H1670 H1670
terror, dismay, mental collapse from fear
This word appears in Job's description of Leviathan, where 'terror dances' before the creature. The term denotes psychological collapse—not mere fear but the complete failure of mental courage in the face of overwhelming threat. The personification ('terror dances') creates a vivid image: dismay itself performs before Leviathan like a harbinger, announcing the creature's approach. The word suggests not just fright but the paralysis that extreme danger induces.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Job 41:22 depicts terror personified, dancing before Leviathan as the creature moves. The noun captures complete psychological defeat—the mental collapse that comes from facing an invincible threat. Multilingual renderings ('terror', 'terror') show consistency in understanding this as extreme fear or dismay. The context emphasizes Leviathan's invulnerability: even human courage fails in its presence. The image of terror dancing suggests this dread is active, almost playful, preceding the beast like a herald proclaiming its supremacy over all challengers. 1×
AR["الرُّعْبُ."]·ben["দুঃখ"]·DE["[דאבה]"]·EN["terror"]·FR["דאבה"]·heb["דאבה"]·HI["हताशा"]·ID["ketakutan"]·IT["terror"]·jav["kasusahan."]·KO["공포가"]·PT["desespero."]·RU["ужас"]·ES["terror"]·SW["hofu"]·TR["dehşet"]·urd["مایوسی"]
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
† דְּאָבָה n.f. faintness, failure of mental energy, dismay Jb 41:14 וּלְפָנָיו תָּדוּץ דְּאָבָה and before him (i.e. the crocodile) danceth dismay.