Lexical Summary
toholah: Worm, maggot
Original Word:תָּהֱלָה
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:toholah
Pronunciation:to-ho-LAH
Phonetic Spelling:(to-hol-aw')
KJV: folly
NASB:error
Word Origin:[feminine of an unused noun (apparently fromH1984 (הָלַל - To praise)) meaning bluster]
1. braggadocio
2. (by implication) fatuity
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
praise
Feminine of an unused noun (apparently fromhalal) meaning bluster; braggadocio, i.e. (by implication) fatuity -- folly.
see HEBREWhalal
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originof uncertain derivation
Definitionerror
NASB Translationerror (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(? si vera lectio; v according to Di
Lex. Aeth. 522, who compare Ethiopic
III.
rove, wander; Arabic
is
commit error, compare Ba
NB § 179. Anm. 3); —
Job 14:18, < read q. v.
see II. . [] see .
(probably √ of following, in view of Assyriantiâmtu,tâmtu ( = ) DlHWB 698 JenKosmol. 542 BartonJAOS xv. 1 ff., Syriac
; all from √ Thes Ew§ 161 Ol§ 213 d Sta§264 and others).
Topical Lexicon
Meaning and UsageThe term in question denotes moral folly—an act or condition of error, blame, or reckless lack of sound judgment before God. Rather than describing a simple mistake, the word accents culpable misbehavior in the sight of perfect holiness. It appears only once in the Old Testament but carries weighty theological freight.
Occurrence and Immediate Context
Job 4:18 gives the lone instance: “If God puts no trust in His servants, and He charges His angels with error” (Berean Standard Bible). Eliphaz the Temanite is warning Job that no created being stands unquestioned before the Almighty. The “error” attributed to angels underscores the sheer moral distance between Creator and creature.
Contrast Between Divine Perfection and Created Frailty
1. Absolute Holiness of God – Scripture repeatedly affirms that “the heavens are not pure in His sight” (Job 15:15), much less the earth. The term reinforces this theme: even sinless beings, by comparison with God, are liable to reproach.
2. Universal Need for Grace – When angels can be charged with folly, human pride has no place. “For there is no man who does not sin” (1 Kings 8:46).
3. Foundation for the Gospel – By magnifying the holiness gap,Job 4:18 points forward to the necessity of a Mediator who is both fully divine and impeccably righteous (1 Timothy 2:5).
Implications for Angelology
The passage neither denies angelic integrity nor asserts wholesale angelic rebellion; rather, it teaches that angels are accountable servants. The verse harmonizes with other texts on angelic fall (Genesis 6:2;2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6) without demanding that every angel sinned. It supplies a biblical warrant for recognizing graduated orders of moral responsibility among celestial beings.
Connection with Wisdom Literature
Job belongs to Israel’s wisdom corpus, and the appearance of this rare term fits wisdom’s agenda: driving the listener toward the fear of the Lord as “the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). Eliphaz’s argument may be flawed in application to Job’s situation, yet his principle—no creaturely righteousness suffices before God—remains true and echoes throughout the book (Job 25:4-6).
Historical Reception
• Ancient Jewish interpreters rendered the word as “folly” (Septuagint, Vulgate), implying culpable fault.
• Early Christian theologians linked it to Satan’s pride, usingJob 4:18 to stress vigilance against spiritual arrogance.
• Reformers employed the verse to fortify the doctrine of total depravity: if angels can be reproved, how much more fallen humanity?
Ministry and Devotional Significance
1. Humility – Leaders and congregants alike remember that service never earns God’s trust; it relies on His grace.
2. Worship – Awareness that even angels are scrutinized intensifies reverence during corporate praise (Hebrews 12:28).
3. Spiritual Warfare – The verse cautions against presumption when engaging unseen powers; victory rests in Christ’s authority, not ours (Ephesians 6:10-12).
4. Pastoral Counsel – When suffering saints wrestle with unexplained trials,Job 4:18 teaches that hidden spiritual realities transcend human comprehension, steering the heart toward faith rather than accusation.
Summary
Though occurring only once, this term for “error” exposes the incapacity of every created order to stand secure apart from God’s sustaining grace. By contrasting angelic frailty with divine perfection, Scripture prepares the way for the consoling truth that the Righteous One has entered history to reconcile all things to Himself (Colossians 1:19-20).
Forms and Transliterations
תָּהֳלָֽה׃ תהלה׃ tā·ho·lāh tāholāh tohoLah
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