Lexical Summary
tardemah: Deep sleep, trance
Original Word: תַּרְדֵּמָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: tardemah
Pronunciation: tar-day-maw'
Phonetic Spelling: (tar-day-maw')
KJV: deep sleep
NASB: deep sleep, sound sleep
Word Origin: [from H7290 (רָדַם - To sleep deeply)]
1. a lethargy
2. (by implication) trance
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
deep sleep
From radam; a lethargy or (by implication) trance -- deep sleep.
see HEBREW radam
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
radamDefinitiondeep sleep
NASB Translationdeep sleep (5), sound sleep (2).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
; — absolute
Genesis 2:21 +; construct
1 Samuel 26:12; —
deep sleep, usually with + person, and usually by supernatural agency:
Genesis 2:21 (J; ),
Genesis 15:12 (J;
id.),
Job 4:13 =
Job 33:15 ( [], ), so
1 Samuel 26:12 ( , result of slothfulness ( and person omitted)
Proverbs 19:15; figurative for insensibility of spirit,
Isaiah 29:10.
Topical Lexicon
Overview תַּרְדֵּמָה denotes an unusually heavy sleep that God may initiate for His own purposes or that may descend upon a person through natural or moral causes. Its occurrences span the Torah, Historical Books, Wisdom Literature, and Prophets, revealing a breadth of theological meaning—from creative blessing to covenant revelation, from mercy-based protection to judicial hardening.
Representative Passages
• Genesis 2:21 – “So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place.” The first use of the term is tied to the creation of woman, highlighting the divinely ordained origin of marriage.
• Genesis 15:12 – “As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and suddenly a terror of great darkness fell upon him.” The Abrahamic covenant is introduced in a state where human effort is suspended so that God alone assumes its obligations.
• 1 Samuel 26:12 – “David took the spear and water jug from near Saul’s head, but no one saw or knew about it because they were all asleep; a deep sleep from the LORD had fallen on them.” Divine intervention preserves David, underscoring God’s sovereignty over both friend and foe.
• Isaiah 29:10 – “For the LORD has poured over you a spirit of deep sleep; He has shut your eyes—the prophets; He has covered your heads—the seers.” What once facilitated revelation becomes an instrument of judgment when hearts grow dull.
Theological Themes
1. Divine Initiative and Human Passivity
• In Genesis 2:21 and 15:12 God suspends human activity to perform creative and covenantal acts. Tardemah therefore safeguards His prerogative: He alone fashions Eve and guarantees the promises to Abram.
2. Revelation and Vision
• Job 4:13 and 33:15 depict nocturnal visions that come “when deep sleep falls on men,” revealing that God still addresses humanity when the conscious mind is inactive, bypassing natural defenses to impress truth.
3. Protection and Providence
• David’s stealth in 1 Samuel 26:12 depends upon the Lord-induced sleep of Saul’s camp, illustrating that God’s guardianship can override normal alertness.
4. Moral Consequence
• Proverbs 19:15 warns, “Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the idle soul will suffer hunger.” Here tardemah is not bestowed by God for blessing but results from sloth, exposing the self-inflicted bondage of indolence.
5. Judicial Hardening
• Isaiah 29:10 (echoed in Romans 11:8) shows sleep as divine retribution: spiritual stupor meets persistent unbelief. Tardemah thus becomes a metaphor for hearts that refuse to heed God’s word.
Historical and Literary Setting
The term appears in narrative (Genesis, Samuel), poetic wisdom (Job, Proverbs), and prophetic discourse (Isaiah). Its spread across genres suggests readers of every era understood both the literal and figurative power of God-given slumber. In patriarchal times it frames foundational covenants; in the monarchy it protects the anointed; in wisdom writings it teaches personal responsibility; in prophetic literature it warns of collective apostasy.
Ministry Implications
• Dependence: Pastors and teachers can remind believers that essential works of God—creation in marriage, covenant promises, spiritual transformation—occur while human striving is at rest. Salvation is by grace, not human exertion.
• Vigilance: Isaiah’s use cautions congregations against complacency; spiritual torpor may be a sign of impending judgment.
• Discernment in Dreams: While God may still choose nighttime seasons for instruction, Scripture remains the touchstone for evaluating every vision.
• Work Ethic: Proverbs 19:15 challenges believers to resist indolence. Industrious stewardship aligns with wakefulness to God’s call.
• Prayer for Protection: David’s experience encourages intercession for divine covering that silences opposition without violence.
Intertextual Connections
• Romans 11:8 cites Isaiah 29:10 to explain Israel’s partial hardening, confirming the continuity of the concept from prophet to apostle.
• Jonah 1:5–6 (though a different Hebrew term) narrates a “deep sleep” during disobedience, providing a narrative foil to Genesis 2:21; both involve divine sovereignty, yet one ends in blessing, the other in discipline.
Summary
תַּרְדֵּמָה portrays a sleep deeper than ordinary rest, strategically employed by God to create, covenant, reveal, protect, warn, or judge. It reminds believers that the Almighty rules the thresholds of consciousness, calling His people either to peaceful trust or sober awakening.
Forms and Transliterations
וְתַרְדֵּמָ֖ה ותרדמה תַּ֝רְדֵּמָ֗ה תַּ֭רְדֵּמָה תַּרְדֵּמַ֣ת תַּרְדֵּמָ֑ה תַּרְדֵּמָ֔ה תַּרְדֵּמָ֛ה תרדמה תרדמת tar·dê·māh tar·dê·maṯ tardeMah tardêmāh tardeMat tardêmaṯ vetardeMah wə·ṯar·dê·māh wəṯardêmāh
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