נוּמָה (nu.mah)
nu.mah
drowsiness
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun numah refers to a state of drowsiness or heavy-lidded sleepiness. In the Book of Proverbs, it appears only once, where it describes the physical condition of someone who is too tired to stay alert and active.
Brown-Driver-Briggs notes that this word carries a figurative weight, linking physical lethargy to moral indolence. The text uses this sensation to warn against the dangers of neglecting responsibility. When a person allows themselves to sink into this heavy sleepiness, they risk poverty and want, as the proverb illustrates in Proverbs 23:21.
Translators often render numah simply as "drowsiness" or "sleep," but the context demands more than a description of tiredness. It points to a willful relaxation of vigilance. The word serves as a concrete image for the spiritual and practical sloth that leads to ruin, contrasting sharply with the discipline required for a stable life.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When your eyes grow heavy and your thoughts slow, it can feel like a natural pause in a long day. This Hebrew word for drowsiness describes that specific weight of eyelids and limbs. It is more than simple tiredness; it is the physical sensation of letting go of alertness when you still need to be present.
The Book of Proverbs uses this image to show how small habits shape our future. Allowing yourself to slip into a state of passive rest, especially when combined with other excesses, can lead to unintended consequences like poverty or shame. The text invites us to value the discipline of staying awake and engaged with what matters.
For your daily walk, this serves as a gentle reminder to guard your attention. Whether in prayer, work, or relationships, maintaining a clear mind helps you respond well to others. May you find strength to stay alert to the opportunities God places before you each day.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- drowsiness1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- נוּמָֽה\׃1×
Key Verses
-
Proverbs 23:21
for the drunkard and the glutton shall become poor; and drowsiness clothes them in rags.
The word describes how physical lethargy leads to a state of shame and poverty, linking bodily sloth directly to material ruin.