Word

תּוֹרָה

tôwrâh · H8451 · Hebrew · 220 occurrences

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Meanings

teaching, instruction

Causative action by which humans in a position of authority and possessing a certain amount of wisdom or skill cause (other) humans to acquire knowledge, a skill, or to emulate a certain type of behavior

Examples
2 Samuel 7:19 “And yet this was insignificant in Your eyes, Lord GOD, for You have spoken also of the house of Your servant regarding the distant future. And this is the custom of mankind, Lord GOD.
Job 22:22 “Please receive instruction from His mouth, And put His words in your heart.
Proverbs 1:8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, And do not ignore your mother’s teaching;
ruling

Causative action by which priests apply God's law to a practical situation and give instructions on how to handle it

Examples
Deuteronomy 17:11 “In accordance with the terms of the law about which they instruct you, and in accordance with the verdict which they tell you, you shall act; you shall not turn aside from the word which they declare to you, to the right or the left.
Haggai 2:11 “The LORD of armies says this: ‘Now ask the priests for a ruling:
Malachi 2:6 “True instruction was in his mouth and injustice was not found on his lips; he walked with Me in peace and justice, and he turned many back from wrongdoing.
instruction, law

Causative action by which deities offer instruction to humans, providing instruction on how to live their lives

Examples
Genesis 26:5 because Abraham obeyed Me and fulfilled his duty to Me, and kept My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”
Exodus 16:28 Then the LORD said to Moses, “How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My instructions?
Exodus 18:16 “When they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I judge between someone and his neighbor and make known the statutes of God and His laws.”
instruction, law

Singular only; a collection of instructions and laws given by YHWH to Israel through the intermediary of Moses

Examples
Exodus 12:49 “The same law shall apply to the native as to the stranger who resides among you.”
Exodus 13:9 “And it shall serve as a sign to you on your hand, and as a reminder on your forehead, that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth; for with a powerful hand the LORD brought you out of Egypt.
Exodus 16:4 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, so that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction.

How it’s used In 9 roles

Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.

the word studied the word it goes with

Whose, or of whatGenitive or possessive

128 occurrences in 31 groups

ךָyour 31
יmy 20
יְהֹוָהthe LORD, YHWH 19
מֹשֶׁהMoses 14
הוּhis 10
אֱלֹהִיםGod, gods 8
Other words · 25 groups that occur once or twice (30) 30

Words describing itAdjectives, demonstratives, participles

39 occurrences in 10 groups

זֹאתthis 16
צָוָהto give orders 8
נָתַןto give, to put, to set 7
אֶחָדone 4
Other words · 6 groups that occur once or twice (7) 7

What it doesIt is the subject

12 occurrences in 4 groups

הָיָהto be, to become 6
יָצָאto go out 3
אָבַדto perish, to destroy 2
פּוּגto be weak 1

What is done to itIt is the object

61 occurrences in 29 groups

שָׁמַרto keep, to guard, to observe 10
שָׁכַחto forget 5
עָזַבto forsake, to leave 4
עָשָׂהto do, to make 4
שָׁמַעto hear, to listen, to obey 4
אָהַבto love 3
Other words · 22 groups that occur once or twice (28) 28

Second object ofSecond object

4 occurrences in 4 groups

זָהַרto warn, to teach 1
חָנַןto be gracious, to have mercy 1
יָדַעto know 1
שָׁאַלto ask, to inquire, to request 1

What it is said to bePredicate

24 occurrences in 13 groups

זֹאתthis 9
שַׁעְשֻׁעַjoy 3
Other words · 11 groups that occur once or twice (12) 12

What is said to be itIt is the predicate

14 occurrences in 3 groups

זֹאתthis 12
חֵפֶץdesire, pleasure 1
אֵלֶּהthese 1

After prepositionsPrepositional phrases

56 occurrences in 7 groups

בin/on/with 57
כlike/as 13
לto/for 10
מִןfrom 8
אֵלto, toward 4
עַלon, upon, over, against 4

In phrases “… of it”It is the genitive

45 occurrences in 11 groups

סֵפֶרbook, scroll, letter 19
דָּבָרword, thing, matter 14
Other words · 9 groups that occur once or twice (12) 12

When two words share a role, as in “Paul and Barnabas said”, the verse appears under each, so a section’s counts can add up to more than the number of occurrences.

MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.

Near synonyms 2 words

דָּת dâth · H1881 · law: Both words are legal terms with overlapping sense ("law" and "decree, law"), and they are distinct Hebrew words that could substitute for each other in legal contexts.
פִּקּוּד piqqûwd · H6490 · commandments, precepts: Both words refer to divine instruction and regulation: פִּקּוּד emphasizes specific precepts and commandments, while תּוֹרָה refers to law and instruction more broadly.

In the other Testament 1 word

νόμος nómos · G3551 · law, ordinance, rule: Greek νόμος (nomos) is the standard Septuagint rendering of Hebrew תּוֹרָה (torah), both denoting divine law/instruction.

Semantic domains 2 entries

Know002004002007: This noun denotes divine instruction, as in Exodus 16:4's account of the LORD testing whether the people will walk in His instruction.
Laws002003003016: The noun also denotes a body of law, as in Genesis 26:5's account of Abraham keeping the LORD's commandments, statutes, and laws.

Word family 5 words

Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.

יָרָה yârâh · H3384 · to throw, to cast, to shoot (arrows) · 78×תּוֹרָהtôwrâh · H8451מוֹרֶה môwreh · H4175 · early rain, autumn rain, teacher · 5×מוֹרֶה Môwreh · H4176 · early rain, autumn rain, teacher · 3×יוֹרֶה yôwreh · H3138 · archer, early rain, autumn rain · 2×

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon H8451. torah תּוֺרָה noun feminineDeu 1:5 direction, instruction, law (possibly in first…

H8451. torah
תּוֺרָה noun feminineDeu 1:5 direction, instruction, law (possibly in first instance from casting lots, WeG i, 470; H 394 (less confidently WeSkizzen iii, 167), SS SmAT Rel. Geschichte. 36 BenzArchaeology 408 NowArchaeology ii, 97, opposed to by KöOffenb. ii, 347 BaudPriesterthum 207); — ׳ת, Exo 12:49 88t.; construct תּוֺרַת Exo 13:9 65t.; suffixes תּוֺרָתִי Psa 78:1 Psa 78:16t.; תֹּרָר֯תְךָ Jer 32:23; תֹּרָתוֺ Jer 44:23 34t. suffixes; plural תּוֺרוֺת Neh 9:13; תּוֺרֹת Isa 24:5 Isa 24:2t.; suffix תּוֺרֹתַי Eze 44:24; תּוֺרֹתָ֯ו Eze 43:11; Eze 44:5 Eze 44:5t. suffixes; —
1 instruction:
a. human: of a mother Pro 1:8; Pro 6:20, Pro 6:23; of a father Pro 3:1; Pro 4:2; Pro 7:2; of sages Pro 13:14; Pro 28:4 (twice in verse); Pro 28:7, Pro 28:9; Pro 29:18; of a poet Psa 78:1; חֶסֶד תּוֺרַת kind instruction (of a wise wife) Pro 31:26.
b. divine || אֲמָרִים Job 22:22; through his servants Isa 30:9; Jer 8:8; || אִמְרָה Isa 5:24; || דָּבָר Isa 1:10; || תְּעוּדָה Isa 8:16, Isa 8:20; || חָזוֺן Lam 2:9; plural תורות Dan 9:10.
c. a body of prophetic (or sometimes perhaps priestly) teaching Isa 42:21, Isa 42:24; Jer 9:12; Jer 16:11; in the heart Isa 51:7; Psa 37:31; Psa 40:9; || משׁפט Hab 1:4; || משׁפטים Psa 89:31; || דְּבָרִים Jer 6:19; Jer 26:4; Zec 7:12; || חקים Amo 2:4; || חקות Jer 44:10, Jer 44:23; myriads of precepts Hos 8:12.
d. instruction in Messianic age Isa 2:3 = Mic 4:4; Isa 42:4; Isa 51:4; Jer 31:33.
e. a body of priestly direction or instruction relating to sacred things Hos 4:6; Jer 2:8; Jer 18:18; Eze 7:26; Hag 2:11; Mal 2:6-7, Mal 2:8, Mal 2:9; Zep 3:4; Eze 22:26; || מוֺרֶה כֹּחֵן לֹא תוֺרָה לֹא2Ch 15:3.
2 law (properly direction): namely
a. of special laws, singular of Feast of Maƒƒoth Exo 13:9 (J), sabbath Exo 16:4 (J); of direction given by priests in particular case Deu 17:11; of statutes of priest's code Exo 12:49 (P), Lev 6:2; Lev 6:7; Lev 6:18; Lev 7:1, Lev 7:7, Lev 7:11, Lev 7:37; Lev 11:46; Lev 12:7; Lev 13:59; Lev 14:2, Lev 14:32, Lev 14:54, Lev 14:57; Lev 15:32; Num 5:29-30, Num 6:13, Num 6:21 (twice in verse); Num 15:16, Num 15:29; Num 19:2, Num 19:14; Num 31:21 (P); הַבָּיִת תּוֺרַת Eze 43:12 (twice in verse); ח ׳בֵּין לְמִעְוָךְ2Ch 19:10; plural תּוֺרוֺת laws, || חקים Exo 18:16, Exo 18:20 (E; of decisions in civil cases given by Moses), Psa 105:45; || מצות Exo 16:28 (J); || חקות מצות, Gen 26:5 (J); || משׁפטים חקים Lev 26:46 (H); || חק ברית, Isa 24:5; || מצות חקים, משׁפטים, Neh 9:13; the laws of the new temple Eze 43:11; Eze 44:5, Eze 44:24; those laws in which men should walk Jer 32:23 (Kt).
b. of codes of law, (1) הַתּוֺרָה as written in the code of the covenant, || הַמִּצְוָה Exo 24:12 (E); אלהים תּוֺרַת ספר Jos 24:26 (E); probably also Deu 33:4, || משׁפטים Deu 33:10, || בְּרִית Hos 8:1; Psa 78:10, || עֵדוּת Psa 78:5; -2the law of the Deuteronomic code, in D and Deuteronomic sections of Kings and sources of Chronicles, הַזּאֹת הַתּוֺרָה Deu 1:5; Deu 4:8, Deu 4:44; Deu 17:18; Deu 31:9, Deu 31:11; הַתּ ׳דִּבְרֵי הזאת Deu 27:26; Deu 31:24, + כל Deu 17:19; Deu 27:3, Deu 27:8; Deu 28:58; Deu 29:28; Deu 31:12; Deu 32:46; הַתּ ׳סֵפֶר הזאת Deu 28:61; הזה התורה ספר Deu 29:20; Deu 30:10; Deu 31:26; Jos 1:8; התורה ספר Jos 8:34; 2Ki 22:8 2Ch 34:15; התורה דברי Jos 8:34; 2Ki 23:24; so משׁה צוך אשׁר התורה Jos 1:7, similarly Jos 22:5; 2Ki 17:13, 2Ki 17:34, 2Ki 17:37; 2Ki 21:8; משׁה תּוֺרַת (ספר) Jos 8:31-32, Jos 23:6; 1Ki 2:3; 2Ki 14:6 = ׳הַתּ מ ׳בספר2Ch 25:4; 2Ki 23:25; הַתּ סֵפֶר ׳דִּבְרֵי 2Ki 22:11= הַתּ ׳דברי2Ch 34:19; יהוה תּוֺרַת 2Ki 10:31. It is probable that ׳ת in Psa 1:2 (twice in verse); Psa 94:12 and some other parts of Chronicles, e.g. 1Ch 22:12; 2Ch 6:16 (= 1Ki 8:25 without ׳ת), refers to Deuteronomic code. (3) other passages of Chronicles may refer to code of D, but most of them certainly refer to the law of the Priests' code. The same is true of Malachi, Daniel and late Psalms. The phrases are: (ספר) משׁה תורת2Ch 23:18; 2Ch 30:16; Ezr 3:2; Ezr 7:6; Neh 8:1; Malachi 3:22; Dan 9:11, Dan 9:13; יהוה תורת (ספר) Ezr 7:10; Neh 9:3; 1Ch 16:40; 2Ch 12:1; 2Ch 17:9; 2Ch 31:3-4, 2Ch 34:14; 2Ch 35:26; Psa 19:8; Psa 119:1; (ספר) האלהים תורת Neh 8:18; Neh 10:29; Neh 10:30; הַתּ ׳ספר Neh 8:3; הַתּ ׳דִּבְרֵי Neh 8:9; Neh 8:13; הַתּוֺרָה2Ch 14:3; 2Ch 31:21; 2Ch 33:8; Ezr 10:3; Neh 8:2, Neh 8:7, Neh 8:14; Neh 10:35; Neh 10:37; Neh 12:44; Neh 13:3; ׳תּ מִּיךָ Psa 119:72; תורתך Neh 9:26, Neh 9:29, Neh 9:34; Dan 9:11; Psa 119:18; Psa 119:29; Psa 119:34; Psa 119:44; Psa 119:51; Psa 119:53; Psa 119:55; Psa 119:61; Psa 119:70; Psa 119:77; Psa 119:85; Psa 119:92; Psa 119:97; Psa 119:109; Psa 119:126; Psa 119:136; Psa 119:142; Psa 119:150; Psa 119:153; Psa 119:163; Psa 119:165; Psa 119:174; תּוֺרָה (indefinite) || מצוות חקים, Neh 9:14.
3 custom, manner: הָאָדָם תּוֺרַת 2Sa 7:19 the manner of man, not of God, i.e. deal with me as man with man, Thes, law for man RV, but EwGeschichte. iii. 180 reads דּוֺרֹת (וַתַּרְאֵנִי) hast shewed me generations of men; so We Dr. — On ׳ת see further Dr on Deu 1:10; Deu 24:8; Deu 33:10 and references

Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), public domain

Topical studies with this word 2 entries

Laws200 occurrences Know22 occurrences

Meanings adapted from the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament, © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0 and the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (from the Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew), © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0; MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.

Sources

eRhema lexical overview, based on the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (© United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Macula Hebrew and Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0); released under CC BY-SA 4.0