Hebrew word · H2921

טָלָא

vetalu'

to spot

Patched; having patches of a different colour. It is a participle of a verb meaning 'to patch'. Compare the 'patched' sandals of the Gibeonites (Josh 9:5) and the patched or many-coloured shrines in Ezek 16:16.

Appears 8 times in 6 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

1) to patch, spot, be spotted, be coloured

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to spot

1a2) spotted (participle)

1b) (Pual) to be patched

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

From the study of Genesis 30:35

Range of meaning

Patched; having patches of a different colour. It is a participle of a verb meaning 'to patch'. Compare the 'patched' sandals of the Gibeonites (Josh 9:5) and the patched or many-coloured shrines in Ezek 16:16.

Against the English

English 'spotted' suggests round spots. The Hebrew picture is closer to 'patchy' or 'piebald': larger blotches of colour, like patches sewn onto worn cloth. It is distinct from nāqōd, 'speckled' with small dots.

Used elsewhere in the period

Josh 9:5 (the related verb form, of mended sandals); Ezek 16:16; Gen 30:32, 33, 35, 39.

From the study of Joshua 9:5

Range of meaning

'To be spotted' or 'patched'. In Gen 30:32–39 the passive form describes 'spotted' goats. In Ezek 16:16 it describes brightly patched or many-coloured shrines. The intensive passive form here (məṭullāʾôt) means 'patched over', i.e. covered with repairs.

Against the English

KJV's 'clouted' is archaic English for 'patched' (a 'clout' was a patch or rag; compare Jer 38:11 KJV 'old cast clouts'). Modern readers easily take 'clouted' to mean 'struck'. 'Patched' (BSB, WEB, YLT) is accurate.

How it drifted

In current English 'clout' means a blow or influence. The older sense of a cloth patch has mostly disappeared.

Used elsewhere in the period

In Gen 30:32–35 ṭālu' ('spotted') is paired with nāqōd ('speckled'), which comes from the same root as niqqudîm at the end of this verse.

Similar words

Where it appears

Genesis · 6

  1. Genesis 30:32 וְטָל֗וּא וְטָל֥וּא and spotted, and [the] spotted

    Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb, and every spotted or speckled goat. These will be my wages.

  2. Genesis 30:33 וְטָל֜וּא and spotted

    So my honesty will testify for me when you come to check on my wages in the future. If I have any goats that are not speckled or spotted, or any lambs that are not dark-colored, they will be considered stolen.”

  3. Genesis 30:35 וְהַטְּלֻאִ֗ים וְהַטְּלֻאֹ֔ת and <the> spotted

    That very day Laban removed all the streaked or spotted male goats and every speckled or spotted female goat—every one that had any white on it—and every dark-colored lamb, and he placed them under the care of his sons.

    Here: A participle meaning 'patched': animals carrying patches of another colour, like a patched garment. Masculine, describing the he-goats.

  4. Genesis 30:39 וּטְלֻאִֽים׃ and spotted [ones]

    they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted.

Joshua · 1

  1. Joshua 9:5 וּמְטֻלָּאוֹת֙ and patched

    They put worn, patched sandals on their feet and threadbare clothing on their bodies, and their whole supply of bread was dry and moldy.

    Here: Literally 'spotted' or 'patched over': sandals mended again and again, so they look blotched with repairs. The form is passive: someone has patched them.

Ezekiel · 1

  1. Ezekiel 16:16 טְלֻא֔וֹת multicolored

    You took some of your garments and made colorful high places for yourself, and on them you prostituted yourself. Such things should not have happened; never should they have occurred!

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.