Hebrew word · H8649

תַּרְמִית

tarmit

deceitfulness

Deceit, treachery, trickery, including self-generated delusion. It belongs with a family of related words for betraying or beguiling.

Appears 6 times in 6 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. · Updated November 01, 2026

What it means

deceitfulness, treachery, fraud, deceit

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

Range of meaning: Deceit, treachery, trickery, including self-generated delusion. It belongs with a family of related words for betraying or beguiling.
Against the English: "Deceit" (KJV, YLT, WEB) and "deceitfulness" (BSB, NASB) are close. ESV's "cunning" can sound like cleverness, even admirable skill. NIV's "delusions" and NLT's "fooling themselves" narrow it to self-deception, which is one possible reading among others.
Used elsewhere in the period: Jeremiah 8:5 says the people cling to it. Jeremiah 14:14 and 23:26 pair it with sheqer in speaking of prophets who preach the deceit of their own hearts. Zephaniah 3:13 speaks of a "tongue of deceit," which is aimed at other people.

Range of meaning: Tarmit: deceit, treachery, delusion (Ps 119:118; Jer 8:5; 23:26). Lev: the inner person, above all the seat of thinking, planning, understanding and will. Feeling is a lesser part of it.
Against the English: KJV/WEB "heart" sounds like emotion or sincerity to modern ears. NIV/ESV/NASB/BSB "minds" is closer: the message is something these prophets thought up.
How it drifted: English "heart" has shifted toward feeling and inner sincerity. Hebrew lev is mainly the organ of thought and decision.
Used elsewhere in the period: Jeremiah 23:16: "they speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of the LORD." Jeremiah 23:26: "prophets of the deceit of their heart." Ezekiel 13:2, 17: "prophets who prophesy out of their own heart." Jeremiah 17:9: "the heart is deceitful above all."

Range of meaning: Deceit, treachery, delusion. It comes from a root meaning "to deceive, betray" (rmh II). It can mean deceiving others or being self-deceived.
Against the English: Most versions say "deceit". NLT-style paraphrases make it "lies". "Deceit" can sound like the people are only lying to others. Here it is mainly the lie they believe.
Used elsewhere in the period: Jer 14:14 ("the deceit of their own hearts", said of false prophets); 23:26 (again of prophets); Ps 119:118; Zeph 3:13 ("no deceitful tongue"). The Septuagint here has "their own choice/will" (proairesis).

Judges · 1

Judges 9:31 בְּתָרְמָ֣ה in treachery

So he covertly sent messengers to Abimelech to say, “Look, Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem and are stirring up the city against you.

Psalms · 1

Psalm 119:118 תַּרְמִיתָֽם׃ deceitfulness their

You reject all who stray from Your statutes, for their deceitfulness is in vain.

Here: "Their deceit": scheming, treacherous trickery, including the kind that comes from a person's own heart. Paired with sheqer, it says their trickery is itself a sham.

Jeremiah · 3

Jeremiah 8:5 בַּתַּרְמִ֔ית on <the> deceitfulness

Why then have these people turned away? Why does Jerusalem always turn away? They cling to deceit; they refuse to return.

Here: "On the deceit": a falsehood that deceives the people who hold it. In context this means the false comforts they relied on: "the temple of the LORD" slogans (7:4), lying scribes (8:8), prophets crying "peace" (8:11).
Jeremiah 14:14 וְתַרְמִ֣ית and [the] deceitfulness of

“The prophets are prophesying lies in My name,” replied the LORD. “I did not send them or appoint them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a false vision, a worthless divination, the futility and delusion of their own minds.

Here: Deception, possibly including self-deception. It is joined to the next word: "the deceit of their heart."
Jeremiah 23:26 תַּרְמִ֥ת [the] deceitfulness of

How long will this continue in the hearts of these prophets who prophesy falsehood, these prophets of the delusion of their own minds?

Zephaniah · 1

Zephaniah 3:13 תַּרְמִ֑ית deceitfulness

The remnant of Israel will no longer do wrong or speak lies, nor will a deceitful tongue be found in their mouths. But they will feed and lie down, with no one to make them tremble.”

Here: Deception that betrays trust, from the root used when Jacob says to Laban 'Why have you deceived me?' (Gen 29:25). A 'tongue of deceit' is a tongue in the habit of tricking people.

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