Original Word: תַּלְאוּבָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: tal'uwbah
Pronunciation: tah-loo-bah
Phonetic Spelling: (tal-oo-baw')
KJV: great drought
NASB: drought
Word Origin: [from H3851 (לַהַב - flame)]

1. desiccation

great drought

From lahab; desiccation -- great drought.

see HEBREW lahab

Word Origin
from an unused word
Definition
drought
NASB Translation
drought (1).

[תַּלְאֻבָה] noun feminine drought; — only plural intensive, בַּמִּדְבָּר בְּאֶרֶץ תַּלְאֻבוֺת Hosea 13:5.

Canonical Usage

The noun תַּלְאוּבָה appears a single time in the Old Testament, Hosea 13:5, where the prophet records the Lord’s reminder to Israel: “I knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought.”. The word designates an arid, inhospitable tract—an emblem of hardship that tests faith and reveals the covenant-keeping character of God.

Literary Setting in Hosea

Hosea indicts the northern kingdom for forgetting the Lord’s past mercies. By evoking “the land of drought,” the prophet recalls Israel’s earliest dependence on Yahweh after the exodus (compare Deuteronomy 8:14-16). The same nation that once trusted God for manna and water now trusted in idols and political alliances (Hosea 13:2; 13:10). The term therefore sharpens the contrast between divine faithfulness and human forgetfulness, intensifying Hosea’s call to repentance.

The Wilderness Motif

1. Place of Testing and Provision
• Exodus 15:22-25 – bitter water made sweet.
• Exodus 16:14-15 – daily manna.
• Numbers 20:11 – water from the rock.

In each case the barren setting magnifies the sufficiency of God. תַּלְאוּבָה encapsulates that same reality: where resources fail, God’s grace abounds.

2. Place of Courtship
• Hosea 2:14 – “I will allure her and lead her into the wilderness and speak to her heart.” The drought is not merely punitive; it is preparatory, drawing Israel back into singular devotion.

3. Place of Judgment
• Jeremiah 2:6 – “a land of deserts and pits, a land of drought and utter darkness.” Refusal to heed God transforms the wilderness from a classroom of faith into a forecast of exile.

Historical-Geographic Background

The phrase “land of drought” evokes the Sinai Peninsula and Transjordan, regions marked by scorching winds (ḥamsin), seasonal wadis, and sparse vegetation. Survival depended on migratory patterns, wells, and divine intervention—a physical environment that mirrored Israel’s spiritual need.

Theological Implications

• Divine Knowledge: “I knew you” conveys intimate, covenantal care (cf. Exodus 2:25). God is never distant in the believer’s desolation.
• Covenant Memory: Israel’s future security rests on remembering God’s past faithfulness (Deuteronomy 8:2).
• Human Volatility: Prosperity often breeds complacency (Hosea 13:6), whereas drought exposes idolatry and redirects affection.

Related Vocabulary and Imagery

• צִיָּה (dry land) – Isaiah 35:1.
• שְׁמָמָה (desolation) – Ezekiel 36:34.
• מִדְבָּר (wilderness) – a broader term encompassing both pastoral and hostile terrain (Psalm 78:52).

These words overlap in portraying physical barrenness that signifies spiritual crisis or purification.

Ministerial Significance

1. Pastoral Counseling: Seasons of emotional or financial scarcity can be framed as modern “lands of drought,” opportunities for renewed dependence on God’s sustaining Word (Matthew 4:4).
2. Preaching: Hosea 13:5 invites congregations to rehearse testimonies of God’s provision in their own wilderness experiences, cultivating gratitude rather than entitlement.
3. Mission: Frontier or unreached contexts often resemble a תַּלְאוּבָה—difficult, under-resourced, yet ripe for evidencing God’s power (Acts 8:26-39).

Christological Reflection

Jesus consciously entered the wilderness for forty days (Matthew 4:1-11), triumphing where Israel failed. His victory in the place of drought secures grace for believers still navigating their own deserts (Hebrews 4:15-16).

See Also

Deuteronomy 32:10; Psalm 63:1; Isaiah 49:10; Romans 8:35-39.

תַּלְאֻבֽוֹת׃ תלאבות׃ tal’uḇōwṯ tal·’u·ḇō·wṯ taluVotInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts