---
title: תֹּולַעַת — worm · The Tanakh dictionary
description: תֹּולַעַת (8438), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 41 times: worm. BDB 1906: n.f. worm. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# תֹּולַעַת

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«תֹּולַעַת» in the Tanakh dictionary: **worm** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 41 times · **Key:** 8438 · **BDB:** תּוֹלֵעָה

### Glosses

scarlet.stuff (20); the.scarlet.stuff (6); the.worm (3)

### Meaning (OSHB)

worm [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1514/8438/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.f. worm [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1514/8438/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** 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;— 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. 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.

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Why these entries: BDB: another headword, part of speech agrees, 16 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (3 candidates); OSHB: another headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (2 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «תֹּולַעַת» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1514/8438/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Job 25:6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/JOB.25.6/)

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אַ֭ף כִּֽי־אֱנ֣וֹשׁ רִמָּ֑ה וּבֶן־אָ֝דָ֗ם תּוֹלֵעָֽה׃פ

*Word for word:* indeed? (dm) a.person a.maggot and a.child of.humankind a.worm

*JPS 1917:* How much less man, that is a worm! and the son of man, that is a maggot!

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[Exodus 25:4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/EXO.25.4/)

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וּתְכֵ֧לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָ֛ן וְתוֹלַ֥עַת שָׁנִ֖י וְשֵׁ֥שׁ וְעִזִּֽים׃

*Word for word:* and violet.stuff and purple and scarlet.stuff of.scarlet and fine.linen and goat.hair(s)

*JPS 1917:* and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair;

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