Original Word: תִּרְגַּם
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: tirgam
Pronunciation: teer-GAM
Phonetic Spelling: (teer-gam')
KJV: interpret
NASB: translated
Word Origin: [a denominative from H7275 (רָגַם - stone) in the sense of throwing over]

1. to transfer, i.e. translate

interpret

A denominative from ragam in the sense of throwing over; to transfer, i.e. Translate -- interpret.

see HEBREW ragam

Word Origin
perhaps from ragam
Definition
to interpret, translate
NASB Translation
translated (1).

[תִּרְגֵּם] verb quadriliteral interpret, translate (Assyrian >targumânu, interpreter (so also Tel Amarna), perhaps from √ רגם, compare , conjecture, opine We^{Reste Arab.Heid. 207}, see also Dl^{HWB 718} Vollers^{ZA xii. 138}; Late Hebrew = Biblical Hebrew; Aramaic תַּרְגֵּם,, Arabic ); — Passive participle מְתֻרְגָּם Ezekiel 4:7. — On Targum see Walker^{Hast. DB under the word}

תַּרְדֵּמָה see [רדם].

Occurrence and Literary Context

The term appears once, in Ezra 4:7, describing the return-era letter that local adversaries sent to King Artaxerxes: “The letter was written in Aramaic and translated” (Ezra 4:7). Its single occurrence situates it within imperial bureaucracy during the early Persian period, when Jews who had begun rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem faced political resistance. The word signals that the complaint against them was not only penned in the imperial lingua franca but also rendered into a form intelligible to all levels of Persian administration.

Semantic Range and Relation to “Targum”

Though only attested here in the Hebrew Bible, the root underlies later Jewish usage of “Targum,” the Aramaic renderings of Scripture read in synagogue life. In Ezra the noun points to the act or product of translation, stressing accuracy and accessibility. Later tradition employed cognate forms for both the translated text and the interpreter who read it aloud, preserving the idea that Scripture must be clearly understood by its hearers.

Historical Background

Persian policy prized efficient communication across a vast, multilingual empire. Official memoranda were routinely presented in Aramaic, the chancery language, then recast for local archives or court proceedings. Ezra’s notation that the letter was “translated” highlights the administrative precision of the imperial system and underscores the seriousness of the opposition’s legal maneuver. It reminds readers that God’s people operated under real geopolitical pressures, yet God preserved the covenant community even when imperial paperwork was turned against them (Ezra 4:23–24; 6:1–12).

Theological Significance of Translation

The lone appearance of this word carries a theological weight disproportionate to its frequency:
• It affirms that divine providence reaches into linguistic detail. Even hostile documents had to pass through translation—reminding us that no human language barrier thwarts the Lord’s larger redemptive plan (compare Genesis 11:1-9 with Acts 2:6-11).
• It anticipates God’s pattern of making His revelation understandable. When Scripture itself was later proclaimed in Aramaic (Nehemiah 8:8) or Greek (the Septuagint), the principle seen in Ezra 4:7—that words must be rendered plainly—was already present.
• It foreshadows the incarnation of the Word. Just as the complaint was “translated” for an earthly king, so the eternal Word was “translated” into flesh that humanity might behold His glory (John 1:14).

Patterns Within Scripture

1. Old Testament Precedent: The Levites “gave the sense” so that the people could grasp the Law (Nehemiah 8:8).
2. New Testament Completion: Jesus and the apostles quote Scripture in Greek, and Paul defends intelligible speech, insisting, “Unless you utter intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying?” (1 Corinthians 14:9).
3. Eschatological Vision: The redeemed multitude of “every nation and tribe and tongue” praise the Lamb (Revelation 7:9), a fulfillment made possible because the gospel crosses linguistic lines.

Ministry Application

• Translation is a divine mandate. Just as imperial policy required accurate rendering, the Great Commission demands that Scripture be conveyed faithfully into every language.
• Faithful translators walk in the footsteps of Ezra’s chronicler, the synagogue meturgeman, and the Septuagint scholars, all of whom enabled God’s word to reach new audiences.
• Sound translation guards against distortion. The adversaries in Ezra hoped precision would win royal favor; likewise, precise Bible translation today shields the church from error and secures doctrinal integrity.

Pastoral Reflection

The brief mention of תִּרְגַּם in Ezra 4:7 is a quiet reminder that paperwork, politics, and language serve a sovereign purpose. God’s people need not fear bureaucratic hurdles or cultural barriers, for the Lord who oversaw a single hostile letter also ensures that every syllable of His own Word is preserved, proclaimed, and understood “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 13:47).

וּמְתֻרְגָּ֥ם ומתרגם ū·mə·ṯur·gām umeturGam ūməṯurgāmInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts