H1748 H1748
silence, silently—remaining quiet, either in submission or speechless awe
This noun and adverb denote silence or the state of being silent. Isaiah 47:5 commands Babylon to sit 'in silence' (dumam) in humiliation. Lamentations 3:26 affirms it is good to wait 'silently' (ve-dumam) for God's salvation. Habakkuk 2:19 mocks an idol as a 'stone of silence' (even dumam)—utterly dumb, unable to speak. The word derives from damam ('to be silent, still') and can indicate enforced silence (Babylon's shame), patient waiting (faithful endurance), or the essential muteness of lifeless objects (idol's impotence).
Senses
1. sense 1 — Silence or the adverbial 'silently,' appearing in three prophetic contexts. Isaiah 47:5 commands Babylon: 'sit in silence' (shevi dumam). Lamentations 3:26 uses it with conjunction: 'and (wait) silently' (ve-dumam) for salvation. Habakkuk 2:19 describes 'a stone of silence' (even dumam)—a mute, speechless idol. Cross-linguistic glosses: English 'in silence/silent/and be silent,' Spanish 'en silencio/muda/y guardar silencio,' French and German use 'silence' with brackets. The contexts range from commanded silence in judgment (Babylon), patient silent waiting (Lamentations), to the inherent muteness of idols (Habakkuk). This is vocabulary of quietness, whether in submission, faith, or impotence. 3×
AR["الصّامِتِ", "صَامِتَةً", "وَيَصْمُتُ"]·ben["এবং-নীরবে", "নীরব", "নীরবে"]·DE["[דומם]", "[ודומם]"]·EN["and-be-silent", "in-silence", "silent"]·FR["[דומם]", "[ודומם]", "silence"]·heb["דומם", "ו-דומם"]·HI["और-चुपचाप-से", "चुप", "चुपचाप"]·ID["dan-diam", "diam-diam", "yang-bisu;"]·IT["[דומם]", "[ודומם]"]·jav["kang-bisu", "kendel", "lan-kèndel"]·KO["그리고-조용히", "말없는", "조용히"]·PT["e-em-silêncio", "em-silêncio", "muda"]·RU["и-молча", "молча", "немому"]·ES["en-silencio", "muda", "y-guardar-silencio"]·SW["kimya", "na-kukaa-kimya"]·TR["sessiz", "sessizce", "ve-sessizce"]·urd["اور-خاموشی-سے", "خاموش"]
Related Senses
G2309 1. want, desire (166×)G0025 1. to love actively (133×)H0157 1. love (verb, active Qal) (129×)H8055 1. Qal: rejoice, be glad (123×)H7453 1. neighbor, fellow man (120×)G0026 1. of love (115×)H1058 1. Qal: to weep, cry (112×)H0954 1. to be ashamed, feel shame (Qal) (95×)H8057 1. joy, gladness, delight (90×)H2781 1. disgrace, shame, dishonor (68×)G2307 1. will, desire, purpose (63×)G5463 1. rejoice, be glad (63×)G0027 1. beloved (61×)H8130 1. Qal: to hate, detest (60×)G5479 1. (59×)G1680 1. (53×)H8130 2. Qal ptcp: hater, enemy (53×)H0014 1. be willing, want (51×)H0157 2. lover, friend (Qal participle substantive) (51×)H1945 1. woe (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† דּוּמָם n.[m.] silence Hb 2:19 אֶבֶן ד׳ stone of silence = dumb stone; adv. in silence, silently, Is 47:5 La 3:26 (? read here וְדָמַס from דמס).