דּוּמָם (du.mam)
du.mam
silence
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun dūmām means silence, but it carries a weight heavier than mere quietness. It describes a state of being still or mute, often arising from awe, grief, or divine judgment. In the Old Testament, this word appears in just three verses, concentrated in moments of profound theological tension where human voices fall away.
Its usage highlights a stark contrast between noise and stillness. In Lamentations 2:10, the elders of Zion sit on the ground in dūmām, expressing a silence born of deep mourning and shame. Similarly, Habakkuk 2:20 declares that the Lord is in His holy temple, calling all the earth to keep silent before Him. Here, the silence is not passive; it is an active posture of reverence and submission to divine authority.
The word also appears in Isaiah 62:1, where Zion does not hold her peace, implying a failure to maintain this sacred stillness. Translators often render dūmām as "silence" or "in silence," capturing its dual nature as both a noun describing the state and an adverb describing the manner of being. It reminds readers that in Scripture, true silence is often the appropriate response to God’s presence or human suffering.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word dūmām describes a silence that goes beyond the absence of noise. It is a heavy, intentional stillness found in moments of awe, grief, or divine judgment. This is not merely being quiet; it is a posture of the soul where human striving stops and attention turns entirely to God.
In Lamentations 3:26, we are told that it is good to hope and quietly wait for Yahweh’s salvation. This verse invites us into a space where our own efforts cease, allowing trust to take root in the stillness. It suggests that waiting on God is an active, faithful engagement rather than passive inaction.
Similarly, Habakkuk 2:19 calls all the earth to silence before the Lord in His holy temple. Here, silence becomes an act of reverence, acknowledging that God alone holds ultimate authority. When we embrace this dūmām, we step away from the noise of our own understanding and rest in the reality of who He is.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- silently1×
- silence1×
- and/ silently1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וְ/דוּמָ֔ם1×
- דוּמָ֛ם1×
- דּוּמָ֑ם1×
Key Verses
-
Lamentations 3:26
It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of Yahweh.
This verse links dūmām directly to the active virtue of hoping for God's salvation, framing silence as a necessary posture for trust.
-
Habakkuk 2:19
Woe to him who says to the wood, ‘Awake!’ or to the mute stone, ‘Arise!’ Shall this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all within it.
Here the call to silence serves as a stark contrast between the lifelessness of idols and the living presence of Yahweh in His temple.