H8539 H8539
To be astounded, dumbfounded; to stare in amazement or stupefaction at something overwhelming.
Describes the experience of being struck speechless with astonishment, whether from divine judgment, terrifying events, or sheer wonder. In Genesis 43:33, Joseph's brothers look at one another in stunned amazement when seated in birth order by a stranger. Isaiah 29:9 uses the imperative form in biting irony — 'Be astounded! Be blind!' — challenging complacent hearers. The Habakkuk 1:5 doubled form (Qal + Hitpael) intensifies the shock: 'Marvel greatly!' Spanish 'asombraos' and German 'staunt' both capture this visceral, jaw-dropping quality.
Senses
1. be astounded, marvel, wonder — To be astounded, dumbfounded, or struck with overwhelming amazement — a reaction so intense it can leave one speechless or frozen. In Gen 43:33 the brothers stare at each other in disbelief; in Ps 48:5 enemy kings see Zion and are stunned into retreat; in Job 26:11 the very pillars of heaven 'are astounded' at God's rebuke. The Hitpael in Hab 1:5 intensifies the Qal imperative, yielding 'astonish yourselves and be astounded.' The multilingual evidence (Spanish 'asombrarse,' French 's'étonner') uniformly confirms a single sense of stupefied wonder rather than mild surprise. 9×
AR["تَعَجَّبوا", "عَجَباً", "وَ-تَتَعَجَّبُ", "وَ-تَعَجَّبوا", "وَ-تَعَجَّبَ", "وَ-تَعَجَّبُوا", "يَتَعَجَّبُونَ"]·ben["আর-আশ্চর্য-হল", "আশ্চর্য-হবে", "এবং-তারা-ভয়-পায়", "এবং-বিস্মিত-হও", "ও-আশ্চর্য-কর", "তারা-বিস্মিত-হবে", "বিস্মিত-হও", "বিস্মিত-হয়েছিল"]·DE["[והתמהו]", "[ויתמהו]", "[ותמהו]", "[יתמהו]", "[תמהו]", "[תתמה]", "sie-waren-astounded", "und-staunten"]·EN["and-are-astounded", "and-be-astounded", "and-be-stunned", "and-marveled", "be-astounded", "shall-be-astounded", "they-look-in-amazement", "they-were-astounded", "wonder"]·FR["[ותמהו]", "[יתמהו]", "et-marveled", "et-soyez-étonnés!", "et-ויתמהו", "s'étonner", "soyez-étonnés!", "תתמה"]·heb["ו-התמהו", "ו-יתמהו", "ו-תמהו", "יתמהו", "תמהו", "תתמה"]·HI["अचंभित-हुए", "आश्चर्य-कर", "आश्चर्य-करो", "और-आश्चर्य-करो", "और-आश्चर्यचकित-हुए", "और-वे-चकित-होते-हैं", "चकित-होंगे", "वे-चकित-होंगे"]·ID["akan-terheran-heran", "dan-heranlah", "dan-takjub", "dan-takjublah", "heran", "mereka-tercengang", "takjub;"]·IT["[ותמהו]", "[יתמהו]", "[תמהו]", "e-e-are-astounded", "e-marveled", "e-meravigliarsi", "meravigliarsi", "wonder"]·jav["gumun", "lan-aneh", "lan-nggumunaken", "lan-sami-gumun", "lan-sami-gumunan", "sami-gumun", "sami-kesengsem", "sami-nglempak"]·KO["그리고-놀라고", "그리고-놀라나니", "그리고-놀라라", "그리고-놀람다", "놀라고", "놀라라", "놀랄-것이다", "놀랐도다"]·PT["e-admiraram-se", "e-assombrai-vos", "e-maravilhai-vos", "e-se-espantam", "maravilhai-vos", "pasmar-se-ão", "se-admiraram", "te-admires"]·RU["будут-смотреть-с-изумлением", "и-изумляйтесь", "и-изумляются", "и-удивляйтесь", "и-удивлялись", "изумились", "оцепенеют", "удивляйся", "удивляйтесь"]·ES["asombraos", "se-asombraron", "se-asombrarán", "se-espantarán", "te-asombres", "y-asombraos", "y-se-asombran", "y-se-asombraron"]·SW["kustaajabu", "kwa-mdogo", "na-shangaeni", "na-staajabuni", "na-zinashangaa", "shangaeni", "wakastaajabu", "watashangaa"]·TR["sasacaklar", "sasir", "ve-sasirin", "ve-şaşırdılar", "ve-şaşırın", "ve-şaşırır", "şaşıracaklar", "şaşırdılar", "şaşırın"]·urd["اور-حیران ہوتے ہیں", "اور-حیران-ہو", "اور-حیران-ہوئے", "حیران", "حیران-رہ-گئے", "حیران-ہو", "حیران-ہوں-گے", "حیرت-زدہ-ہوں-گے"]
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
† [תָּמַהּ] vb. be astounded, dumb-founded (NH id.; so Aramaic תְּמַהּ, ܬܡܰܗ );— Qal Pf. 3 pl. תָּמָ֑הוּ ψ 48:6; Impf. 2 ms. תִּתְמַהּ Ec 5:7; 3 mpl. יִתִמְהוּ Jb 26:11, etc.; Imv. mpl. תְּמָ֑הוּ Is 29:9; Hb 1:5;—be astounded, Is 29:9; Hb 1:5 (v. Hithp.), Je 4:9 (‖ שׁמם, Niph.), ψ 48:6; + מִן caus. Jb 26:11; + על rei at which Ec 5:7; look in astonishment at ת׳ אִישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵהוּ Gn 43:33 (J), Is…