פּוּגַת (pu.gah)
pu.gah
cessation
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 puqat appears only once in the Old Testament, found in Lamentations 2:18. In this context, it carries the sense of a sudden stop or cessation. The word describes the abrupt end to the city’s cries and prayers as they rise toward heaven, marking a moment where vocal expression is silenced.
Lexical sources often translate this term as "benumbing" or "relief," suggesting that the silence is not merely an absence of sound but a physical shutting down. It implies a numbness that halts the flow of lament, leaving the people in a state of stunned quiet rather than active complaint.
This rare word highlights the depth of the tragedy in Lamentations. When the usual cries for help cease, it signals a profound despair where even prayer feels impossible. The term captures the heavy stillness that follows overwhelming grief, where the spirit is too weighed down to continue speaking.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word puqat appears only once in Scripture, nestled within the raw grief of Lamentations 2:18. It describes a sudden cessation or numbness that falls over the people as their cries for help reach God. This silence is not peaceful; it is the heavy stillness of despair where even prayer feels impossible.
When sorrow becomes too great, our voices may fail us. We might find ourselves unable to speak or pray, feeling a deep exhaustion in our spirits. This rare word reminds us that such moments are part of the human experience under burden. God hears the silence just as He hears the shouts.
You do not need to force words when your heart is heavy. In these quiet seasons, your presence before Him is enough. He sees your struggle and holds you in His care, even when you cannot find the strength to cry out.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- rest1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- פוּגַת֙1×
Key Verses
-
Lamentations 2:18
Their heart cried to the Lord. O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night. Give yourself no relief. Don’t let your eyes rest.
This verse uses puqat to describe the sudden numbness that silences the city's cries, showing how overwhelming grief can stop even prayer.