Lexical Summary dumam: Silence, stillness Original Word: דּוּמָם Strong's Exhaustive Concordance dumb, silent, quietly wait From damam; still; adverbially, silently -- dumb, silent, quietly wait. see HEBREW damam NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as dumah Definition a silence, in silence, silently NASB Translation mute (1), silently (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs II. דּוּמָה proper name 1. masculine son of Ishmael Genesis 25:15 = 1 Chronicles 1:30 compare probably Dumath al-Jandal in Northern Arabia in Jôf see BurckhardtTravels in Syria 662f. Di; also GesComm. on Isaiah 21:11, GlaserSkizze ii. 392, 440. 2 city in mountains of Judah Joshua 15:52, compare Δοῦμα in the Daroma, 17 miles from Eleutheropolis LagOnom. 250. 2nd ed. 258, = modern Daume, southwest from Hebron van de VeldeMemoir 308 GuérinJudée iii. 359 ff. compare Di. 3 name of Edom with mystic meaning Isaiah 21:11 Duma = silence of death, desolation, De Che and others (JDMich Ges Hi think 31; ᵐ5 has Ἰδουμαια; Jerome interprets as part of Idumea; still another view below I.דּוּמָה). דּוּמָם noun [masculine] silence Habakkuk 2:19 ׳אֶבֶן ד stone of silence = dumb stone; adverb in silence, silently, Isaiah 47:5; Lamentations 3:26 (? read here וְרָמַם from דמם). דּוּמֶּ֫שֶׂק 2 Kings 16:10 compare דַּמֶּשֶׂק. Topical Lexicon Meaning and Scope The term expresses an intentional, complete quiet: the hush that falls when speech is forbidden, sound is stilled, or breath is held in awe. Unlike incidental pauses, it points to a purposeful stillness—whether imposed by God, embraced by the faithful, or exposed in the lifelessness of idols. Occurrences and Immediate Contexts 1. Isaiah 47:5 – Babylon, once boisterous, is commanded, “Sit in silence,” as the LORD’s judgment strips her of pomp. Silence Before Divine Judgment In Isaiah, stillness is punitive. The conqueror becomes speechless, illustrating that no empire can boast before the Almighty (compare Revelation 18:21-23). The motif warns nations and individuals alike that pride ends in a hush decreed by heaven. Silence in Patient Faith Lamentations shows the other side: not forced muteness but chosen quiet as the soul waits for God. Such waiting echoes “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10) and anticipates the restful trust urged by Jesus in Matthew 6:25-34. Here silence is an act of worship, surrendering argument and anxiety to divine timing. Silence as Proof of Idolatry’s Futility Habakkuk contrasts the speechless idol with the living God who answers prayer (Habakkuk 2:20). Paul later reaches the same conclusion in 1 Corinthians 12:2: dumb idols enslave, but the Spirit speaks. The word therefore exposes the emptiness of all substitutes for the Lord. Historical Backdrop • Isaiah 47 addresses Babylon near the height of its power (seventh-sixth centuries BC). The shared Babylonian setting reminds readers that every human glory eventually falls silent before God’s sovereignty. Links with the Wider Canon • The thirty-minute silence in heaven (Revelation 8:1) underscores awe before unfolding judgment, mirroring Isaiah 47. Ministerial Applications 1. Encourage periods of deliberate silence in corporate worship to foster reverence. Preaching Outline Suggestion I. The Silence God Commands (Isaiah 47:5) – humbling pride. II. The Silence God Commends (Lamentations 3:26) – nurturing hope. III. The Silence God Condemns (Habakkuk 2:19) – exposing idols. IV. The Silence God Completes (Revelation 8:1) – ushering final justice. Devotional Reflection True life is found not in ceaseless noise but in the quiet that listens for the Shepherd’s voice (John 10:27). To sit “in silence” may feel like loss, yet it positions the believer to witness the salvation of the LORD and to proclaim, with renewed voice, His unfailing glory. Forms and Transliterations דּוּמָ֑ם דוּמָ֛ם דומם וְדוּמָ֔ם ודומם dū·mām ḏū·mām duMam dūmām ḏūmām veduMam wə·ḏū·mām wəḏūmāmLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 47:5 HEB: שְׁבִ֥י דוּמָ֛ם וּבֹ֥אִי בַחֹ֖שֶׁךְ NAS: Sit silently, and go into darkness, KJV: Sit thou silent, and get INT: Sit silently and go darkness Lamentations 3:26 Habakkuk 2:19 3 Occurrences |