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H8462 · Hebrew · Old Testament
תְּחִלָּה
Techillah
Noun, feminine
Beginning / First time

Definition

A Hebrew noun meaning the beginning, the first occasion, or the commencement of something. Derived from chalal (H2490), to begin or pierce through. Used to mark the first occurrence of an action or the opening of a narrative.

Usage & Theological Significance

Techillah speaks to God's sovereignty over beginnings — the fact that every first thing is in His hands. In Hosea 1:2, the "beginning" of the LORD's speaking through Hosea marked a new prophetic season. In Nehemiah 11:17, it speaks of thanksgiving leading the prayer — suggesting that all beginnings should start with gratitude. The New Testament opens with a new beginning in Matthew 1:1: "the beginning (archē) of the genealogy of Jesus Christ." Every renewal, every fresh start, every new covenant dawn originates in the God who was "in the beginning" (John 1:1).

Key Bible Verses

Hosea 1:2 When the LORD began (techillah) to speak through Hosea, the LORD said to him, "Go, marry a promiscuous woman."
Nehemiah 11:17 Mattaniah son of Mika, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, the director who led in thanksgiving and prayer.
Ruth 1:22 So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning (techillah).
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Revelation 21:6 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.

Related Words

External Resources

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