Biblical Hebrew: The Language of Scripture

TAU

by

Karl D. Coke, Ph. D

The twenty-second letter of the Hebrew alphabet is the Tau. The Tau stands for the numeral 400 when used in counting. It makes the English sound "th" without a dagesh (dot) in its interior (t). With the dagesh, it hardens the pronunciation to the English "t." For example, without the dagesh, we say Bethlehem, and, with the dagesh, we say Torah.

The meaning of the Tau is "The End." Additionally, according to page 857 of the Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon, it means "a sign in the form of a cross branded on the thigh or neck of horses and camels, whence the name of the letter t, which in Phoenician, and on the coins of the Maccabees has the form of the cross. From the Phoenicians the Greeks and Romans took both the name and the form of the letter."

The Hebrew word Tau comes from the root verb Ta-wah , which means "to mark or to delineate," or, "to set marks or limits" (page 858). There is a Biblical use in 1 Samuel 21:13 where it says of King David that he "made marks upon the doors of the gate." David acted like this when he was feigning madness.

A secondary usage of the word Ta-wah is found in Psalm 78:40 where Israel, as a people, "grieved" God. Ta-wah is here translated "grieved." It should be understood that the people of Israel "set a limit" on God–not "grieved" Him in the English sense of that word.

A third usage of this word Ta-wah in Hebrew means "to abide or to dwell, whence a chamber" (p. 858).

The most important understanding of the letter Tau is how our Lord uses it in describing Himself. In Revelation 1:8, 21:6, 22:13 He calls Himself the Alpha and the Omega. The reason the Greek letters are used in Revelation is that we only have Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. Being Jewish and speaking Hebrew, Jesus would have actually said, "I am the Aleph and the Tau (the beginning and THE END)." These words are the sign "marking" Jesus as the beginning and the end.

Revelation 22:13 are the words of Jesus. He combines three separate signs marking Himself as the rewarder of the saints at His return to earth. This fulfills Deuteronomy 19:15 which says "a matter must be established by two or three witnesses." Jesus marks Himself three separate ways by saying "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." This constitutes one of the "signature" passages of God. This verse is located in the last chapter of the entire Bible as if to authenticate every word from Genesis 1:1 onward. Indeed, He is the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2)

Isaiah chapter 44 reveals the foolishness of men who make idols. In contrast, The Lord says of Himself, "This is what the Lord says–Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God."

He repeats His claim in Isaiah 48:12 in a plea to get Israel’s attention. He said, "Listen to me, O Jacob, Israel, whom I have called: I am he; I am the first and I am the last." He gives Israel the "sign" revealing Who He is in verse 13 which says, "My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I summon them, they all stand up together."

The person who is "first" and "last" is the Creator! Colossians 1:15-16 says of Jesus, "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him." In Proverbs 8, Jesus is the "wisdom" creating everything. In Genesis 1 & 2, He is the "Word" spoken. Jesus is the TAU (Aleph & Tau) appearing twice (in Hebrew) in Genesis 1:1 as the "sign" indicating Himself as Creator of all!

Guestbook | Table of Contents | Restore! Magazine | Restoration Foundation Home