious woman are alike.”

Both sayings occur in collections that contrast wisdom with folly in everyday relationships. The “dripping” stands beside other vivid images—ruined walls, broken teeth, smoke in the eyes—to warn of life-spoiling habits that, if unaddressed, undermine shalom.

Dripping as a Metaphor of Domestic Discord

• Persistence: A leak does not destroy a roof in one moment; its steady rhythm penetrates, stains, and eventually collapses the ceiling. Likewise unresolved contention erodes trust and affection little by little.
• Inescapability: A homeowner cannot ignore the drip; its sound follows him through the house. So too relational conflict resounds through the family, affecting children, hospitality, even worship.
• Displacement: Ancient roofs were flat and served as living space. A leaking roof forced occupants to find refuge elsewhere—a lived illustration of the root sense “drive away.” In moral terms, persistent strife can drive a spouse, children, or friends out of the home, and ultimately distance hearts from God.

Wisdom Theology and Social Stability

Proverbs views the family as Israel’s primary school of wisdom. Harmony in marriage images covenant faithfulness (Malachi 2:14-16). By portraying the quarrelsome spouse as טָרַד, the sage protects more than private happiness; he guards the stability of village, city, and nation. When the household roof holds, communities prosper; when it leaks, society suffers.

Practical Application for Family and Church Life

• Cultivate gentle speech (Proverbs 15:1; Ephesians 4:29) before grievances become torrents.
• Address underlying sin patterns early, much as one repairs small cracks before the rainy season.
• Encourage accountability: elders and mature believers help couples identify “drips” they have come to tolerate.
• Model Christ’s servant leadership and self-giving love (Ephesians 5:25-33), the only sure seal against relational erosion.

Christological and New Testament Connections

While טָרַד itself is confined to Proverbs, its imagery echoes in the call to peacemaking (Matthew 5:9) and in the apostolic command, “Do everything without complaining or arguing” (Philippians 2:14). Jesus, the true Wisdom, stills the storm outside (Mark 4:39) and within the home, offering rest for souls wearied by constant relational dripping (Matthew 11:28-30).

Historical Reception

Rabbinic commentators compared the continual drip to the serpent’s repeated striking, stressing prevention. Early Christian writers such as John Chrysostom used the image to exhort husbands and wives to mutual honor. Reformers highlighted it in homilies on domestic piety, while Puritan pastors cited it to encourage family worship as a means of sealing the roof. Contemporary counselors still employ the proverb to illustrate the cumulative damage of criticism and nagging, affirming Scripture’s perennial wisdom.

Summary

טָרַד in Proverbs crystallizes a timeless principle: what may appear minor and intermittent can, through persistence, drive joy, fellowship, and ultimately people from the very places meant to shelter them. The text summons believers to vigilance, repentance, and the restorative grace that alone can transform a dripping roof into a house built upon the rock.

ט֭וֹרֵד טֹ֝רֵ֗ד טורד טרד ṭō·rêḏ ṭō·w·rêḏ toRed ṭōrêḏ ṭōwrêḏInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts