• Toe
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • TOE

      The Hebrew and Aramaic words used in the Bible for finger refer also, at times, to the toe. (2 Sam. 21:20; 1 Chron. 20:6; Dan. 2:41, 42) In other places the Hebrew word for “thumb” is used also for “toe.”—Ex. 29:20; Lev. 8:23, 24; 14:14, 17, 25, 28.

      The toes, being important for balance and direction to the body in walking, are referred to in the Scriptures with literal and figurative significance. A custom occasionally practiced to incapacitate for battle a captured enemy was to cut off his thumbs and big toes.—Judg. 1:6, 7.

      At the installation of the priesthood in Israel, Moses took some blood of the ram of the installation and put it on the right ear, the right thumb and the right big toe of Aaron and each of his sons. (Lev. 8:23, 24) The blood of the sacrifice on the prominent member of the right (best) foot would mean that they must point their course and walk unswervingly with the best of their ability in the sacrificial duties of the priesthood. Jesus Christ the great High Priest fulfilled this prophetic type when on earth (Matt. 16:21-23), and his underpriests, his spirit-begotten brothers, must follow his steps closely.—Heb. 7:26; 1 Pet. 2:5, 8; Rev. 20:6.

  • Togarmah
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • TOGARMAH

      (To·garʹmah).

      A son of Gomer the son of Japheth, hence a great-grandson of Noah. (Gen. 10:1-3; 1 Chron. 1:4-6) The name apparently came to apply as well to the region occupied by his descendants. In Ezekiel’s dirge concerning Tyre, Togarmah is mentioned as the source of “horses and steeds and mules,” for which Tyre traded certain goods. (Ezek. 27:2, 14) The same prophet lists Togarmah among Gog of Magog’s allies and gives its situation as among the peoples of “the remotest parts of the north.”—Ezek. 38:6.

      Many commentators connect Togarmah with the Armenians. The Armenians themselves traditionally claim to be descended from “Haik, son of Thorgom.” Ancient Greek writers speak of the Armenians as famed for their horses and mules.

  • Tola
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • TOLA

      (Toʹla) [the coccus, metonymically, crimson or deep-scarlet color].

      1. First-named son of Issachar who accompanied Jacob’s household into Egypt in 1728 B.C.E. (Gen. 46:8, 13) Tola’s sons and some of his grandsons founded populous tribal families in Issachar, collectively known as Tolaites.—Num. 26:23; 1 Chron. 7:1-4.

      2. A judge of Israel; the son of Puah. Tola was a descendant of Issachar, but he lived, and was later buried, in the mountainous region of Ephraim. No experiences from his twenty-three-year judgeship are recorded.—Judg. 10:1, 2.

  • Tongue
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • TONGUE

      The organ of the body playing a prominent role in tasting. However, the taste buds distributed on the tongue’s surface detect only acid, sweet, salt and bitter. What is commonly called “taste” results from combinations of these taste buds reacting plus the aroma detected by the sense of smell. More importantly, the tongue is also essential to speech, because articulation of words requires active maneuvering on its part, which it does with dexterity and remarkable speed.—See MOUTH (The Palate).

      In Bible usage, “tongue” often stands for “language.” (Gen. 10:5; Deut. 28:49; Isa. 28:11; Acts 2:4; 19:6; 1 Cor. 12:10) Or, at times, it refers to a people speaking a certain language.—Isa. 66:18; Rev. 5:9; 7:9; 13:7.

      Jesus’ half-brother James vividly describes the power exercised by the tongue and the need for the Christian to exercise great care to use it properly. He points out that failure to bridle the tongue can be a factor in causing one’s worship to be futile. (Jas. 1:26) He likens the tongue to a fire that can destroy a forest. The unbridled tongue can be influenced by destructive forces and can bring about such a great quantity or extent of unrighteousness that it can contaminate the individual’s entire life. It can be poisonous, spiritually, to oneself and others. It cannot be tamed by man’s own efforts; nor can any imperfect human be completely exempt from ‘stumbling in word.’ (Jas. 3:2-8) But taming of this intractable organ of the imperfect human flesh is not impossible for the Christian, for by Jehovah’s undeserved kindness through Christ one can “bridle” his tongue and can make over his personality.—Jas. 3:10-18; 1 Pet. 3:10; Col. 3:9, 10; compare Psalm 34:13; 39:1.

      In harmony with James’ description of the tongue, the writer of Proverbs says that the calmness of the tongue can be a “tree of life,” or, conversely, a distortion in it can mean “a breaking down in the spirit”; that death and life are in its power. (Prov. 15:4; 18:21) “A mild tongue itself can break a bone,” in that a person hard as bone may be softened by a mild answer and break down in his hardness and opposition. (Prov. 25:15) In fact, the tongue can heal in a spiritual way if it speaks the words of God. (Prov. 12:18) “From Jehovah is the answer of the tongue,” for only he can provide spiritually correct words that result in healing. (Prov. 16:1) The Scriptures foretold the spiritual healing of Jesus’ ministry as he spoke God’s words, ‘binding up the brokenhearted.’—Isa. 61:1.

      Jehovah emphasizes how he views the badness of the false tongue, listing it as one of the seven things that he hates, placing it alongside “hands that are shedding innocent blood.” (Prov. 6:16-19) David describes the wicked as attempting to destroy God’s servant with a ‘tongue sharpened just like a sword,’ but he points out that actually God will see to it that they themselves are wounded, for “their tongue is against their own selves.” (Ps. 64:3, 7, 8) Jehovah promises his people: “Any tongue at all that will rise up against you in the judgment you will condemn.” (Isa. 54:17) This is comforting to God’s servants, who stick to his law even though those considered wise in the world may speak great things and say: “With our tongue we shall prevail.” (Ps. 12:3-5) They may “keep sticking out the tongue” and striking with the tongue (Isa. 57:4; Jer. 18:18), but their failure is certain.—Prov. 10:31.

      Jehovah promised to make tongues formerly stammering “quick in speaking clear things,” and to cause speechless tongues to “cry out in gladness.” (Isa. 32:4; 35:6) When Jesus was on earth he healed literally speechless persons, or those with some speech impediment. (Mark 7:33-37) The time will come when every tongue will speak right things, for Jehovah declares that every tongue will swear to Him. The apostle Paul reveals that this will be done through Jesus Christ, when he says that every tongue will “openly acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.”—Phil. 2:11; Isa. 45:23; Rom. 14:11.

      Jehovah symbolically describes himself as having a tongue that he will use in his anger, “like a devouring fire.” (Isa. 30:27) At Pentecost, when Jesus Christ poured out holy spirit on some 120 disciples gathered in a room in Jerusalem, it was made manifest audibly by their speaking in different tongues and visibly by a tongue as if of fire sitting upon each one of them.—Acts 2:3, 4.

  • Topaz
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • TOPAZ

      The variety used for gemstones is a hard, transparent, crystalline mineral composed of aluminum fluosilicate. It is harder than quartz and is often found in cavities of granitic rocks. Topaz may be colorless but it also occurs in a great range of colors that include white, yellow, light brown, pinkish red, and sometimes pale green or blue. The most popular shade is wine-yellow. The name “topaz” is from the Greek word to·paʹzi·on, which alludes to the Topaz Island situated in the Red Sea where the Greeks obtained the topazes familiar to Pliny the Elder and other early writers. The book of Job links topaz with Cush, a region that bordered the Red Sea.

      A topaz was among the precious stones on the “breastpiece of judgment” worn by High Priest Aaron. It was set as the middle stone in the first row of gems, and engraved upon it was the name of one of Israel’s twelve tribes. (Ex. 28:2, 15, 17, 21; 39:10) The foundations of “the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God . . . were adorned with every sort of precious stone,” the ninth foundation being topaz.—Rev. 21:2, 19, 20.

  • Torment
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • TORMENT

      The Greek word ba·sa·niʹzo (and related forms) occurs nearly twenty times in the Christian Greek Scriptures. It basically meant ‘to test by the proving stone [baʹsa·nos]’ and, by extension, ‘to examine or question by applying torture.’ Lexicographers point out that in the Christian Greek Scriptures it is used with the sense of ‘to vex with grievous pains; to be harassed, distressed.’—Matt. 8:29; Luke 8:28; Rev. 12:2.

      The Bible used ba·sa·niʹzo in a number of instances. For example, a manservant afflicted with paralysis was “terribly tormented” (NW) or “racked with pain” (NE) by it. (Matt. 8:6; compare 4:24.) Also, Lot “used to torment his soul” (Ro) or “was vexed” (Mo, RS) by the lawless deeds of the people of Sodom. (2 Pet. 2:8) The word is even used in regard to the difficult progress of a boat.—Matt. 14:24; Mark 6:48.

      The Greek noun ba·sa·ni·stesʹ occurring at Matthew 18:34 is rendered “jailers” in some translations (AT, Fn, NW; compare verse 30) and “tormentors” or “torturers” in others. (AS, AV, JB) Torture was sometimes used in prisons to obtain information (compare Acts 22:24, 29, which shows that this was done, although ba·sa·niʹzo is not used here), so ba·sa·ni·stesʹ came to be applied to jailers. Regarding its use by Jesus at Matthew 18:34, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (Vol. V, p. 2999) observes: “Probably the imprisonment itself was regarded as ‘torment’ (as it doubtless was), and the ‘tormentors’ need mean nothing more than jailers.” Thus, the mentioning in Revelation 20:10 of ones who will be “tormented day and night forever and ever” evidently indicates that they will be in a condition of restraint.—See LAKE OF FIRE.

      Some commentators have pointed to Biblical instances of the word “torment” to support the teaching of eternal suffering in fire. However, as just indicated, there is Scriptural reason to believe that Revelation 20:10 does not have that sense. In fact, verse 14 shows that the “lake of fire” in which the torment occurs, actually means “the second death.” And though Jesus spoke of “a certain rich man” as “existing in torments” (Luke 16:23, 28), the article LAZARUS (No. 2) shows that Jesus was not describing the literal experience of a real person, but, rather, was setting forth an illustration. Revelation provides a number of other instances where “torment” clearly has an illustrative or symbolic sense, as is evident from context.—Rev. 9:5; 11:10; 18:7, 10.

  • Torrent Valley
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • TORRENT VALLEY

      The Hebrew word naʹhhal may denote either the valley through which a stream flows (Gen. 26:19; 2 Ki. 3:16; Job 30:6; Song of Sol. 6:11) or the stream itself. (1 Ki. 17:4; Ps. 110:7) Regarding the word naʹhhal A. P. Stanley, in his book Sinai and Palestine, page 590, observes: “No English word is exactly equivalent, but perhaps ‘torrent-bed’ most nearly expresses it.” A recent Hebrew and Aramaic lexicon by Koehler and Baumgartner lists “torrent valley” as one of its definitions.

      The Promised Land is described as “a land of torrent valleys of water, springs and watery deeps issuing forth in the valley plain and in the mountainous region.” (Deut. 8:7) Some of the streams are fed by springs and are therefore perennial, whereas others are torrents during the rainy season but dry up completely during the rainless season. (1 Ki. 17:7; 18:5) Faithful Job compared the treacherous dealings of his brothers toward him to a winter torrent that dries up in the summer.—Job 6:15.

      Among the torrent valleys mentioned in the Bible are those of the Arabah (Amos 6:14), Arnon (Deut. 2:36), Besor (1 Sam. 30:9), Cherith (1 Ki. 17:3), Egypt (Josh. 15:4), Eshcol (Num. 13:23), Gerar (Gen. 26:17), Jabbok (Deut. 2:37), Kanah (Josh. 16:8), Kidron (2 Sam. 15:23), Kishon (Judg. 4:7), Sorek (Judg. 16:4) and Zerad.—Deut. 2:13; see the torrent valleys under their respective names.