Original Word: תַּחֲלוּא
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: tachaluw'
Pronunciation: tah-khah-loo
Phonetic Spelling: (takh-al-oo')
KJV: disease, X grievous, (that are) sick(-ness)
NASB: diseases, pain
Word Origin: [from H2456 (חָלָא - became diseased)]

1. a malady

beginning, first time

Or tachalui {takh-al-oo'}; from chala'; a malady -- disease, X grievous, (that are) sick(-ness).

see HEBREW chala'

Word Origin
from chala
Definition
disease
NASB Translation
diseases (4), pain (1).

תַּחֲלֻאִים noun plural masculine^{2Chronicles 21:19} diseases, absolute ׳ת Jeremiah 16:4; 2Chronicles 21:19; construct תַּחֲלוּאֵי Jeremiah 14:18; תַּחֲלוּאָ֫יְכִי Psalm 103:3; תַּחֲלֻאַ֫יהָ Deuteronomy 29:21; — diseases Deuteronomy 29:21; 2Chronicles 21:19; Psalm 103:3; מְמוֺתֵי תחלאים יָמֻתוּ Jeremiah 16:4; תחלואי רעב Jeremiah 14:18 diseases of famine ("" חַלְלֵיחֶחֶרֶב).

II. חלא (√of following; DHM in MV compare Sabean פחֿטאת ותחלאן she sinned and defiled herself).

Term Overview

The word designates bodily maladies, illnesses, or severe afflictions sent or permitted by God. Across its five occurrences it ranges from covenant curses to personal suffering, from national judgment to individual deliverance.

Occurrences and Contexts

• Deuteronomy 29:22 locates the term within the covenant warnings of Moses. Future generations will look upon the land and “the diseases the Lord has inflicted on it,” recognizing that persistent rebellion invites nationwide affliction.
• 2 Chronicles 21:19 describes King Jehoram’s terminal abdominal sickness: “In the course of time, at the end of two years, his bowels came out because of the disease, and he died in severe agony.” The narrative illustrates divine retribution against a ruler who led Judah into idolatry.
• Psalm 103:3 places the word in a hymn of praise: “He forgives all your iniquities; He heals all your diseases.” Here sickness is overcome by the Lord’s restorative grace, demonstrating that His covenant mercy is as far-reaching as His judgments.
• Jeremiah 14:18 sets the prophet in a drought-stricken land where “both prophet and priest go about the land; they have no knowledge,” and many lie slain “by the sword or by famine,” while others waste away with disease. The term underscores the breadth of calamity.
• Jeremiah 16:4 predicts an ignominious fate for those resisting the Lord: “They will die by deadly diseases; they will not be lamented or buried.” Disease becomes a sign of covenant breach and social collapse.

Theological Significance

1. Covenant Sanction: The appearances in Deuteronomy and Jeremiah tie physical sickness to covenant disobedience, making disease a tangible sign of spiritual failure.
2. Divine Sovereignty: The Chronicler attributes Jehoram’s malady directly to the Lord, underlining God’s active governance over health and illness.
3. Redemptive Hope: Psalm 103 balances the theme by celebrating God as Healer, revealing that the One who sends affliction also possesses the sole power to remove it. The term therefore drives the reader from self-reliance to humble dependence on divine mercy.

Historical and Cultural Background

In the ancient Near East, disease was often viewed as evidence of divine displeasure. Israel’s law, however, uniquely connected sickness to covenant fidelity rather than to capricious deities. Public health was inseparable from spiritual health; community life, worship, and even agricultural prosperity were bound up with obedience to the Lord.

Implications for Ministry and Pastoral Care

1. Discernment without Presumption: While Scripture links some illnesses to sin, Job’s experience cautions against simplistic conclusions. Pastoral counsel must combine compassionate care with biblical reflection, avoiding judgmental attitudes while still calling for repentance when warranted.
2. Prayer for Healing: Psalm 103 encourages believers to petition the Lord for bodily restoration, remembering that ultimate healing—whether temporal or eternal—flows from the atonement accomplished in Christ.
3. Hope in Suffering: The prophetic passages affirm that affliction can serve as a summons to return to God. Sufferers may be guided to seek both medical help and spiritual renewal, confident that no disease lies outside the Lord’s redemptive plan.

Christological and Covenantal Themes

The Gospel portraits of Jesus healing the sick echo Psalm 103:3, portraying Him as the covenant Lord who “heals all your diseases.” His miracles signal the inauguration of the promised new covenant, in which the ultimate eradication of sickness will occur. Until that consummation, believers live between warnings of judgment for persistent unbelief and promises of grace for those who repent and believe.

Summary

This term weaves together judgment and mercy, warning and consolation. Sickness stands as a sober reminder of sin’s consequences but also as a stage for God’s restorative power. From the plains of Moab to the courts of Judah’s kings, from the lament of Jeremiah to the praise of the Psalms, the word calls every generation to heed the covenant Lord who wounds and heals, who judges and saves.

בְּתַחֲלֻאִ֣ים בתחלאים תַּ֣חֲלֻאֶ֔יהָ תַּחֲלֻאָֽיְכִי׃ תַּחֲלוּאֵ֣י תַחֲלֻאִ֜ים תחלאיה תחלאיכי׃ תחלאים תחלואי bə·ṯa·ḥă·lu·’îm betachaluIm bəṯaḥălu’îm ta·ḥă·lu·’ā·yə·ḵî ta·ḥă·lū·’ê ta·ḥă·lu·’e·hā ṯa·ḥă·lu·’îm tachaluAyechi tachaluEi tachaluEiha tachaluIm taḥălu’āyəḵî taḥălū’ê taḥălu’ehā ṯaḥălu’îmInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts