H2795 H2795
Deaf, unable to hear; used literally of physical deafness and figuratively of spiritual imperception.
An adjective describing the inability to hear, paired regularly with 'mute' (illem) to form a natural word pair for complete communicative incapacity (Exod 4:11; Ps 38:14). The prophetic literature transforms physical deafness into a powerful metaphor for Israel's spiritual obstinacy — Isaiah's 'deaf servants' who have ears but refuse to hear (Isa 42:18-19; 43:8). Yet the same prophets promise eschatological reversal: 'the deaf shall hear the words of a book' (Isa 29:18; 35:5). The striking image of the 'deaf adder' in Psalm 58:5, which stops its ear against the charmer, adds a further metaphorical layer. Spanish 'sordo' and English 'deaf' map the sense directly.
Senses
1. deaf, unable to hear — Deaf, unable to hear — describing either a literal physical condition or a figurative spiritual imperception. Exodus 4:11 places deafness alongside muteness as conditions over which God claims sovereign authority. Leviticus 19:14 forbids cursing the deaf, highlighting their vulnerability. The prophets transform the adjective into a metaphor for willful spiritual unresponsiveness (Isa 42:18-19; 43:8), while also promising eschatological healing (Isa 29:18; 35:5). The vivid 'deaf adder' of Psalm 58:5 extends the image to deliberate refusal to hear. Spanish 'sordo' and English 'deaf' translate uniformly across all contexts. 9×
AR["أَصَمَّ", "أَيُّهَا-الصُّمُّ", "الصُّمُّ", "الـ-صُّمِّ", "كَ-أَصَمَّ", "وَأَصَمُّ", "وَصُمٌّ"]·ben["-বধিররা", "এবং-বধির", "এবং-বধিরদের", "কালাদের", "বধির", "বধিরকে", "বধিরেরা", "যেমন-বধির"]·DE["[החרשים]", "[וחרש]", "[וחרשים]", "[חרשים]", "deaf", "wie-ein-deaf-einer"]·EN["The-deaf", "and-deaf", "deaf", "like-a-deaf-one", "of-the-deaf", "the-deaf"]·FR["[החרשים]", "[וחרשים]", "[חרשים]", "comme-sourd", "deaf", "et-tesson", "sourd"]·heb["ה-חרשים", "ו-חרש", "ו-חרשים", "חירש", "חרש", "חרשים", "כ-חרש"]·HI["और-बहरा", "और-बहरों", "जैसे-बहरा", "बहरा", "बहरे", "बहरे-को", "बहरों-के", "बह्रा"]·ID["Hai-orang-orang-tuli", "dan-orang-orang-tuli", "dan-tuli", "orang-orang-tuli", "orang-tuli", "tuli"]·IT["deaf", "e-sordo", "sordo"]·jav["Lan-sinten-budheg", "Para-tiyang-budheg", "budheg", "kados-tiyang-budheg", "lan-budheg", "tiyang-budheg", "tiyang-tiyang-budheg"]·KO["-귀먹은-자-같이", "귀먹어리를", "귀먹은-자", "귀먹은-자들아", "귀먹은-자들의", "귀먹은-자들이", "균먹은", "그리고-귀먹은-자가", "그리고-귀먹은-자들을"]·PT["como-surdo", "e-surdo", "e-surdos", "os-surdos", "surda", "surdo", "surdos"]·RU["-глухие", "глухие", "глухим", "глухих", "глухого", "глухой", "и-глух", "и-глухих", "как-глухой"]·ES["al-sordo", "como-sordo", "de-los-sordos", "los-sordos", "sordo", "sordos", "y-sordo", "y-sordos"]·SW["Viziwi", "kama-kiziwi", "kiziwi", "na-kiziwi", "na-viziwi", "viziwi", "ya-viziwi"]·TR["Sagirlar", "sagirlar", "sagirlarin", "sağır", "sağır-gibi", "sağırı", "ve-sagir", "ve-sagirlari"]·urd["اور-بہرا", "اور-بہرے", "بَہرا", "بہرا", "بہروں-کے", "بہرے", "بہرے-کو", "بہرے-کی-طرح"]
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
† חֵרֵשׁ adj. deaf—חֵרֵשׁ (= חִרֵּשׁ) Ex 4:11 + 4 times; pl. חֵרְשִׁים Is 29:18 + 3 times;—deaf, Ex 4:11 (J; ‖ אִלֵּם), ψ 38:14 (‖ id.); also Lv 19:14 (H), Is 29:18; 35:5; 42:18, 19 + v 19 b (for last עִוֵּר, cf. 43:8; GrJQ 1891, Oct. p. 2 v. CheComm., JQ Jan. 1892, 332), 43:8; פֶּ֫תֶן ח׳ ψ 58:5 a deaf adder.