---
title: תּוֹלָע — worm · The Tanakh dictionary
description: תּוֹלָע (lemma:תּוֹלָע), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 2 times: worm. BDB 1906: worm, scarlet stuff. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# תּוֹלָע

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«תּוֹלָע» 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:** 2 times · **Key:** lemma:תּוֹלָע · **BDB:** תּוֹלָע

### Glosses

crimson (2)

### Meaning (OSHB)

worm [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1514/lemma_3a_5ea_5bc_5d5_5b9_5dc_5b8_5e2/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

worm, scarlet stuff [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1514/lemma_3a_5ea_5bc_5d5_5b9_5dc_5b8_5e2/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.\[m.\] worm, scarlet stuff (dyed with the coccus ilicis, v. שָׁנִי, ThatcherHast.DB Colours);— worm, only pl. תּוֹלָעִים, in stale manna Ex 16:20 (P). scarlet stuff, abs. sg. תּוֹלָע Is 1:18 (in sim. ‖ שָׁנִים; opp. צֶמֶר); token of luxury La 4:5.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 2 of its verses cited, 0 words shared with the glosses (5 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 0 with the glosses (4 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «תּוֹלָע» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1514/lemma_3a_5ea_5bc_5d5_5b9_5dc_5b8_5e2/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Lamentations 4:5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/LAM.4.5/)

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הָאֹֽכְלִים֙ לְמַ֣עֲדַנִּ֔ים נָשַׁ֖מּוּ בַּחוּצ֑וֹת הָאֱמֻנִים֙ עֲלֵ֣י תוֹלָ֔ע חִבְּק֖וּ אַשְׁפַּתּֽוֹת׃ס

*Word for word:* \[those who\].ate (to) delicacies they.are.desolate in the streets \[those who.were\].brought.up on crimson they.have.embraced ash.heaps

*JPS 1917:* They that did feed on dainties are desolate in the streets; they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.

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[Isaiah 1:18](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/ISA.1.18/)

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לְכוּ־נָ֛א וְנִוָּֽכְחָ֖ה יֹאמַ֣ר יְהוָ֑ה אִם־יִֽהְי֨וּ חֲטָאֵיכֶ֤ם כַּשָּׁנִים֙ כַּשֶּׁ֣לֶג יַלְבִּ֔ינוּ אִם־יַאְדִּ֥ימוּ כַתּוֹלָ֖ע כַּצֶּ֥מֶר יִהְיֽוּ׃

*Word for word:* come please and let.us.argue.our.case.together he.says Yahweh though they.are sins your like (the) scarlet like (the) snow they.will.become.white though they.are.red like (the) crimson like (the) wool they.will.be

*JPS 1917:* Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

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- ← previous: [תּוֹלָע](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/8439.md)
- next →: [תּוֹלָעִי](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/8440.md)
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