Original Word: תָּעָה
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: ta`ah
Pronunciation: tah-ah
Phonetic Spelling: (taw-aw')
KJV: (cause to) go astray, deceive, dissemble, (cause to, make to) err, pant, seduce, (make to) stagger, (cause to) wander, be out of the way
NASB: wander, went astray, wandered, go astray, gone astray, led them astray, stagger
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to vacillate, i.e. reel or stray (literally or figuratively)
2. also causative of both

cause to go astray, deceive, dissemble, cause to, make to err, seduce

A primitive root; to vacillate, i.e. Reel or stray (literally or figuratively); also causative of both -- (cause to) go astray, deceive, dissemble, (cause to, make to) err, pant, seduce, (make to) stagger, (cause to) wander, be out of the way.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to err
NASB Translation
deceived (1), deceiving (1), err (2), go astray (3), goes astray (1), gone astray (3), lead my astray (1), lead you astray (1), leading them astray (1), leads them astray (1), leads to ruin (1), led my astray (2), led them astray (3), led...astray (2), misled (1), reels (1), seduced (1), stagger (3), staggers (1), stray (3), wander (5), wandered (4), wandering (1), wandering away (1), wanders (1), went astray (5).

תָּעָה verb err ("" form of טָעָה, q. v.; Aramaic (sometimes) תְּעָא, תְּעִי id.; Late Hebrew = Biblical Hebrew (rare)); —

Qal Perfect3masculine singular ׳ת Isaiah 21:4; 1singular תָּעִ֫יתִי Psalm 119:110; Psalm 119:176, etc.; imperfect3feminine singular תֵּתַע Genesis 21:14; Proverbs 7:25; 3masculine plural יִתְעוּ Isaiah 35:8 +; Infinitive construct תְּעוֺת Ezekiel 44:10 +; Participle תֹּעֶה Genesis 37:15 +, etc.; —

1 physically, wander about, absolute Exodus 23:4 (E) Isaiah 35:8; Isaiah 53:6; Job 38:41; Psalm 119:176; with ב location Genesis 21:14; Genesis 37:15 (JE), Proverbs 7:25; Psalm 107:4; with ל location Isaiah 47:15; accusative of location Isaiah 16:8.

2 of intoxication, with בְּ of wine Isaiah 28:7; מן of wine Isaiah 28:7; figurative of perplexity, subject לבב Isaiah 21:4.

3 ethically, absolute Ezekiel 44:10; Ezekiel 48:11 (3 t. in verse); Psalm 58:4, probably Proverbs 14:22 (compare חוטא Proverbs 14:21, but Bu Toy go astray to ruin); תֹּעֵי רוח Isaiah 29:24, תֹּעֵי לבב Psalm 95:10; with מן Psalm 119:110; Proverbs 21:16, מֵאַחֲרַי Ezekiel 14:11, מֵעָלַי Ezekiel 44:10,15.

Niph`al 1. be made to wander about, as a drunkard: Infinitive construct הִתָּעוֺת Isaiah 19:14.

2 ethically: Perfect3masculine singular נִתְעָה be led astray Job 15:31 (with בשׁוֺא).

Hiph`il Perfect3masculine singular הִתְעָה Hosea 4:12 (We הִתְעָם); Imperfect וַיֶּ֫תַע2Chronicles 33:9; suffix וַיַּתְעֵם Job 12:24 +; Participle מַתְעֶה Isaiah 30:28 +; —

1 physically: cause to wander about: absolute Isaiah 30:28 (of bridle, in figure), Proverbs 10:17; Jeremiah 50:6 (accusative of people as sheep); accusative of person Proverbs 12:26; with מן location Genesis 20:13 (E), ב location Job 12:24 = Psalm 107:40.

2 of intoxication, Isaiah 19:13,14; Job 12:25.

3 mentally and morally: cause to err, mislead: absolute Isaiah 3:12; Isaiah 9:15; Hosea 4:12; with accusative of person Amos 2:4; Micah 3:5; 2 Kings 21:9 2Chronicles 33:9; Jeremiah 23:13,32; with ב object Jeremiah 42:20 (so Gf; Ke and others (so Proverbs 10:17) intransitive err at cost of; ᵐ5 Ew Du Co הֲרֵעֹתֶם); with מן of ׳י Isaiah 63:17.

Definition and Essential Idea

תָּעָה conveys the notion of leaving the right path—whether a literal roadway, a covenantal obligation, or sound judgment—and moving into error, confusion, or loss. The word can describe everything from geographical misdirection (Genesis 20:13) to deep-seated spiritual apostasy (Ezekiel 44:10). About fifty Old Testament occurrences form a consistent portrait of human waywardness set against the faithfulness of the LORD who leads, disciplines, and restores.

Range of Usage

1. Physical Wandering

Genesis 20:13 records Abraham’s testimony: “When God caused me to wander from my father’s house….” Geographic disorientation appears in Job 12:24; Psalm 107:4; Isaiah 16:8; Amos 4:8. These texts highlight human vulnerability in desert wastelands and war-torn regions, underscoring the need for providential guidance.

2. Moral and Spiritual Deviation

Psalm 95:10 speaks of a generation whose “hearts go astray.” Psalm 119 uses the verb repeatedly (verses 10, 21, 110, 118, 176) to contrast fickle humanity with the stability of God’s law: “I have strayed like a lost sheep; seek Your servant” (Psalm 119:176). Here תָּעָה functions as a confessional term, revealing sin as departure from divine instruction rather than mere mistake.

3. Corporate Apostasy under False Leadership

Prophets indict leaders who mislead the nation:
• Isaiah 3:12 “O My people, your guides mislead you….”
• Isaiah 9:16 “Those who guide this people mislead them, and those who are guided are swallowed up.”
• Ezekiel 34:6 “My flock wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill.”

Priests, kings, and prophets who fail to teach truth become agents of collective wandering.

4. Idolatry and Covenant Infidelity

Ezekiel 44:10-14 points to Levites who “went astray after their idols.” Hosea 4:11-12 connects spiritual prostitution and drunkenness with national wandering. Such texts interpret idolatry not only as false worship but as aimless exile from God’s presence.

5. Drunkenness, Deception, and Intellectual Error

Isaiah 28:7 “These also stagger from wine and reel from strong drink; priest and prophet stagger…they are confused in their vision, they stumble in their judgment.” תָּעָה portrays the clouded reasoning produced by excess, a metaphor for any worldview that blurs moral clarity.

Historical Setting

• Patriarchal Journeys – The term opens with Abraham’s sojourn (Genesis 20:13), framing the pilgrim motif that recurs throughout redemptive history.
• Wilderness Generation – Psalm 107 and Psalm 95 rehearse the Exodus story, linking geographical wandering with unbelief.
• Monarchic Period – During kings and prophets, תָּעָה exposes systemic corruption (Isaiah, Hosea, Micah).
• Exilic/Restoration Era – Ezekiel applies the verb to the nation’s collapse and forecasts priestly reform in the coming temple.

Theological Themes

1. Human Fallenness

Isaiah 53:6 summarizes the doctrine of sin: “We all like sheep have gone astray; each one has turned to his own way, and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Universal wandering necessitates a vicarious solution.

2. God the Shepherd

The shepherd metaphor answers the problem of straying. Psalm 23 assumes the LORD’s guidance prevents wandering; Ezekiel 34 promises that God Himself will search for His scattered sheep.

3. Divine Discipline and Restoration

Psalm 119:67 “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word.” Chastening is remedial, steering the believer back to covenant paths.

4. The Responsibility of Leadership

Prophetic condemnations (Isaiah 9:16; Ezekiel 34) underscore that teachers and rulers who fail to guard orthodoxy become complicit in the people’s ruin.

5. Atonement for Unintentional Sin

Numbers 15:22-29 distinguishes sins committed “in error” (linked to תָּעָה conceptually) from high-handed rebellion, prescribing sacrificial remedy. This anticipates Christ’s once-for-all offering for the ignorant and misguided (Hebrews 9:7, 9:12).

Pastoral and Ministry Implications

• Preaching – Expose the subtle drift from truth that manifests as cultural accommodation, doctrinal compromise, or personal neglect of Scripture.
• Counseling – Psalm 119:176 provides a model prayer for those conscious of straying: admission of need coupled with appeal to God’s seeking grace.
• Discipleship – Emphasize daily submission to the Word as preventive medicine against wandering (Psalm 119:11).
• Church Leadership – Guard sound doctrine; take seriously the prophetic charge that misled flocks suffer under negligent shepherds (Acts 20:28-31 echo).

Intertextual Connections

• Proverbs 21:16 “A man who strays from the path of understanding will rest in the assembly of the dead.” Wisdom literature links wandering to ultimate destiny.
• Matthew 18:12-14; Luke 15:4-7 – Jesus’ parable of the lost sheep carries forward the imagery of תָּעָה, revealing the Messiah as the Shepherd-King who searches until He finds.
• 1 Peter 2:25 “For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” The apostle interprets Isaiah 53:6 through the lens of Christ’s redemptive work.

Contrasts and Synonyms

• תָּעָה contrasts with נָחָה (“lead, guide,” Psalm 23:3) and יָשַׁר (“make straight,” Proverbs 3:6).
• Cognate imagery in the Septuagint often uses πλανάω (“lead astray”), preparing the New Testament vocabulary for deception and loss (Matthew 24:4).

Practical Summary

Scripture’s consistent use of תָּעָה charts a trajectory from accidental missteps to deliberate rebellion, always answered by divine initiative—discipline, instruction, and ultimately the atoning work of Christ. The word therefore warns against complacency, consoles repentant wanderers, and calls leaders to reflect the Chief Shepherd who never ceases to seek His own.

בִּתְע֤וֹת בִּתְעוֹת֙ בתעות הִתְע֔וּם הִתְע֣וּ הִתְע֥וּ הִתְעֵיתֶם֮ הִתְעָ֔ה הַמַּתְעִ֣ים המתעים התעה התעו התעום התעיתם וְהִתְע֤וּ וַ֝יַּתְעֵ֗ם וַיֶּ֣תַע וַיַּתְע֣וּ וַיַּתְע֥וּ וַיַּתְעֵ֤ם וַיַּתְעוּם֙ וַתֵּ֔תַע והתעו ויתע ויתעו ויתעום ויתעם ותתע יִ֝תְע֗וּ יִ֭תְעוּ יִתְע֨וּ יִתְעֽוּ׃ יתעו יתעו׃ כְּהִתָּע֥וֹת כהתעות מַתְעִ֑ים מַתְעִ֔ים מַתְעֶ֔ה מַתְעֶֽה׃ מתעה מתעה׃ מתעים נִתְעָ֑ה נתעה תֵּ֝תַע תַּתְעֵֽם׃ תַתְעֵ֤נוּ תָּ֣עוּ תָּע֑וּ תָּע֔וּ תָּע֖וּ תָּע֣וּ תָּע֥וּ תָּעִ֔ינוּ תָּעִ֗יתִי תָּעָ֣ה תָּעוּ֙ תָע֗וּ תָעִֽיתִי׃ תֹּעֵ֣י תֹּעֶ֑ה תֹֽעֵי־ תֹעֶ֖ה תּ֭וֹעֶה תועה תעה תעו תעי תעי־ תעינו תעיתי תעיתי׃ תתע תתעם׃ תתענו biṯ‘ōwṯ biṯ·‘ō·wṯ bitot ham·maṯ·‘îm hammaṯ‘îm hammatIm hiṯ‘āh hiṯ‘êṯem hiṯ‘ū hiṯ‘ūm hiṯ·‘āh hiṯ·‘ê·ṯem hiṯ·‘ū hiṯ·‘ūm hitAh hiteiTem hitU hitUm kə·hit·tā·‘ō·wṯ kəhittā‘ōwṯ kehittaot maṯ‘eh maṯ‘îm maṯ·‘eh maṯ·‘îm matEh matIm niṯ‘āh niṯ·‘āh nitAh tā‘āh tā‘înū tā‘îṯî ṯā‘îṯî tā‘ū ṯā‘ū tā·‘āh tā·‘î·nū tā·‘î·ṯî ṯā·‘î·ṯî tā·‘ū ṯā·‘ū taAh taInu taIti taṯ‘êm ṯaṯ‘ênū ṯaṯ·‘ê·nū taṯ·‘êm tatEm tatEnu taU tê·ṯa‘ Teta têṯa‘ tō‘ê ṯō‘ê- tō‘eh ṯō‘eh tō·‘ê ṯō·‘ê- tō·‘eh ṯō·‘eh tō·w·‘eh toEh toEi tōw‘eh vaiyatEm vaiyatU vaiyatUm vaiYeta vatTeta vehitU wat·tê·ṯa‘ wattêṯa‘ way·yaṯ·‘êm way·yaṯ·‘ū way·yaṯ·‘ūm way·ye·ṯa‘ wayyaṯ‘êm wayyaṯ‘ū wayyaṯ‘ūm wayyeṯa‘ wə·hiṯ·‘ū wəhiṯ‘ū yiṯ‘ū yiṯ·‘ū yitUInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts