(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.

TONGUES, SPEAKING IN

See GIFTS FROM GOD (Tongues).

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.

TOPHEL

(Toʹphel) [lime].

A site mentioned with others as an aid in locating the place where Moses addressed the Israelites shortly before his death.—Deut. 1:1.

TOPHETH

(Toʹpheth) [perhaps, place of burning].

A place outside Jerusalem. There, for a considerable period, unfaithful Israelites, including Ahaz and Manasseh, engaged in child sacrifice. Finally, King Josiah made it unfit for worship. (2 Ki. 23:16; 2 Chron. 28:3; 33:6; Jer. 7:31-33; 19:3-14; 32:35; see HINNOM, VALLEY OF) Topheth probably occupied a section of the eastern part of the Valley of Hinnom near the Gate of the Potsherds. (Jer. 19:2, 6, 14) At Isaiah 30:33 Topheth is used figuratively as a place of burning with fire, to represent the destruction that was to come upon Assyria.

TORCH

A light usually carried in the hand and often consisting either of a burning stick of resinous wood or of a stick wrapped with an absorbent material that has been soaked with oil and ignited.—Gen. 15:17; Judg. 7:16, 20; 15:4; Isa. 62:1; Ezek. 1:13; Dan. 10:6; Nah. 2:4; John 18:3.

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

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.

TORTURE STAKE

An instrument such as that on which Jesus Christ met death by impalement. (Matt. 27:32-40; Mark 15:21-30; Luke 23:26; John 19:17-19, 25) In classical Greek the word (stau·rosʹ) rendered “torture stake” in the New World Translation primarily denotes an upright stake or pole, and there is no evidence