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Hebrew n-m/f · H8438

תּוֹלָע

tolato-law'

worm; worm

43 uses in the Hebrew text, one for each word STEP Bible has tagged with this key

Concordance spelling: tôwlâʻ

Word page · Part of the concordance, one page for every word of the Hebrew and Greek text. Strong's H8438is this word's number in James Strong's 1890 index of the King James Bible.

  • 9 of 39
    Old Testament books
  • 23
    spellings
  • 2
    meanings

The definition in full

Strong's key (1890) · H8438

the crimson-grub, but used only (in this connection) of the colorfrom it, and cloths dyed therewith

The King James renders it: crimson, scarlet, worm.

James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890), public domain. Strong indexed the King James text, and this site quotes his entry as that index.

Summary

tola is rendered "worm; worm". It stands 43 times in the Hebrew text, across nine books.

  • Twenty-seven of the uses stand in Exodus, more than in any other book.
  • The lexicon lists two meanings for it, beginning with "worm".
  • Its first use in canonical order opens the ledger below.Exodus 16:20But they did not listen to Moses; some people left part of it until morning, and it became infested with maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them.
  • The Greek text spells it twenty-three different ways.

The first use

But they did not listen to Moses; some people left part of it until morning, and it became infested with maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them.

Exodus 16:20תּוֹלָעִ֖ים

The first use, in the order of the Old Testament's books.

Where the word stands

Twenty-seven of the word's forty-three uses are in Exodus.

The other 30 Old Testament books never use the word.

What the word means

The word carries two meanings: worm, and worm.

Each meaning, and the words it is translated by

The English STEP Bible gives each use, word by word, and how many times.
wormStrong's entry ATagged aslisted under the tableWhereExodus 16:20But they did not listen to Moses; some people left part of it until morning…
wormStrong's entry BTagged aslisted under the tableWherein the ledger below

How the Greek text is glossed, word by word

  • and scarlet stuff of20
  • a worm5
  • scarlet stuff of5
  • the worm4
  • and in scarlet stuff of1
  • crimson1
  • in scarlet stuff of1
  • like the crimson1
  • O worm of1
  • scarlet stuff1
  • worm1
  • worm their1

and 1 more, 43 uses in all

The words built on the same word-part

Each word below begins with the same letters this one begins with. A shared word-part shows a family. It does not settle what any one of them means, so each word carries its own uses on its own page. Scholars call that shared part the stem.

תּוֹרָהtorahinstructionUses219
תּוֹעֵבַהtoebahabominationUses117
תּוֹלְדָהtoledahgenerationUses39
תּוֹדָהtodahthanksgivingUses31
תּוֹכֵחָהtokechahrebukeUses28
תּוֹצָאָהtotsaahoutgoingUses23
תּוֹרtorturtledoveUses14
תּוֹשָׁבtoshabsojournerUses14
תּוֹרtorbullockUses7
תּוֹחֶלֶתtochelethhopeUses6
תּוֹרtorplaitUses4
תּוֹעָפָהtoaphahpeakUses4

and 6 more on the stem.

Other numbers on this spelling

Strong gave these words the same spelling and different numbers, so the site counts and defines them apart.

The words it stands beside

All 43, in canonical order

Every use, in order

Every use, grouped by book, with its verse.

23 spellings and their grammar

STEP Bible tags every word of the Hebrew and Greek text with its spelling and its grammar. Both lists below count the rows printed underneath, written out in English, with the code beside each one as it was tagged.

How it is spelled

  • וְתוֹלַ֥עַת13
  • וְתוֹלַ֣עַת4
  • תּוֹלַ֥עַת3
  • וְתוֹלַ֧עַת2
  • תוֹלַ֖עַת2
  • תּוֹלַ֣עַת2
  • בְּתוֹלַ֧עַת1
  • הַתּוֹלַ֖עַת1
  • הַתּוֹלַ֗עַת1
  • הַתּוֹלָֽעַת׃1
  • הַתֹּלָֽעַת׃1
  • וּבְתוֹלַ֥עַת1

and 11 more spellings in the ledger below.

The grammar of each form

  • conjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)20HC/Ncfsc
  • noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)7HNcfsc
  • noun · feminine singular6HNcfsa
  • the definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine singular4HTd/Ncfsa
  • conjunction (“and”) + preposition + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)1HC/R/Ncfsc
  • noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine plural1HNcfsc/Sp3mp
  • noun · masculine plural1HNcmpa
  • noun · masculine singular1HNcmsa
  • preposition + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)1HR/Ncfsc
  • preposition with the article + noun · masculine singular1HRd/Ncmsa

Exodus

twenty-seven uses
  • But they did not listen to Moses; some people left part of it until morning, and it became infested with maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them.

    Exodus 16:20

    • תּוֹלָעִ֖יםtolaimnoun · masculine pluraltagged: worms
  • blue, purple, and scarlet yarn; fine linen and goat hair;

    Exodus 25:4

    • וְתוֹלַ֥עַתvetolaatconjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: and scarlet stuff of
  • “You are to construct the tabernacle itself with ten curtains of finely spun linen, each with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and cherubim skillfully worked into them.

    Exodus 26:1

    • וְתֹלַ֣עַתvetolaatconjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: and scarlet stuff of
  • Make a veil of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen, with cherubim skillfully worked into it.

    Exodus 26:31

    • וְתוֹלַ֥עַתvetolaatconjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: and scarlet stuff of
  • For the entrance to the tent, you are to make a curtain embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen.

    Exodus 26:36

    • וְתוֹלַ֥עַתvetolaatconjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: and scarlet stuff of
  • The gate of the courtyard shall be twenty cubits long, with a curtain embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen. It shall have four posts and four bases.

    Exodus 27:16

    • וְתוֹלַ֧עַתvetolaatconjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: and scarlet stuff of
  • They shall use gold, along with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and fine linen.

    Exodus 28:5

    • תּוֹלַ֥עַתtolaatnoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: scarlet stuff of
  • They are to make the ephod of finely spun linen embroidered with gold, and with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn.

    Exodus 28:6

    • תּוֹלַ֧עַתtolaatnoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: scarlet stuff of
  • And the skillfully woven waistband of the ephod must be of one piece, of the same workmanship—with gold, with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and with finely spun linen.

    Exodus 28:8

    • וְתוֹלַ֥עַתvetolaatconjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: and scarlet stuff of
  • You are also to make a breastpiece of judgment with the same workmanship as the ephod. Construct it with gold, with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and with finely spun linen.

    Exodus 28:15

    • וְתוֹלַ֧עַתvetolaatconjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: and scarlet stuff of
  • Make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn all the way around the lower hem, with gold bells between them,

    Exodus 28:33

    • וְתוֹלַ֣עַתvetolaatconjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: and scarlet stuff of
  • blue, purple, and scarlet yarn; fine linen and goat hair;

    Exodus 35:6

    • וְתוֹלַ֥עַתvetolaatconjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: and scarlet stuff of
  • Everyone who had blue, purple, or scarlet yarn, or fine linen, goat hair, ram skins dyed red, or articles of fine leather, brought them.

    Exodus 35:23

    • וְתוֹלַ֥עַתvetolaatconjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: and scarlet stuff of
  • Every skilled woman spun with her hands and brought what she had spun: blue, purple, or scarlet yarn, or fine linen.

    Exodus 35:25

    • תּוֹלַ֥עַתtolaatnoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: scarlet stuff of
  • He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and as weavers—as artistic designers of every kind of craft.

    Exodus 35:35

    • בְּתוֹלַ֧עַתbetolaatpreposition + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: in scarlet stuff of
  • All the skilled craftsmen among the workmen made the ten curtains for the tabernacle. They were made of finely spun linen, as well as blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, with cherubim skillfully worked into them.

    Exodus 36:8

    • וְתוֹלַ֣עַתvetolaatconjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: and scarlet stuff of
  • Next, he made the veil of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen, with cherubim skillfully worked into it.

    Exodus 36:35

    • וְתוֹלַ֥עַתvetolaatconjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: and scarlet stuff of
  • For the entrance to the tent, he made a curtain embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen,

    Exodus 36:37

    • וְתוֹלַ֥עַתvetolaatconjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: and scarlet stuff of
  • The curtain for the entrance to the courtyard was embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen. It was twenty cubits long and, like the curtains of the courtyard, five cubits high,

    Exodus 38:18

    • וְתוֹלַ֥עַתvetolaatconjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: and scarlet stuff of
  • With him was Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, designer, and embroiderer in blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine linen.

    Exodus 38:23

    • וּבְתוֹלַ֥עַתuvetolaatconjunction (“and”) + preposition + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: and in scarlet stuff of
  • From the blue, purple, and scarlet yarn they made specially woven garments for ministry in the sanctuary, as well as the holy garments for Aaron, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

    Exodus 39:1

    • וְתוֹלַ֣עַתvetolaatconjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: and scarlet stuff of
  • Bezalel made the ephod of finely spun linen embroidered with gold, and with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn.

    Exodus 39:2

    • וְתוֹלַ֥עַתvetolaatconjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: and scarlet stuff of
  • They hammered out thin sheets of gold and cut threads from them to interweave with the blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and fine linen—the work of a skilled craftsman.

    Exodus 39:3

    • תּוֹלַ֥עַתtolaatnoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: scarlet stuff of
  • And the skillfully woven waistband of the ephod was of one piece with the ephod, of the same workmanship—with gold, with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and with finely spun linen, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

    Exodus 39:5

    • וְתוֹלַ֥עַתvetolaatconjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: and scarlet stuff of
  • He made the breastpiece with the same workmanship as the ephod, with gold, with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and with finely spun linen.

    Exodus 39:8

    • וְתוֹלַ֥עַתvetolaatconjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: and scarlet stuff of
  • They made pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and finely spun linen on the lower hem of the robe.

    Exodus 39:24

    • וְתוֹלַ֣עַתvetolaatconjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: and scarlet stuff of
  • and the sash of finely spun linen, embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

    Exodus 39:29

    • וְתוֹלַ֥עַתvetolaatconjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: and scarlet stuff of

Leviticus

five uses
  • the priest shall order that two live clean birds, cedar wood, scarlet yarn, and hyssop be brought for the one to be cleansed.

    Leviticus 14:4

    • תוֹלַ֖עַתtolaatnoun · feminine singulartagged: a worm
  • And he is to take the live bird together with the cedar wood, scarlet yarn, and hyssop, and dip them into the blood of the bird that was slaughtered over the fresh water.

    Leviticus 14:6

    • הַתּוֹלַ֖עַתhatolaatthe definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine singulartagged: the worm
  • He is to take two birds, cedar wood, scarlet yarn, and hyssop to purify the house;

    Leviticus 14:49

    • תוֹלַ֖עַתtolaatnoun · feminine singulartagged: a worm
  • Then he shall take the cedar wood, the hyssop, the scarlet yarn, and the live bird, dip them in the blood of the slaughtered bird and the fresh water, and sprinkle the house seven times.

    Leviticus 14:51

    • הַתּוֹלַ֗עַתhatolaatthe definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine singulartagged: the worm
  • And he shall cleanse the house with the bird’s blood, the fresh water, the live bird, the cedar wood, the hyssop, and the scarlet yarn.

    Leviticus 14:52

    • הַתּוֹלָֽעַת׃hatolaatthe definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine singulartagged: the worm

Numbers

two uses
  • And they shall spread a scarlet cloth over them, cover them with fine leather, and insert the poles.

    Numbers 4:8

    • תּוֹלַ֣עַתtolaatnoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: scarlet stuff of
  • The priest is to take cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet wool and throw them onto the burning heifer.

    Numbers 19:6

    • תוֹלָ֑עַתtolaatnoun · feminine singulartagged: scarlet stuff

Deuteronomy

one use
  • You will plant and cultivate vineyards, but will neither drink the wine nor gather the grapes, because worms will eat them.

    Deuteronomy 28:39

    • הַתֹּלָֽעַת׃hatolaatthe definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine singulartagged: the worm

Job

one use
  • how much less man, who is but a maggot, and the son of man, who is but a worm!”

    Job 25:6

    • תּוֹלֵעָֽה׃ פtoleahnoun · feminine singulartagged: a worm

Psalms

one use
  • But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.

    Psalms 22:6

    • תוֹלַ֣עַתtolaatnoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: a worm

Isaiah

four uses
  • “Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool.

    Isaiah 1:18

    • כַתּוֹלָ֖עkhatola'preposition with the article + noun · masculine singulartagged: like the crimson
  • Your pomp has been brought down to Sheol, along with the music of your harps. Maggots are your bed and worms your blanket.

    Isaiah 14:11

    • תּוֹלֵעָֽה׃toleahnoun · feminine singulartagged: worm
  • Do not fear, O worm of Jacob, O few men of Israel. I will help you,” declares the LORD. “Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

    Isaiah 41:14

    • תּוֹלַ֣עַתtolaatnoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: O worm of
  • “As they go forth, they will see the corpses of the men who have rebelled against Me; for their worm will never die, their fire will never be quenched, and they will be a horror to all mankind.”

    Isaiah 66:24

    • תוֹלַעְתָּ֞םtola'tamnoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine pluraltagged: worm their

Lamentations

one use
  • Those who once ate delicacies are destitute in the streets; those brought up in crimson huddle in ash heaps.

    Lamentations 4:5

    • תוֹלָ֔עtola'noun · masculine singulartagged: crimson

Jonah

one use
  • When dawn came the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant so that it withered.

    Jonah 4:7

    • תּוֹלַ֔עַתtolaatnoun · feminine singulartagged: a worm

The letters

Where it leads

Trails through this word2

How the numbers are counted

Every count on this page comes from STEP Bible's tagged Hebrew and Greek text, the same text the ledger prints. A use is counted once each time the tagging marks a word with this key.

Spellings are counted as the Greek text spells them, with the sentence's own punctuation taken off the word first, so a form that ends a clause is not counted as a second spelling.

The words it stands beside are the nouns, verbs and adjectives immediately before or after it, counted in every verse where the word stands. The article, the conjunctions and the prepositions are left out, because they stand beside every word.

The family is read from the lexicon by the stem the two words share, with the accents off, and a person or a place named on the stem is left out.

Hebrew and Greek text, word tagging and grammar: STEP Bible (www.STEPBible.org), Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0. Their grammar codes are written out in English here and shown as tagged beside each one.

Meaning and senses: STEP Bible TBESH gloss (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary key: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890, public domain). English verse text: Berean Standard Bible (public domain, 2023).

Revised 2026-09-05. Every cited work, the sources registry →