Original Word: תְּשֻׁאָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: tshu'ah
Pronunciation: teh-shoo-AH
Phonetic Spelling: (tesh-oo-aw')
KJV: crying, noise, shouting, stir
NASB: noise, shoutings, shouts, storm, thundering
Word Origin: [from H7722 (שׁוֹא שׁוֹאָה שׁוֹאָה - ravages)]

1. a crashing or loud clamor

crying, noise, shouting, stir

From show'; a crashing or loud clamor -- crying, noise, shouting, stir.

see HEBREW show'

Word Origin
from the same as sho
Definition
noise
NASB Translation
noise (1), shoutings (1), shouts (1), storm (1), thundering (1).

[תְּשֻׁאָה] noun feminine noise (properly of devastation, storm); — ᵑ0 only plural תְּשֻׁאוֺת absolute city noises Isaiah 22:2 (of עִיר הוֺמִיָּה), adverb accusative = (with) shoutings Zechariah 4:7; so construct נוֺגֵשׂ לֹא יִשְׁמָ֑ע ׳ת Job 39:7 (subject wild ass); סֻכָּתוֺ ׳ת Job 36:29 (of thunder); read perhaps singular תְּשֻׁוָה (= תְּישׁאָה) Job 30:22 Kt, dissolvest me in (or, into) the roar of the storm ("" make me ride on wind), so Ew Ol De Di Du Bu and others; > תֻּשִׁיָּה Qr AV my substance (?), Du ׳מִתֻּשׁ 'ohne Halt' (?).

Range of Meaning

The noun depicts a loud cry or tumult—an audible surge that can be triggered by nature, by human revelry, or by covenant-faithful celebration. It is therefore more than mere volume; it conveys an event charged with significance. Whether the sound issues from thunderclouds, from a heedless city, from the desert silence broken by a donkey, or from worshippers witnessing a new beginning, it signals that something weighty is taking place.

Occurrences

1. Job 36:29 – “Who can understand how He spreads the clouds, how He thunders from His pavilion?”.
2. Job 39:7 – “It laughs at the commotion of the town; it does not hear the shouts of a driver.”
3. Isaiah 22:2 – “You were filled with revelry, a city of uproar, a town of revels…”
4. Zechariah 4:7 – “Then he will bring forth the capstone with shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’ ”

Theology of Sound in Job

In both Job passages the word frames God’s sovereignty over creation. The deafening crash that surrounds His “pavilion” (36:29) underscores that divine transcendence cannot be domesticated. By contrast, the wild donkey’s disdain for the town’s commotion (39:7) illustrates freedom granted by the Creator: the creature thrives precisely because it is not shackled by human noise. Together the verses portray the word as a boundary marker—separating the impenetrable mystery of God’s rule from humanity’s limited grasp.

A Rebuke of Self-Indulgent Uproar (Isaiah 22:2)

Jerusalem, spared from Assyria in Isaiah 22, indulges in careless festivities instead of humble trust. The prophet labels its revelry with this same term, exposing the emptiness of a celebration detached from righteousness. The sound once associated with Yahweh’s power has been hijacked by the city’s self-confidence. In this context the tumult becomes an indictment: what should have been a cry of dependence on God devolves into hollow noise that precedes judgment (Isaiah 22:12-14).

Redemptive Shout of Grace (Zechariah 4:7)

The final occurrence in Zechariah reverses Isaiah’s misuse. As Zerubbabel lays the temple capstone, the people cry, “Grace, grace to it!” The same word now conveys faith-filled jubilation. The mountain of opposition is flattened; the noise that once mocked God’s ways is transformed into worship that magnifies His restoring grace. Thus the term bridges exile and restoration, announcing that renewed obedience yields a sound pleasing to the Lord.

Historical Significance

Post-exilic Israel would have heard Zechariah’s promise against the backdrop of their memories of Isaiah’s warning. The vocabulary link invites reflection: Will the city’s future noise mirror Isaiah’s empty revelry or Zechariah’s grace-filled acclaim? The success of Zerubbabel’s work answered the question in hopeful tones that echoed through later Jewish worship and ultimately anticipated the Messianic age, when even greater cries of salvation would resound (Matthew 21:9).

Ministry Applications

• Worship Integrity: Scripture warns that volume without obedience is vanity (Isaiah 22). Congregational praise must be anchored in repentance and faith or it becomes mere clamor.
• Celebration of Grace: Zechariah teaches believers to vocalize the triumph of divine favor. Public testimony of God’s works is encouraged; joyful shouting is not unspiritual when grounded in His grace.
• Awe before Divine Majesty: Job reminds us that some “sounds” belong to God alone. Reverence grows when we recognize limits to human explanation and bow before the thunder of His pavilion.
• Freedom over Worldly Commotion: Like the wild donkey, the church is liberated from the compulsions of a culture driven by restless noise. Quiet trust can be as countercultural as loud praise.

Summary

Every occurrence of תְּשֻׁאָה presents a crossroads: will the noise signify ego or adoration, judgment or grace? The canonical arc urges the latter. From the thunderclouds of Job to the redeemed shouting of Zechariah, the term calls God’s people to ensure that every surge of sound ultimately exalts the Lord who speaks through whirlwind and whisper alike.

תְּ֝שֻׁא֗וֹת תְּשֻׁא֕וֹת תְּשֻׁא֣וֹת ׀ תְּשֻׁא֥וֹת תשאות tə·šu·’ō·wṯ teshuot təšu’ōwṯInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts