Senses
1. mute, unable to speak — Unable to speak, dumb; describing persons afflicted with speechlessness, often by demonic influence. In Matt 9:32-33 a mute demoniac is brought to Jesus and speaks after the demon is cast out (arb aḫras, heb אִלֵּם, hin gūṅgā, kor beong-eori, spa mudo). Matt 12:22 describes a demoniac who was blind and mute. Luke 1:22 records Zechariah becoming mute after the angelic vision. Luke 11:14 narrates the casting out of a mute demon (arb al-aḫras, fra muet). Matt 15:30-31 lists the mute among those healed on the mountain. The Arabic consistently uses أَخْرَس (mute), Hebrew אִלֵּם (mute/dumb), Korean 벙어리 (speechless person), confirming the speech-impairment sense as distinct from the hearing-impairment sense. 9×
AR["أَخرَسَ","أَخرَسُ","أَخْرَسَ","الأَخْرَسُ","صُمًّا","صُمٌّ"]·ben["বোবা","বোবাদের"]·DE["taub"]·EN["mute","mute-man"]·FR["muet"]·heb["אִלֵּם","הָאִלֵּם","חֵרְשִׁים"]·HI["गुनगअ","गूँगा","गूँगी","गूँगे","गूंगा","गोओओनगे","गोओनगे"]·ID["bisu","orang-bisu","yang-bisu"]·IT["muto"]·jav["bisu","bisu,","bisu.","budheg","budheg,","tiyang-bisu","tiyang-bisu."]·KO["벙어리","벙어리-로","벙어리-인","벙어리가","벙어리들","벙어리들이","벙어리인","벴어리가","벴어리였다"]·PT["mudo","mudos"]·RU["немого","немой","немых"]·ES["mudo","mudos"]·SW["bubu","bubu,","bubu.","viziwi"]·TR["dilsiz","sağırlar"]·urd["گونگا","گونگی","گونگے"]
2. deaf, unable to hear — Unable to hear, describing persons with hearing impairment. In Matt 11:5 and Luke 7:22 Jesus cites Isaiah's prophecy that the deaf hear as evidence of his messianic identity (arb ṣumm, heb חֵרְשִׁים, hin bahire/bahre, kor gwi meog-eun jadeul, spa sordos). Mark 7:32 presents a man who is deaf and has a speech impediment (arb aṣamm, heb חֵרֵשׁ, spa sordo), and in Mark 7:37 Jesus is praised for making the deaf hear. Mark 9:25 addresses a deaf and mute spirit directly. The Hebrew חֵרֵשׁ/חֵרְשִׁים (deaf) contrasts with אִלֵּם (mute) used in the speechlessness sense; Arabic distinguishes صُمّ (deaf) from أَخْرَس (mute); Korean uses 귀먹은 (deaf) versus 벙어리 (mute); Spanish sordos versus mudos. 5×
AR["أَصَمَّ","الْأَصَمُّ","صُمٌّ","صُّمَّ"]·ben["বধির","বধিরদের","বধিররা"]·DE["stumm","taub"]·EN["deaf"]·FR["muet"]·heb["חֵרְשִׁים","חֵרֵשׁ"]·HI["उसके","बहरी","बहरे","बहिरे","सुनने-वालों"]·ID["orang-tuli","tuli"]·IT["muto"]·jav["budheg","tiyang-budheg"]·KO["귀-먹은-자들이","귀먹어리들이","귀먹은","귀먹은-자-를","귀먹은-자들-을"]·PT["surdo","surdos"]·RU["глухие","глухих","глухого","глухой"]·ES["sordo","sordos"]·SW["kiziwi","viziwi"]·TR["sağır","sağırlar","sağırları"]·urd["بہروں-کو","بہرے"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
κωφ-ός, ή, όν, blunt, dull, obtuse, opposed to ὀξύς, κ. βέλος Refs 8th c.BC+ __II metaphorically, __II.1 of sound, mute, noiseless, κύματι κωφῷ Refs 8th c.BC+; κωφὴν γὰρ δὴ γαῖαν ἀεικίζει is maltreating dumb, senseless earth, Refs; τὰ μὲν ἄλλα ἔσκε κωφά the other parts sounded dull, opposed to to the ringing of the hollow parts when struck, Refs 5th c.BC+: neuter plural as adverb, κωφὰ δὲ πόντος…