H0331 H0331
To shut, stop up, close; of ears (refusing to hear) or of windows (narrowed, latticed) in temple architecture.
Atam describes the act of shutting or closing, applied in two distinct domains. In the moral-auditory sphere, it means stopping one's ears -- refusing to hear the cry of the poor (Prov 21:13), sealing one's lips discreetly (Prov 17:28), or blocking out moral corruption (Isa 33:15). The adder of Psalm 58:4 stops its ear against the charmer. In the architectural sphere, the passive participle describes the narrowed or latticed windows of Solomon's Temple (1 Kgs 6:4) and Ezekiel's visionary temple (Ezek 40:16, 41:16, 41:26). Spanish captures the distinction with 'cierra' (shuts) versus 'estrechas' (narrow).
Senses
1. shut, stop (ears) — To shut or stop up (the ears or lips), describing a deliberate refusal to hear or speak. The Qal active participle and Hiphil imperfect are used: stopping one's ears against the cry of the poor (Prov 21:13), closing one's lips in prudent silence (Prov 17:28), and shutting ears against moral corruption (Isa 33:15). In Psalm 58:4-5, the wicked are compared to a deaf adder that stops its ear against the snake-charmer. Spanish 'el que cierra' (he who shuts) and 'cierra' (shuts) reflect the active, volitional character of this refusal. 4×
AR["السَّادُّ", "ضامُّ", "مَنْ-يَسُدُّ", "يُغلِقُ"]·ben["যে-বন্ধ-করে"]·DE["[אטם]", "der-stops"]·EN["shutting", "stopping", "that-stops", "who-stops"]·FR["[אטם]", "fermer", "אטם"]·heb["אוטם", "יאטם"]·HI["बंद-करता-है", "बंद-करनेवाला"]·ID["Siapa-menutup", "siapa-menutup", "yang-menutup"]·IT["[אטם]", "[יאטם]", "shutting", "stopping"]·jav["nutup", "tiyang-kang-nutup"]·KO["다무는-자는", "막는-자는", "막는-자이다", "막도다"]·PT["O-que-fecha", "o-que-fecha", "que-tapa", "tapa"]·RU["затворяющий", "затыкающий"]·ES["El-que-cierra", "cierra", "el-que-cierra"]·SW["anayefunga", "azibaye", "azibe", "inayoziba"]·TR["kapatan", "tıkayan"]·urd["بند-کرنے-والا", "بَند-کَرے"]
2. narrowed, closed (windows) — Closed, narrowed, or latticed -- describing architectural window openings in temple constructions. The Qal passive participle atumim/atumot characterizes the windows (challonot) as narrowed or recessed. In 1 Kings 6:4, Solomon's Temple has 'windows narrow and closed' (shequfim atumim). Ezekiel's visionary temple features the same type of windows (Ezek 40:16, 41:16, 41:26). Spanish 'estrechas' (narrow) and 'cerradas' (closed) capture this architectural sense, quite different from the moral-auditory usage. 4×
AR["الْمُغْلَقَةُ", "مُغْلَقَةً", "مُغْلَقَةٌ"]·ben["-সংকীর্ণ", "জালিযুক্ত", "সংকীর্ণ"]·DE["[אטמות]", "[האטמות]", "narrowed"]·EN["narrowed", "the-narrowed"]·FR["[אטמות]", "[האטמות]", "narrowed"]·heb["אטומות", "אטומים", "ה-אטומות"]·HI["बंद", "बन्द"]·ID["berterali", "tertutup", "yang-berterali"]·IT["[אטמות]", "[האטמות]", "narrowed"]·jav["ciut", "ingkang-nutup", "kang-nutup"]·KO["그-막힌", "막힌", "좁아지는", "좌혀진"]·PT["estreitas", "fechadas"]·RU["закрытые"]·ES["cerradas", "estrechas", "las-estrechas"]·SW["yaliyofungwa"]·TR["dar", "kapalı"]·urd["بند", "جالیدار"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [אטם] vb. shut, shut up (Mish. אטם, cf. אוֹטֶם stoppage, Aramaic אֲטַם; Ar. أَطَمَ contract, stop, أُطُمٌ fortress; As. aṭamu, in list of headgear, etc. = turban? DlW, No. 155)— Qal Pt. act. אֹטֵם Pr 17:28 + 2 textual; pass. אֲטֻמִים 1 K 6:4; אֲטֻמוֹת Ez 40:16 + 2 times;—shut, stop, obj. lips Pr 17:28; ears 21:13 Is 33:15; pass. = closed (i.e. narrowed, narrowing, cf. 𝔖 in Co) חַלּוֹנוֹת א׳ Ez…