Talmud
/ˈtɑːl.mʊd/noun
The central compendium of Jewish oral law, rabbinic interpretation, ethical discussion, and legal debate.
Did you know?The Talmud preserves opposing rabbinic opinions side by side, treating debate—not simple agreement—as a path toward understanding divine law.
Etymological Timeline
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
לָמַד (lāmad)
“To learn or study; the ancient verbal root underlying the word.”
Late Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
תַּלְמוּד (talmūd)
“Instruction, learning, or teaching, formed from the root למד.”
Rabbinic Hebrew
Hebrew
תַּלְמוּד (talmūd)
“Study or instruction, especially the interpretation and discussion of Jewish law.”
6th Century
Hebrew/Aramaic
תַּלְמוּד בַּבְלִי (Talmud Bavli)
“The Babylonian Talmud, a major compilation of Mishnah and Gemara completed through generations of rabbinic discussion.”
16th Century
English
Talmud
“An English borrowing referring to the Jewish rabbinic compilation and its tradition of legal and theological debate.”