טַלְטֵלָה

# Taltelah (H2925): A Hapax Legomenon of Captivity The Hebrew word *taltelah* appears only once in the biblical text, making it a hapax legomenon—a word attested in a single occurrence. Its definition as "captivity" indicates it describes the condition of being taken prisoner or forcibly removed from one's homeland, though the single attestation limits what can be determined about its precise semantic range or whether it carried specialized connotations beyond the general concept of captivity. The rarity of this word in biblical Hebrew raises questions about its usage and significance. It may represent an alternative or poetic synonym for more common captivity terminology, or it could be a variant form that fell out of regular usage. Without multiple contexts showing how *taltelah* was employed, Hebrew speakers' understanding of any nuanced distinction between it and other captivity-related terms remains inaccessible to modern analysis. For biblical students, *taltelah* serves as a reminder that Hebrew vocabulary was larger and more varied than the repeated words that dominate biblical texts. Its single appearance preserves evidence of linguistic diversity while simultaneously preventing conclusive analysis of its particular function or theological significance within the broader vocabulary of displacement and exile.