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dḥlh, dḥltˀ (deḥlā, deḥləṯā/ dḥeltā) n.f. fear; faith
1
fear
Qumran, JLAtg, PTA, CPA, Sam, Syr, Man, LJLA
11QtgJob 33.3=39:22↗ יחאך על דחלה ולא יזוע‏ ; 4Q318 .2.9↗ אם בתאומיא ירעם דחלה ומרע̇ [מנ]כריא‏ : if it thunders in Gemini: fear and sickness from strangers ; TgJ Jonah1:10↗ וֻדחִילוּ גֻברַיָא דַחלָא רַבָא‏ ; TN Gen9:2↗ ודחלתכון ואימתכון תהווא על כל חייתא דארעא‏ ; P Job13:21↗ ܘܕܚܠܬܟ ܠܐ ܬܙܝܥܢܝ‏ ; P Mt14:26↗ ܘܡܸܢ ܕܸ݁ܚܠܲܬ݂ܗܘ݂ܢ܂ ܩܥܲܘ‏ : they cried out from their fear ; AM 223:9↗ dahalta mn arbaiia uṭiba nihuia : there will be fear of the Arabs and of drowning ; PJ Gen9:2↗ ודחלתכון ואימתכון יהי על כל חיית ארעא‏ : fear and awe of them shall be upon all the earth’s animals
2
religion, belief in a divinity
Syr, Man, LJLA
Rechts2 122:11 ܐܘ ܠܚܢܦܐ ܐܘ ܠܝܗܘܕܝܐ ܐܘ ܠܚܕ ܡ݂ܢ ܕܚ̈ܠܬܐ ܐܚܪ̈ܢܝܬ̈ܐ‏ : to a pagan, a Jew, or someone of the other religions ; JS_Elijah 1:325↗ ܠܲܬܪܸ̈ܝܢ ܟܸܢܫܼܝ̈ܢ ܠܵܐ ܬܸܣܬܲܕܩܽܘܢ ܥܲܠ ܕܸܚܠ̈ܵܬܵܐ‏ : do not be divided into two groups over religions ; PJ Gen6:9↗ בדחלתא דייי הליך נח‏
(1)
sect, cult
Syr
JulSok 131(62):14↗ ܕܚ̈ܠܬܐ ܐܚܪ̈ܢܝܬܐ‏
(2)
deity, object of reverence
JLAtg, PTA, CPA, Sam, Syr, LJLA
TgO Ex32:31↗ וַעְבַדוּ לְהוֹן דַחלָן דִדהַב‏ : they made deities of gold for themselves ; TN Gen31:30↗ למה גנבת ית דחלתי‏ : why did you steal my deities? ; AphDem15.314:17↗ ܠܥܓܠܐ̈ ܕܚ̈ܠܬܐ ܕܡܨܪ̈ܝܐ‏ ; P Ex8:22↗ ܕܚ̈ܠܬܐ ܕܡܨܪ̈ܝܐ‏ : the Egyptians' gods ; PJ Ex20:23↗ דחלן דכסף ודחלן דדהב לא תעבדון לכון‏
(1)
object of devotion
Syr
LSt.6:4↗ ܕܫܦܝܪ ܕܚܠܬܐ ܢܗܘܐ ܗ݂ܘ ܗܢܐ‏ : that this should be a very well-respected thing (no matter one's religion)
(3)
ܒܕܚܠܐ : in a godly manner
CPA
3
wound (?)
Sam
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JLAtg usually uses this form for "fear" or "faith" but dḥl for a worshipped object; note, though, that the absolute form of this word is identical to the determined form of the latter. Thus confusion in the texts is rather rampant, especially in LJLA rendering the Hebrew form אלהים (divinity of the Northern Kingdom) where the text attempts to reflect the apparent plural ending in what is a pl. absolute of this word rather than some form of dḥl n.m.
Note that in targumic texts, pagan divinities are generally referred to by ṭˁw, ṭˁwtˀ n.f. while pagans in their own speech refer to their divinities with this word: See Damsma, Targumic Toseftot to Ezekiel p. 25 & n.96.
Page refs. in other dictionaries: LS2: 291[149]DJPA: 143aJastrow: 292Drower/Macuch: 98aJ. Payne-Smith: 89Levy Ch-W: 1:167Tal Sam: 177DCPA[Schulthess]: 84[44]Qumran: 52

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Thu, 05 Nov 2026 12:03:20 -0500