תּוֹלָע
worm
also: scarlet stuff, crimson fuller range ↓
Full lexicon entry — Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
From Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
Where this word appears
See every Construct-state word in the Hebrew Bible →
Grammar key — what these labels mean
Part of speech
- Noun
- A naming word — a person, place, thing, or idea.
Noun type
- Common
- A common noun — a general class of person, place, or thing (“king,” “city,” “water”), not a specific name.
State
- Construct
- A noun bound to a following noun in a possessive / “of” relationship (the construct chain).
- Absolute
- The independent form of a noun, not bound to a following word.
Gender
- Feminine
- Grammatically feminine.
- Both
- Attested as both masculine and feminine.
Number
- Singular
- One.
- Plural
- More than one (in Hebrew, generally three or more).
Grammatical forms
- Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Construct 28 times (65%)
- Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Absolute 11 times (26%)
- Noun, Common, Both, Singular, Absolute 2 times (5%)
- Noun, Common, Both, Singular, Construct 1 time (2%)
- Noun, Common, Both, Plural, Absolute 1 time (2%)
Parsed forms decoded from the imported morphology (morphhb / Westminster Leningrad Codex — WLC text public domain, morphhb tagging CC BY 4.0), counted across 43 parsed occurrences — not distinct verses.
Every verse where H8438 appears — 43 distinct verses across 9 books. Click any verse to open its interlinear word-by-word view. Verse text shown in the World English Bible for context — . Each verse’s Hebrew form is shown with its reference; the English is not keyword-highlighted, since the data carries no word-level English alignment. Use “Compare translations” on any verse to read it across multiple English versions. This concordance covers the Hebrew Bible; Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) occurrences are not indexed here.
Exodus 27 verses
- Exodus 16:20 תּוֹלָעִ֖ים n c bp Notwithstanding they didn't listen to Moses, but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and became foul: and Moses was angry with them.
- Exodus 25:4 וְ/תוֹלַ֥עַת conj + n c bs cs blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, goats' hair,
- Exodus 26:1 וְ/תֹלַ֣עַת conj + n c fs cs "Moreover you shall make the tent with ten curtains; of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, with cherubim. The work of the skillful workman you shall make them.
- Exodus 26:31 וְ/תוֹלַ֥עַת conj + n c fs cs "You shall make a veil of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cherubim. The work of the skillful workman shall it be made.
- Exodus 26:36 וְ/תוֹלַ֥עַת conj + n c fs cs "You shall make a screen for the door of the Tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of the embroiderer.
- Exodus 27:16 וְ/תוֹלַ֧עַת conj + n c fs cs For the gate of the court shall be a screen of twenty cubits, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of the embroiderer; their pillars four, and their sockets four.
- Exodus 28:5 תּוֹלַ֥עַת n c fs cs They shall take the gold, and the blue, and the purple, and the scarlet, and the fine linen.
- Exodus 28:6 תּוֹלַ֧עַת n c fs cs "They shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of the skillful workman.
- Exodus 28:8 וְ/תוֹלַ֥עַת conj + n c fs cs The skillfully woven band, which is on it, that is on him, shall be like its work and of the same piece; of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
- Exodus 28:15 וְ/תוֹלַ֧עַת conj + n c fs cs "You shall make a breastplate of judgment, the work of the skillful workman; like the work of the ephod you shall make it; of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, shall you make it.
- Exodus 28:33 וְ/תוֹלַ֣עַת conj + n c fs cs On its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, around its hem; and bells of gold between them round about:
- Exodus 35:6 וְ/תוֹלַ֥עַת conj + n c fs cs blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, goats' hair,
- Exodus 35:23 וְ/תוֹלַ֥עַת conj + n c fs cs Everyone, with whom was found blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, goats' hair, rams' skins dyed red, and sea cow hides, brought them.
- Exodus 35:25 תּוֹלַ֥עַת n c fs cs All the women who were wise-hearted spun with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, the blue, the purple, the scarlet, and the fine linen.
- Exodus 35:35 בְּ/תוֹלַ֧עַת prep + n c fs cs He has filled them with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of workmanship, of the engraver, of the skillful workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of those who do any workmanship, and of those who make skillful works.
- Exodus 36:8 וְ/תוֹלַ֣עַת conj + n c fs cs All the wise-hearted men among those who did the work made the tent with ten curtains; of fine twined linen, blue, purple, and scarlet, with cherubim, the work of the skillful workman, they made them.
- Exodus 36:35 וְ/תוֹלַ֥עַת conj + n c fs cs He made the veil of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen: with cherubim. He made it the work of a skillful workman.
- Exodus 36:37 וְ/תוֹלַ֥עַת conj + n c fs cs He made a screen for the door of the tent, of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of an embroiderer;
- Exodus 38:18 וְ/תוֹלַ֥עַת conj + n c fs cs The screen for the gate of the court was the work of the embroiderer, of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen. Twenty cubits was the length, and the height in the breadth was five cubits, like to the hangings of the court.
- Exodus 38:23 וּ/בְ/תוֹלַ֥עַת conj + prep + n c fs cs With him was Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, and a skillful workman, and an embroiderer in blue, in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen.
- Exodus 39:1 וְ/תוֹלַ֣עַת conj + n c fs cs Of the blue, purple, and scarlet, they made finely worked garments, for ministering in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron; as Yahweh commanded Moses.
- Exodus 39:2 וְ/תוֹלַ֥עַת conj + n c fs cs He made the ephod of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen.
- Exodus 39:3 תּוֹלַ֥עַת n c fs cs They beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, in the purple, in the scarlet, and in the fine linen, the work of the skillful workman.
- Exodus 39:5 וְ/תוֹלַ֥עַת conj + n c fs cs The skillfully woven band that was on it, with which to fasten it on, was of the same piece, like its work; of gold, of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen; as Yahweh commanded Moses.
- Exodus 39:8 וְ/תוֹלַ֥עַת conj + n c fs cs He made the breastplate, the work of a skillful workman, like the work of the ephod; of gold, of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen.
- Exodus 39:24 וְ/תוֹלַ֣עַת conj + n c fs cs They made on the skirts of the robe pomegranates of blue, purple, scarlet, and twined linen.
- Exodus 39:29 וְ/תוֹלַ֥עַת conj + n c fs cs and the sash of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, the work of the embroiderer, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
Leviticus 5 verses
- Leviticus 14:4 תוֹלַ֖עַת n c fs then the priest shall command them to take for him who is to be cleansed two living clean birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop.
- Leviticus 14:6 הַ/תּוֹלַ֖עַת ptcl def.art + n c fs As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water.
- Leviticus 14:49 תוֹלַ֖עַת n c fs To cleanse the house he shall take two birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop.
- Leviticus 14:51 הַ/תּוֹלַ֗עַת ptcl def.art + n c fs He shall take the cedar wood, and the hyssop, and the scarlet, and the living bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird, and in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven times.
- Leviticus 14:52 הַ/תּוֹלָֽעַת ptcl def.art + n c fs He shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird, and with the running water, with the living bird, with the cedar wood, with the hyssop, and with the scarlet;
Numbers 2 verses
- Numbers 4:8 תּוֹלַ֣עַת n c fs cs They shall spread on them a scarlet cloth, and cover the same with a covering of sealskin, and shall put in its poles.
- Numbers 19:6 תוֹלָ֑עַת n c fs and the priest shall take cedar-wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer.
Deuteronomy 1 verse
Job 1 verse
Psalms 1 verse
Isaiah 4 verses
- Isaiah 1:18 כַ/תּוֹלָ֖ע prep det + n c bs "Come now, and let us reason together," says Yahweh: "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
- Isaiah 14:11 תּוֹלֵעָֽה n c fs Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, [and] the noise of your viols: the worm is spread under you, and worms cover you.
- Isaiah 41:14 תּוֹלַ֣עַת n c fs cs Don't be afraid, you worm Jacob, and you men of Israel; I will help you, says Yahweh, and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
- Isaiah 66:24 תוֹלַעְתָּ֞/ם n c fs cs + sfx pers 3mp They shall go forth, and look on the dead bodies of the men who have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring to all flesh.
Lamentations 1 verse
Jonah 1 verse
About this entry
At a glance — auto-summarized from this page’s data, not written by a person. Every figure links to its source below. This summary describes the numbers; it doesn’t interpret them.
“worm” is the headline sense of the Hebrew noun תולע (tôwlâʻ). More than half of its appearances fall in Exodus. The Hebrew Bible uses it across 43 verses — moderately common. Not a single-sense word: its full sense range also takes in “scarlet stuff” and “crimson”. Translators differ — “scarlet” in the King James Version, then “scarlet yarn” (Berean Standard Bible) and “worm of” (unfoldingWord Literal Text), as the renderings breakdown shows. For the data behind this summary, explore the sense tree and the renderings breakdown below.
Gloss history
Strong's 1890 vs modern scholarship
About this word
Strong's H8438 catalogs a Hebrew word from the Hebrew Old Testament.
These counts are not copied from any lexicon or concordance. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged Hebrew Old Testament. What Lemma adds →
- 43
- distinct verses
- The word appears in 43 distinct verses.
- 9 / 39
- OT books
- The word appears in 9 of 39 Old Testament books.
- #837
- by frequency
- Top 1000 most frequent Hebrew words (rank 837 of 8,640 Hebrew words by occurrence).
View all 43 occurrences in the concordance →
By section of the Old Testament
By traditional corpus
Conventional, traditional groupings — biblical authorship is debated, so this is a traditional corpus grouping, not an authorship claim. Each share is this word’s portion of its verses in that division of the Hebrew canon. Each figure is a share of the word’s 43 distinct verses.
- Torah (Pentateuch) 35 verses · 81%
- Prophets (Nevi'im) 5 verses · 12%
- Writings (Ketuvim) 3 verses · 7%
How translations render this word
Counts come from each version’s own published word-to-Strong’s tagging or interlinear alignment — an approximate guide to how each version renders this word, not a word-level alignment the data otherwise carries. Because each total is that version’s own tagged count, the per-version totals vary from one another and need not match the appearance or distinct-verse counts above. These counts may also differ from a printed concordance because Lemma counts each distinctly tagged rendering and does not collapse phrase taggings into a single head-word total. This is a fixed set of word-tagged versions (KJV, ASV, BSB, ULT) and does not change with the reading translation you choose elsewhere. Each version’s license is shown beside its name below (and on Sources).
BDB lists this Strong’s number as 3 distinct words (homographs). Each count above pools all of them and is not split by sense — see the Senses section below. A low-frequency rendering may belong to a different one of those words, not the primary meaning.
- King James Version†: Scarlet 6×
- American Standard Version†: Scarlet 6×
- Berean Standard Bible†: Scarlet yarn 24×, Crimson 2×, Or scarlet yarn 2×
- unfoldingWord Literal Text†: Worm of 25×, Worm 8×, Scarlet 2×
King James Version Public Domain
Renders H8438 across 15† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 9 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings. Not rendered by a distinct English word in 28 further occurrences.
American Standard Version Public Domain
Renders H8438 across 15† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 9 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
Berean Standard Bible Public Domain
Renders H8438 across 37† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 5 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings. Not rendered by a distinct English word in 6 further occurrences.
unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
Renders H8438 across 43† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 4 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
Senses in the full BDB
What do BDB’s symbols mean?
BDB uses these scholarly abbreviations:
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 𝔊 | the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation, LXX) |
| 𝔙 | the Vulgate (the Latin translation) |
| 𝔖 | the Syriac version (the Peshitta) |
| 𝔗 | the Targum (the Aramaic translation) |
| ψ | the Psalms |
| √ | root (the underlying root or stem) |
| ‖ | parallel passage (a synonymous or contrasted parallel) |
| † | the dagger: every passage where the word occurs is cited |
The 4 senses and sub-senses the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon distinguishes for this word, in lexicon order (not ranked by frequency), with BDB’s own verbatim wording and sub-sense lettering. Shown in Hebrew script with BDB’s own scholarly abbreviations. The condensed entry is in the Lexicon Entry tab. See also the Forms in the corpus table below.
תולע I [m.] worm, scarlet stuff (dyed with the coccus ilicis, v. שָׁנִי, ThatcherHast.DB Colours)
- 1. worm, only pl. תּוֹלָעִים, in stale manna Ex 16:20 (P). e.g. Exodus 16:20
- 2. scarlet stuff, abs. sg. תּוֹלָע Is 1:18 (in sim. ‖ שָׁנִים; opp. צֶמֶר); token of luxury La 4:5. e.g. Isaiah 1:18
תולע II m. in Issachar
תולע III worm
- 1. worm, grub, vine-weevil Jon 4:7; Dt 28:39 (coll.); devouring the dead Is 14:11 (coll.: ‖ רִמָּה), 66:24 (coll.); symbol of insignificance 41:14 Jb 25:6 (‖ רִמָּה), ψ 22:7. e.g. Jonah 4:7
- 2. elsewhere (P) specif., + שָׁנִי (q.v.), of the coccus ilicis yielding scarlet colour: שְׁנִי (הַ)תּ׳ Lv 14:4, 6, 49, 51, 52; Nu 19:6; of crimson stuff, בֶּגֶד ת׳ שָׁנִי 4:8; usually תְּכֵלֶת וְאַרְגָּמָן וְת׳ (הַ)שָּׁנִי וגו׳ Ex 25:4; 26:1 + 24 times Ex. e.g. Leviticus 14:4
Senses from the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon (Brown, Driver, Briggs; Oxford 1906 — public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). Full attribution on Sources.
Word origin
I. n.[m.] worm, scarlet stuff (dyed with the coccus ilicis, v. שָׁנִי, ThatcherHast.DB Colours);—
II. n.pr.m. in Issachar; a judge of Israel Ju 10:1; assigned to earlier time by Gn 46:13; Nu 26:23 (both P), 1 Ch 7:1, 2(×2).
I. n.f. worm;—abs. תּוֹלֵעָה Is 14:11; Jb 25:6; תּוֹלַעַת Is 41:14 +, תּוֹלָ֑עַת Dt 28:39 Nu 19:6; cstr. תּוֹלַ֫עַת Ex 25:4 +; sf. תּוֹלַעְתָּם Is 66:24;—
— Brown-Driver-Briggs (Oxford 1906, public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). See Sources.
Derived from ילע (yâlaʻ) (H3216) — to speak rashly.
Jastrow Dictionary
A second Hebrew/Aramaic lexicon for comparison, covering Aramaic and post-biblical (Talmudic, Targumic, Midrashic) usage that the biblical-Hebrew BDB does not. Matched by lemma rather than by Strong’s number, so a lemma may carry more than one Jastrow headword (shown separately below), and the entries cover usage well beyond the Bible.
תּוֹלָע
- c. (b. h.;, Tafel of לעע, v. לוֹעַ; v. Del. Proleg., p. 113) worm. — Pl. תּוֹלָעִים. Sot. 35ᵃ והיו ת׳ יוצאות וכ׳ worms came out of their tongues &c.; Yalk. Num. 745. Tanḥ. T’tsav. 11 קלאנין של ת׳, v. קוֹלָנִי; Yalk. Prov. 935; a. e.
A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature (Marcus Jastrow; London, Luzac, 1903) — Public Domain. Digitized via Sefaria. Digitized via Sefaria. Full attribution on Sources.
Forms in the corpus
The 22 distinct written forms H8438 takes in the Hebrew Bible, most frequent first — each parse links to that state’s occurrences in the concordance. Hebrew forms include their vowel points and cantillation, so a single lemma takes many written forms.
Same root — word family
Other BDB entries built from the same root as H8438, grouped by Strong’s listed origin. These share a root / origin per the lexicon — not necessarily a shared meaning. Each links to that word’s own entry.
Derives from
Shares the same root
Derived from this word
Proper names from this root
People and places named from this root — a name, not an additional meaning of the word.
Compare all same-root words → Showing 4 of 5 — not the complete family. 1 of the same-root words is a proper name (a person or place). They share a root, not necessarily a meaning.
Septuagint verse parallels
This word appears in 41 verses that also exist in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), out of the 43 Hebrew verses it occurs in. You can read those verses in Greek by switching the Old Testament edition to the Septuagint.
Read these verses in the Septuagint
- Exodus 16:20
- Leviticus 14:4
- Numbers 4:8
- Deuteronomy 28:39
- Job 25:6
- Psalms 22:6
- Isaiah 1:18
- Lamentations 4:5
- Jonah 4:7
This is a verse-level parallel only — the same verses exist in both the Hebrew and Greek Old Testaments. No word-level Hebrew↔Greek correspondence is claimed: the data carries no such alignment, so no Greek word is shown as this Hebrew word’s translation. Coverage is not total — the Septuagint omits the deuterocanon and renumbers the Psalms, so some Hebrew verses have no direct Greek parallel.
