Hebrew word · H2870
טָֽבְאַ֑ל
tave'el
Tabeel
This is a personal name. Its likely original form is Tav'el or Tab'el, 'God is good' in Aramaic, and the same name occurs for a Persian-era official in Ezra 4:7. The Masoretic vowels give Tav'al, which Hebrew hearers could take as tov ('good') + al ('not'): 'good-for-nothing'.
Appears 2 times in 2 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·
What it means
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Ezr.4.7
§ Tabeal = "God is good"
an officer of the Persian government in Samaria in the reign of Artaxerxes
Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).
In depth
- Range of meaning
This is a personal name. Its likely original form is Tav'el or Tab'el, 'God is good' in Aramaic, and the same name occurs for a Persian-era official in Ezra 4:7. The Masoretic vowels give Tav'al, which Hebrew hearers could take as tov ('good') + al ('not'): 'good-for-nothing'.
- Against the English
KJV, BSB, YLT 'Tabeal' follow the Masoretic vowels. WEB, ESV, NIV, NASB 'Tabeel' restore the probable original name. Neither choice can show the possible pun.
- Used elsewhere in the period
An Assyrian letter from Nimrud (ND 2773), discussed by W. F. Albright (BASOR 140, 1955), mentions a man or territory linked with 'Tab'el', apparently in the Transjordan or Aramean sphere. Tiglath-pileser III's tribute lists name a king of Tyre called Tuba'il (Ethbaal), whom some have connected with this name. Neither link is certain.
Where it appears
Ezra · 1
-
Ezra 4:7 טָֽבְאֵל֙ Tabeel
And in the days of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his associates wrote a letter to Artaxerxes. It was written in Aramaic and then translated.
Isaiah · 1
-
Isaiah 7:6 טָֽבְאַֽל׃ ס Tabeel
‘Let us invade Judah, terrorize it, and divide it among ourselves. Then we can install the son of Tabeal over it as king.’
Here: The name is Aramaic in form and probably meant 'God is good' (Tav'el). The Masoretic vowels read Tav'al, which to a Hebrew ear can sound like 'good-for-nothing' (tov + al, 'good' + 'not'). That may be a deliberate scribal jab. The man's identity is unknown.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.