Lexical Summary
tal: dew
Original Word:טַל
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:tal
Pronunciation:tahl
Phonetic Spelling:(tal)
KJV: dew
NASB:dew
Word Origin:[fromH2926 (טָּלַל - covered)]
1. dew (as covering vegetation)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
dew
Fromtalal; dew (as covering vegetation) -- dew.
see HEBREWtalal
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom an unused word
Definitionnight mist, dew
NASB Translationdew (31).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Judges 6:37 (Late Hebrew dew; Aramaic
,
dew; Arabic
light rain, dew; Ethiopic
dew) — absolute
1 Samuel 1:21 12t.;
Judges 6:13 9t.; construct
Genesis 27:28 4t.; suffix
Isaiah 26:19,
Zechariah 8:12; —
night-mist, taking place of our
dew (see Che
Isaiah 18:4 &
Psalm 110:3; Lane
1862, Neil
Pal. Explored 129); as coming from the sky and bringing fertility,
Genesis 27:28 (God gives it, ), &
Genesis 27:39 (+ ), compare
Deuteronomy 33:28 (heavens distil it, ),
Haggai 1:10;
Zechariah 8:12 (heavens give it, ); in
Deuteronomy 33:13 read perhaps for (see ""
Genesis 49:25 and Di); clouds distil it ()
Proverbs 3:20; followed by , it descends () upon the camp
Numbers 11:9 (JE); it is upon the ground
Judges 6:39,40, compare
2 Samuel 1:21 (+ ); upon the fleece
Judges 6:37; is wrung out () of the fleece
Judges 6:38; remains through the night ()
Job 29:19, compare
the lying of dew = the dew lying
Exodus 16:13,14 (P; it goes up () in morning); it is in drops
Job 38:28; covers the head of one out at night
Songs 5:2; it comes () by word of prophet
1 Kings 17:1 (+ ); simile of stealthy approach
2 Samuel 17:12; simile denoting welcome and Gentle refreshment, of speech, which distils () like it
Deuteronomy 32:2 (poem; "" , ); of fraternal unity
Psalm 133:3 (); of king's favour
Proverbs 19:12 (); of s kindness
Hosea 14:6;
Isaiah 18:4 like a
mist-cloud, of s quiet watching; of Jacob's influence among nations
Micah 5:6 ( ; "" );
Isaiah 26:19a dew of light is thy dew (see I. , p. 21:b above and Baud
Stud. Semitic Rel. ii. 264 f.); as transitory,
Hosea 6:4like the dew early departing, so
Hosea 13:3 (both "" ); figurative of young warriors of king established by , with flashing weapons, like dewdrops
Psalm 110:3.
(see Biblical Hebrew I. ); — constructDaniel 4:12;Daniel 4:20;Daniel 4:22;Daniel 4:30;Daniel 5:31.
Topical Lexicon
Meaning in the Physical WorldIn the land of Israel heavy night-time dew compensates for the scarce summer rainfall. Moisture condenses after sunset, settles on vegetation, and evaporates soon after sunrise. In an agrarian society this reliable phenomenon was indispensable for sustaining crops (Deuteronomy 33:28), refreshing pastures (Micah 5:7), cooling sheep and goats, and preserving seedlings through the parched season. Israel’s farmers rose early to reap hay or gather manna before the sun burned the drops away (Exodus 16:14;Numbers 11:9). Dew therefore became a ready symbol for both life-giving provision and fragile transience.
Dew as a Divine Blessing
1. Patriarchal Benedictions
•Genesis 27:28 records Isaac’s major covenant blessing: “May God give to you the dew of heaven and the richness of the earth.” The phrase couples agricultural prosperity with heavenly favor, grounding later promises such as “precious dew from heaven above” inDeuteronomy 33:13.
2. Covenant Faithfulness
• Moses appealed to dew to describe the gentle, life-nourishing descent of divinely revealed truth: “May my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew” (Deuteronomy 32:2).
• Hosea, announcing Israel’s restoration, quotes the LORD: “I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like the lily” (Hosea 14:5). The prophet intentionally contrasts this enduring dew of grace with the nation’s earlier “dew that vanishes” (Hosea 6:4).
3. Unity and Worship
•Psalm 133:3 likens brotherly unity to “the dew of Hermon falling on Mount Zion,” portraying God’s people as refreshed from above whenever they dwell together in peace.
4. Messianic Expectation
•Psalm 110:3 links dew with the perpetual vigor of Messiah’s volunteers: “From the womb of the dawn, the dew of Your youth belongs to You.”
Dew Withheld as Judgment
Elijah’s confrontation with Ahab shows that the same God who bestows dew can suspend it. “There will be neither dew nor rain… except at my word” (1 Kings 17:1). Haggai echoes the warning: “The heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops” (Haggai 1:10). Loss of dew signals covenant breach, calling the people to repentance.
Dew as a Sign and Revelation
1. Gideon’s Fleece
Gideon sought confirmation of his call by requesting dew only on the fleece (Judges 6:37-38) and then only on the ground (Judges 6:39-40). God answered both requests precisely, proving His sovereignty over nature and His patience with a hesitant servant.
2. Resurrection Hope
Isaiah 26:19 casts morning dew as a pledge of bodily resurrection: “For your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will bring forth her dead.” The routine renewal of creation each dawn becomes a token of the future renewal of humanity.
Literary Imagery of Transience
The prophets exploit dew’s fleeting appearance to illustrate human frailty and unfaithfulness:
•Hosea 6:4—“Your loyalty is like the early dew that vanishes.”
•Hosea 13:3—Unrepentant Israel will be “like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears.”
•Job 38:28—God rhetorically asks, “Who has begotten the drops of dew?” emphasizing creaturely dependence.
Wisdom and Royal Favor
Proverbs 19:12 balances wrath and grace: “A king’s favor is like dew on the grass.” Royal benevolence, like the LORD’s nightly moisture, sustains life quietly and effectively.
Dew in Narrative and Poetry
•Song of Solomon 5:2 depicts the bridegroom arriving “with dew-drops on my locks,” dramatizing ardor and immediacy.
• David mourns Saul: “You mountains of Gilboa, may no dew or rain fall on you” (2 Samuel 1:21), effectively placing a curse on the site of the king’s downfall.
• In strategic planning, Hushai advises Absalom that David “will come upon him as the dew falls on the ground” (2 Samuel 17:12), signifying swiftness and inevitability.
Prophetic and Eschatological Outlook
Micah 5:7 envisions the remnant of Jacob “like dew from the LORD” among the nations—quiet, irresistible agents of blessing.Zechariah 8:12 reassures the returned exiles that “the heavens will give their dew,” linking restored worship with restored fertility. These promises anticipate a messianic kingdom characterized by universal refreshment and life.
Practical Ministry Applications
• Prayer: Intercessors find a pattern in Elijah’s authority over dew, reminding believers that earnest prayer affects both spiritual and physical climates (James 5:17-18).
• Teaching: Dew models the teacher’s task—gentle, persistent, and daily (Deuteronomy 32:2).
• Discipleship: Hosea’s contrast of vanishing dew calls the church to steadfast devotion rather than momentary enthusiasm.
• Hope: Morning dew, guaranteed by the Creator, encourages faith in the resurrection and in new mercies “every morning” (Lamentations 3:23).
Representative References
Genesis 27:28;Exodus 16:13-14;Numbers 11:9;Deuteronomy 32:2; 33:13, 28;Judges 6:37-40;1 Kings 17:1;2 Samuel 1:21;Psalm 110:3;Psalm 133:3;Proverbs 19:12;Isaiah 26:19;Hosea 6:4; 13:3; 14:5;Micah 5:7;Haggai 1:10;Zechariah 8:12.
Forms and Transliterations
הַטַּ֔ל הַטַּ֖ל הַטַּ֛ל הַטָּ֑ל הטל וְ֝טַ֗ל וְכַטַּ֖ל וּכְטַ֖ל וּמִטַּ֥ל וטל וכטל ומטל טַ֖ל טַ֣ל טַ֤ל טַ֧ל טַל֙ טַל֩ טַלֶּ֔ךָ טַלָּ֑ם טָ֔ל טָּֽל׃ טָֽל׃ טל טל׃ טלך טלם כְּטַל֙ כְּטַל־ כַּטַּ֖ל כַטַּל֙ כטל כטל־ מִטַּל֙ מִטָּ֑ל מִטָּ֔ל מטל chatTal haṭ·ṭal haṭ·ṭāl hatTal haṭṭal haṭṭāl kaṭ·ṭal ḵaṭ·ṭal katTal kaṭṭal ḵaṭṭal kə·ṭal kə·ṭal- ketal kəṭal kəṭal- miṭ·ṭal miṭ·ṭāl mitTal miṭṭal miṭṭāl Tal ṭal ṭāl ṭal·lām ṭal·le·ḵā talLam ṭallām talLecha ṭalleḵā ū·ḵə·ṭal ū·miṭ·ṭal ucheTal ūḵəṭal umitTal ūmiṭṭal vechatTal veTal wə·ḵaṭ·ṭal wə·ṭal wəḵaṭṭal wəṭal
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