דָּמַם (da.mam)
da.mam
to silence: stationary; to wail; to silence: silent; to silence: destroyed
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 24 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb damam describes a profound stillness that involves both silence and immobility. It goes beyond simply ceasing to speak; it implies being struck dumb or paralyzed by awe, fear, or grief. In the Psalms, this word captures the posture of waiting on God, as seen in Psalm 39:2 where the psalmist refuses to speak about his distress, remaining quiet and motionless before the Lord.
The sources note that damam can also mean to die or be destroyed, linking physical death with a final, irreversible silence. This darker sense appears in Lamentations and Jeremiah, where the city’s destruction leaves its people "silent" because they have been overwhelmed by disaster. The Niphal stem often conveys this passive sense of being silenced by an external force, such as God’s judgment.
Translators typically render damam as "be silent," "be still," or "hold your peace." The word’s range includes a voluntary quietness for reflection and an involuntary silence caused by shock or devastation. Its usage in Isaiah 23:2, describing ships of Tarshish wailing, suggests a mournful, breathless pause that accompanies deep sorrow.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word damam describes a stillness that goes beyond simply stopping speech. It suggests a deep immobility of both body and soul. This silence can be a voluntary posture of waiting on God, as seen in Psalm 39:2 where the psalmist holds his peace to reflect on his distress. It can also be an involuntary response to awe or grief, leaving one struck dumb before the magnitude of what they witness.
In times of trouble, this word invites us to pause rather than react. When we feel overwhelmed by circumstances that seem beyond our control, damam reminds us that there is strength in quiet trust. It is not about ignoring pain but about holding it before God in a space of honest stillness. This kind of silence allows the soul to settle, much like a child resting quietly with a parent.
While this stillness can sometimes feel like defeat or destruction in times of judgment, it ultimately points to a reliance on God’s sovereignty. By ceasing our own striving, we create room for divine action. This practice of quiet waiting helps us find peace even when the world around us is chaotic, anchoring our hearts in the presence of the Lord.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 24 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- they will be silenced3×
- be still3×
- you will be silent1×
- you be destroyed1×
- they were still1×
- they have been still1×
- they have become still1×
- they are silent1×
- so/ we may perish1×
- it be still1×
- he will be silent1×
- he has silenced/ us1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- תִּדֹּ֖ם1×
- תִּדֹּ֔מִּי1×
- תִּדַּ֖מּוּ1×
- יִדֹּ֑ם1×
- יִדָּ֑מּוּ1×
- יִדַּ֛מּוּ1×
- יִדַּ֙מּוּ֙1×
- יִדְּמוּ֙1×
- יִדְּמ֣וּ1×
- וָ֝/אֶדֹּ֗ם1×
- וָ/דֹֽמִּי\׃1×
- וַ/יִּדֹּ֨ם1×
Key Verses
-
Psalms 37:7
Rest in Yahweh, and wait patiently for him. Don’t fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who makes wicked plots happen.
This verse uses damam to describe a patient rest in God, contrasting active anxiety with trusting stillness.
-
Lamentations 3:28
Let him sit alone and keep silence, because he has laid it on him.
Here the word illustrates a solitary silence that comes from accepting divine discipline rather than fighting against it.
-
Amos 5:13
Therefore a prudent person keeps silent in such a time, for it is an evil time.
The prudent person keeps silent here as a wise response to a time of evil, avoiding futile speech or action.
-
Jeremiah 8:14
“Why do we sit still? Assemble yourselves! Let’s enter into the fortified cities, and let’s be silent there; for Yahweh our God has put us to silence, and given us poisoned water to drink, because we have sinned against Yahweh.
This passage shows the painful silence imposed by judgment, where God silences His people due to their sin.