Tefillin - Etymology

Etymology

The ultimate origin of Hebrew "tefillin" is uncertain. The word "tefillin" is not found in the Bible, which calls them ṭoṭafot. The Septuagint renders "ṭoṭafot" ἀσαλευτόν, "something immovable." Some believe it refers to a charm, similar to the Hebrew neṭifot, "round jewel." The Talmud (Sanhedrin 4b) explains that the word ṭoṭafot is combination of two foreign words: Tot means "two" in the "Caspi" language and Fot means "two" in the "Afriki" language, hence tot and fot means "two and two", corresponding to the four compartments of the head-tefillin. Menahem ben Saruq explains that the word is derived from the Hebrew Ve'hateif and Tatifoo, both expressions meaning "speech", "for when one sees the tefillin it causes him to remember and speak about The Exodus from Egypt."

The first texts to use "tefillin" are the Targumim and Peshitta and it is also used in subsequent Talmudic literature, although the word "ṭoṭafah" was still current, being used with the meaning of "frontlet." "Tefillin" may have derived from the Aramaic palal, "to plead, pray," a word closely related to the Hebrew tefillah, "prayer." Jacob ben Asher (14th century) suggests that "tefillin" is derived from the Hebrew pelilah, "justice, evidence," for tefillin act as a sign and proof of God's presence among the Jewish people.

The only instance of the name "phylacteries" in ancient times occurs once in the Greek New Testament whence it has passed into the languages of Europe. "Phylacteries" derives from the Greek phulaktērion - φυλακτήριον, "defences," and in late Greek, "amulets" or "charms." Neither Aquila nor Symmachus use the word "phylacteries."