תְּלִי

# Teli (H8522): A Rare Hebrew Term for a Quiver The Hebrew word *teli* appears in the biblical text with the specific meaning of "quiver"—a container designed to hold and carry arrows. Based on the available lexical data, this term refers to practical military equipment rather than serving any metaphorical or theological function. The word's straightforward definition reflects its concrete, functional purpose in ancient Near Eastern warfare. The extremely limited occurrence of *teli* in the biblical corpus—appearing only once—suggests it was either a less common term for this object or perhaps a regional or specialized variant. This single attestation makes it impossible to trace variations in usage or determine whether the word carried any secondary meanings. For comparison, biblical Hebrew employed other terms for similar archery equipment, indicating that *teli* occupied a specific, narrow niche in the vocabulary of ancient Hebrew writers. The rarity of the term underscores that biblical authors had multiple options for describing military equipment and chose this particular word in only one context. This lexical data reveals that *teli* represents a basic material object with no apparent theological or symbolic weight in biblical literature. Its solitary appearance means readers encounter it as a straightforward reference to a piece of military hardware rather than as a concept laden with religious significance or metaphorical richness.