ἐνεός G1769
speechless, mute, unable to speak; struck dumb or astonished into silence
This adjective means speechless or unable to speak, either from natural muteness or from shock. In Acts 9:7, Paul's companions stand speechless after hearing the voice from heaven on the Damascus road. Classical usage often paired this word with 'deaf,' indicating deaf-muteness, but also used it for stunned silence or astonishment. Luke employs it to describe the overwhelming effect of divine encounter: the men are rendered silent by the theophany, unable to respond to what they've witnessed.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Acts 9:7 describes Paul's companions as standing ἐνεοί—speechless—after the heavenly voice addresses Saul. This is awestruck silence before divine mystery. The lexicon shows classical usage for deaf-mute persons and those dumbfounded. The plural adjective captures corporate shock: they hear sound but comprehend nothing, left stammering and mute. Spanish mudos and French muet confirm the inability to speak. Divine presence overwhelms human speech. 1×
AR["صَامِتِينَ"]·ben["নির্বাক"]·DE["ἐνεοί"]·EN["speechless"]·FR["muet"]·heb["נִדְהָמִים"]·HI["मूक"]·ID["terkejut"]·IT["ammutolito"]·jav["bisu,"]·KO["말없이"]·PT["emudecidos"]·RU["онемевшие"]·ES["mudos"]·SW["bubu"]·TR["suskun"]·urd["حیران"]
Related Senses
H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H0398 1. eat (consume food) (697×)H4191 1. die (Qal: natural/general death) (645×)G3708 1. see, perceive visually (419×)G0191 1. hear, perceive sound (360×)H???? 3. (352×)G3708 2. behold, look (exclamatory) (256×)H7272 1. foot (body part) (236×)H8354 1. drink, consume liquid (209×)H3205 1. Qal active: bear/give birth (female subject) (204×)H3205 2. Qal active: beget/father (male subject) (198×)H2421 1. Qal: live, be alive (177×)H8085 2. Qal: listen, heed, pay attention (172×)H2416a 1. alive, living (state/attribute) (146×)H2416e 1. life, lifespan, lifetime (145×)G2198 1. be alive, have life (133×)H8193 1. lip, lips (body part) (123×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἐνεός (in codices sometimes ἐννεός NT, ά, όν, dumb, speechless, frequently joined with κωφός, as LXX+5th c.BC+ deaf and dumb, as in Refs 5th c.BC+ adverb -εῶς uncertain reading in Oracle texts cited in Refs 2nd c.AD+ __2 senseless, stupid, ἀπείρους καὶ ἐ. Refs 5th c.BC+ __3 of things, useless, Refs 5th c.BC+ __4 dumbfounded, astonished, εἱστήκεισαν ἐ. NT