Telaim

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

TELAIM (‘the lambs’). The place at which Saul concentrated his forces, and numbered his fighting men before his campaign against the Amalekites (  1 Samuel 15:4 ). The LXX [Note: Septuagint.] reads Gilgal for Telaim, and Josephus ( Ant. VI. vii. 2) also makes Gilgal the place of assembly. A more suitable locality for the place of assembly would, however, be in the Negeb, or South; and here lay Telem (  Joshua 15:24 ), with which Telaim is probably identical.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Tel'a-im. (Lambs). The place at which Saul collected, and numbered, his forces before his attack on Amalek,  1 Samuel 16:4, may be identical with Telem, 1 . See Telem, 1 .

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

Where Saul numbered his host before attacking Amalek ( 1 Samuel 15:4). Same as Telera probably. Septuagint and Josephus read Gilgal; but no Hebrew manuscript sanctions this.

Holman Bible Dictionary

 1 Samuel 15:4 1 Samuel 27:8Telem

Morrish Bible Dictionary

Place where Saul numbered his army.  1 Samuel 15:4 . Not identified.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 1 Samuel 15:4

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

[some Tela'im] (Heb. with the art. hat Telaim. הטְּלָאַים , the young Lambs [ in  Isaiah 40:11]; Sept. Ἐν Γαλγάλοις ; Vulg. Quasi Agnos ), a place where Saul collected and numbered his forces before his campaign against the Amalekites ( 1 Samuel 15:4). It is strange that both the Sept. version and Josephus ( Ant. 6:7,2) read Gilgal, which was in the valley of the Jordan, near Jericho, and certainly not a fitting place to marshal an army to war with the Amalekites, seeing it would have to march through the wild passes of the wilderness of Judah (Ewald, Gesch. 3, 50). The Targum renders it "lambs of the Passover," according to a curious fancy, mentioned elsewhere in the Jewish books. (Yalkut on  1 Samuel 15:4, etc.), that the army met at the Passover, and that the census was taken by counting the lambs. This is partly endorsed by Jerome in the Vulg. A similar fancy is found in the midrash in reference to the name Bezek ( 1 Samuel 11:8), which is taken literally as meaning "broken pieces of pottery," whereby, as by counters, the numbering: was effected. Bezek and Telaim are considered by the Talmudists as two of the ten numberings of Israel, past' and future. It is probably identical with TELEM (See Telem) (q.v.), the southern position of which ( Joshua 15:24) would be suitable for an expedition against Amalek; and a certain support is given to this by the mention of the name (Thailam or Thelam) in the Sept. of  2 Samuel 3:12.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

tḗ - lā´im ( הטּלאים , ha - ṭelā'ı̄m "the young lambs"; ἐν Γαλγάλοις , en Galgálois ): The place where Saul "summoned the people, and numbered them" (  1 Samuel 15:4 ) before his attack on Agag, king of the Amalekites. Some authorities read "Telam" for "Havilah" in verse 7 and also find this name in  1 Samuel 27:8 instead of מעולם , mē‛ōlām . In Septuagint and Josephus ( Ant. , VI, vii, 2) Gilgal occurs instead of Telaim, on what ground is not known. Probably Telaim is identical with Telem (which see), though the former may have been the name of a Bedouin tribe inhabiting the latter district. Compare Dhallām Arabs now found South of Tell el - Milḥ .