tal (tokhen, mithkoneth, micpar; leros): In the King James Version of the Old Testament (with one exception, Psalm 90:9) "tale" (in the sing.) means number. "Tell" often has the same meaning, e.g. "I may tell (i.e. reckon) all my bones" (Psalm 22:17). When Moses requested permission to go three days' journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to Yahweh, Pharaoh replied by demanding the full "tale" of bricks from the Israelites although they were compelled to provide themselves with straw (Exodus 5:8, 18; see also 1 Samuel 18:27 1 Chronicles 9:28). In Psalm 90:9, "as a tale that is told" is a doubtful rendering (see GAMES). The Septuagint and the Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 A.D.) render "as a spider's web." The literal and perhaps accurate translation is "as a sigh" (Driver, in the Parallel Psalter, gives "as a murmur"). The word used in this psalm means "to whisper," or "speak sotto voce," as a devout believer repeats to himself the words of a favorite hymn or passage (Psalm 1:2).

The disciples considered the account given by the women in regard to the resurrection as "idle tales" (the King James Version, the Revised Version (British and American) "idle talk"), literally, "nonsensical talk" (Luke 24:11).

In talebearer the word has another meaning, namely, "slanderous talk or gossip." The word occurs 5 times in Proverbs 11:13; Proverbs 18:8; Proverbs 20:19; Proverbs 26:20, 22 (the King James Version) and once in Leviticus (19:16). The word used in Leviticus and also in Proverbs 20:19 means a person who gads about from house to house hawking malicious gossip (compare 1 Timothy 5:13). From the same root comes the Hebrew word for "merchant." In Ezekiel 22:9 for the King James Version "men that carry tales" the Revised Version (British and American) gives "slanderous men," as Doeg (1 Samuel 22:9, 22); Ziba (2 Samuel 16:3; 2 Samuel 19:27); and a certain maid-servant (2 Samuel 17:17).

See SLANDER.

T. Lewis

(1.) Hebrews tokhen, "a task," as weighed and measured out = tally, i.e., the number told off; the full number (Exodus 5:18; see 1 Samuel 18:27; 1 Chronicles 9:28). In Ezek. 45:11 rendered "measure."

(2.) Hebrews hegeh, "a thought;" "meditation" (Psalm 90:9); meaning properly "as a whisper of sadness," which is soon over, or "as a thought." The LXX. and Vulgate render it "spider;" the Authorized Version and Revised Version, "as a tale" that is told. In Job 37:2 this word is rendered "sound;" Revised Version margin, "muttering;" and in Ezek. 2:10, "mourning."

2. (v. i.) That which is told; an oral relation or recital; any rehearsal of what has occurred; narrative; discourse; statement; history; story.

3. (n.) A number told or counted off; a reckoning by count; an enumeration; a count, in distinction from measure or weight; a number reckoned or stated.

4. (n.) A count or declaration.

5. (v. i.) To tell stories.

4557. mispar -- number, tally
... time* (1). abundance, account, all, infinite, tale, telling, time. From caphar;
a number, definite (arithmetical) or indefinite (large ...
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4971. mathkoneth -- measurement, tally, proportion
... quota (1), specifications (1), standard (1). composition, measure, state,
tale. Or mathkuneth {math-koo'-neth}; from takan in the ...
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1899. hegeh -- a rumbling, growling, moaning
... mourning, sound, tale. From hagah; a muttering (in sighing, thought, or as thunder) --
mourning, sound, tale. see HEBREW hagah. << 1898, 1899. hegeh. 1900 >>. ...
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8510. tel -- a mound
... << 8509, 8510. tel. 8511 >>. a mound. Transliteration: tel Phonetic Spelling:
(tale) Short Definition: heap. Word Origin from an unused ...
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4390. male -- to be full, to fill
... accomplish, confirm, + consecrate, be at an end, be expired, be fenced, fill, fulfil,
(be, become, X draw, give in, go) full(-ly, -ly set, tale), (over-)flow ...
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1980. halak -- to go, come, walk
... X more and more, move (self), needs, on, pass (away), be at the point, quite, run
(along), + send, speedily, spread, still, surely, + tale-bearer, + travel(-ler ...
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8521. Tel Charsha -- "mound of a craftsman," a city in Babylon
... Tel Charsha. 8522 >>. "mound of a craftsman," a city in Babylon. Transliteration:
Tel Charsha Phonetic Spelling: (tale khar-shaw') Short Definition: Tel-harsha. ...
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8512. Tel Abib -- "hill of grain," a place in Babylon
... << 8511, 8512. Tel Abib. 8513 >>. "hill of grain," a place in Babylon. Transliteration:
Tel Abib Phonetic Spelling: (tale aw-beeb') Short Definition: Tel-abib. ...
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988. batal -- to cease
... << 987, 988. batal. 989 >>. to cease. Transliteration: batal Phonetic Spelling:
(baw-tale') Short Definition: idle. Word Origin a prim. ...
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