Lexical Summary num: To slumber, to sleep Original Word: נוּם Strong's Exhaustive Concordance sleep, slumber A primitive root; to slumber (from drowsiness) -- sleep, slumber. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to be drowsy, slumber NASB Translation sank (1), sleeping (1), slumber (3), slumbers (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs נוּם verb be drowsy, slumber (Late Hebrew נוּם, נִמְנֵם id.; Aramaic נוּם,  ; Arabic ( )  id.; Ethiopic  ); — Qal Perfect3plural נָמ֫וּ Nahum 3:18; Psalm 76:6 (Ges§ 72 l); Imperfect יָנוּם Psalm 121:3 2t.; 3 feminine singular וַתָּ֫נָם 2 Samuel 4:6 (so read for HCT וַיַּכֻּהו, with other radical changes, ᵐ5 Th We Dr Kit Bu HPS); Infinitive construct לָנוּם Isaiah 56:10. — be drowsy, slumber, literal וַתָּנָם וַתִּישָׁ֑ן 2 Samuel 4:6 (emendation, see above) and she grew drowsy and slept; figurative of inactivity, indolence, Isaiah 5:27 ("" ישׁן), Psalm 121:3; Psalm 121:4 (of ׳י; "" id.); Nahum 3:18 ("" שָׁכֵן); ׳אֹהֲבֵי לָנ Isaiah 56:10 ("" שָׁכַב); followed by accusative of congnate meaning with verb שֵׁנָה Psalm 76:6 (of death, "" נִרְדַּם). Topical Lexicon Overview The verb נוּם traces a thematic line across Scripture that contrasts human frailty and indifference with the tireless vigilance of the Lord. Its six appearances form a concise, yet profound witness to the spiritual danger of drowsiness—physical or moral—and to the certainty that God never lapses into obliviousness. Occurrences and Contexts 1. Psalm 76:5 locates slumber on the battlefield: “The valiant lie plundered; they sleep their last sleep; no men of war can lift their hands”. Human strength succumbs to a fatal, irreversible “sleep,” underscoring divine supremacy. Divine Vigilance Versus Human Frailty Psalms 76 and 121 form a deliberate antithesis: men sleep in defeat, God never sleeps in guardianship. The juxtaposition reassures believers that covenant security does not rest on human alertness but on the Lord’s indefatigable oversight. Yet the same passages implicitly summon the faithful to mirror, rather than contradict, that vigilance (compare Matthew 26:41). Slumber as a Sign of Judgment Isaiah 5:27 shows that when God sends judgment, He equips His agents with a wakefulness that mocks the sleepy defenders. Isaiah 56:10 and Nahum 3:18 then reverse the picture: now the leaders of God’s people and the rulers of a pagan empire are the ones drowsing on duty, a prelude to devastation. In biblical theology, slumber becomes a metaphor for culpable negligence that invites divine intervention. Prophetic Admonition to Watchfulness By exposing sleepy watchmen, Isaiah 56:10 anticipates later exhortations: “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith” (1 Corinthians 16:13) and “Let us not sleep as the rest do” (1 Thessalonians 5:6). The Old Testament groundwork provided by נוּם thus feeds directly into the New Testament ethic of spiritual sobriety. Historical Resonances • The fall of Sennacherib’s Assyria (Isaiah 37) and, afterward, Nineveh (Nahum 3) illustrate how political powers collapse when leaders lapse into figurative or literal slumber. Ministry Applications – Pastoral oversight entails vigilance; Isaiah 56:10 warns against complacent shepherds who silence their bark. – Intercessory prayer draws courage from Psalm 121: the believer petitions a God who never closes His eyes. – Evangelistic preaching may employ Psalm 76:5 to expose the finality of death apart from divine deliverance and to contrast it with the risen, ever-alert Christ (Hebrews 7:25). Homiletical Directions 1. “Sleeping Soldiers, Sleepless Savior” – contrast Psalm 76:5 with Psalm 121:4. Summary Strong’s 5123 נוּם sketches a theology of slumber that moves from battlefield defeat, through covenant assurance, to prophetic indictment. In every case, the unifying thread is the unwearied sovereignty of God, calling His people to a matching alertness until the day “night will be no more” (Revelation 22:5). Forms and Transliterations יָ֝נ֗וּם יָ֭נוּם יָנ֖וּם ינום לָנֽוּם׃ לנום׃ נָמ֣וּ נָמ֤וּ נמו lā·nūm laNum lānūm nā·mū naMu nāmū yā·nūm yaNum yānūmLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Psalm 76:5 HEB: אַבִּ֣ירֵי לֵ֭ב נָמ֣וּ שְׁנָתָ֑ם וְלֹא־ NAS: were plundered, They sank into sleep; KJV: are spoiled, they have slept their sleep: INT: strong care for sank sleep could Psalm 121:3 Psalm 121:4 Isaiah 5:27 Isaiah 56:10 Nahum 3:18 6 Occurrences |
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