Lexical Summary
dumam: Silence, stillness
Original Word:דּוּמָם
Part of Speech:proper name; masculine; noun masculine; adverb
Transliteration:duwmam
Pronunciation:doo-mawm'
Phonetic Spelling:(doo-mawm')
KJV: dumb, silent, quietly wait
NASB:silently, mute
Word Origin:[fromH1826 (דָּמַם - To be silent)]
1. still
2. adverbially, silently
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
dumb, silent, quietly wait
Fromdamam; still; adverbially, silently -- dumb, silent, quietly wait.
see HEBREWdamam
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom the same as
dumahDefinitiona silence, in silence, silently
NASB Translationmute (1), silently (2).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
II.
Genesis 25:15 =1 Chronicles 1:30 compare probablyDumath al-Jandal in Northern Arabia inJôf see BurckhardtTravels in Syria 662f. Di; also GesComm. onIsaiah 21:11, GlaserSkizze ii. 392, 440.
Joshua 15:52, compare in the Daroma, 17 miles from Eleutheropolis LagOnom. 250. 2nd ed. 258, = modernDaume, southwest from Hebron van de VeldeMemoir 308 GuérinJudée iii. 359 ff. compare Di.
meaningIsaiah 21:11Duma =silence of death, desolation, De Che and others (JDMich Ges Hi think ; has ; Jerome interprets aspart of Idumea; still another view below I.).
Habakkuk 2:19stone of silence =dumb stone;
,Isaiah 47:5;Lamentations 3:26 (? read here from ).
2 Kings 16:10 compare .
Topical Lexicon
Meaning and ScopeThe term expresses an intentional, complete quiet: the hush that falls when speech is forbidden, sound is stilled, or breath is held in awe. Unlike incidental pauses, it points to a purposeful stillness—whether imposed by God, embraced by the faithful, or exposed in the lifelessness of idols.
Occurrences and Immediate Contexts
1.Isaiah 47:5 – Babylon, once boisterous, is commanded, “Sit in silence,” as the LORD’s judgment strips her of pomp.
2.Lamentations 3:26 – In the wake of Jerusalem’s fall, Jeremiah affirms, “It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD,” framing silence as hopeful submission.
3.Habakkuk 2:19 – The prophet mocks the “silent stone” that cannot respond, underscoring the impotence of idols.
Silence Before Divine Judgment
In Isaiah, stillness is punitive. The conqueror becomes speechless, illustrating that no empire can boast before the Almighty (compareRevelation 18:21-23). The motif warns nations and individuals alike that pride ends in a hush decreed by heaven.
Silence in Patient Faith
Lamentations shows the other side: not forced muteness but chosen quiet as the soul waits for God. Such waiting echoes “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10) and anticipates the restful trust urged by Jesus inMatthew 6:25-34. Here silence is an act of worship, surrendering argument and anxiety to divine timing.
Silence as Proof of Idolatry’s Futility
Habakkuk contrasts the speechless idol with the living God who answers prayer (Habakkuk 2:20). Paul later reaches the same conclusion in1 Corinthians 12:2: dumb idols enslave, but the Spirit speaks. The word therefore exposes the emptiness of all substitutes for the Lord.
Historical Backdrop
•Isaiah 47 addresses Babylon near the height of its power (seventh-sixth centuries BC).
•Lamentations 3 laments the 586 BC destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon.
• Habakkuk prophesies shortly before Babylon’s rise, around 609-605 BC.
The shared Babylonian setting reminds readers that every human glory eventually falls silent before God’s sovereignty.
Links with the Wider Canon
• The thirty-minute silence in heaven (Revelation 8:1) underscores awe before unfolding judgment, mirroringIsaiah 47.
• Jesus stood silent before His accusers (Matthew 26:63), fulfillingIsaiah 53:7; His purposeful silence achieved redemption where Babylon’s enforced silence signaled disgrace.
• The Sabbath principle elevates holy stillness as a covenant gift (Exodus 16:23-30;Hebrews 4:9-10).
Ministerial Applications
1. Encourage periods of deliberate silence in corporate worship to foster reverence.
2. Teach waiting prayer fromLamentations 3:26 as a remedy for frantic activism.
3. Confront modern idols—materialism, technology, self-promotion—whose promises are as mute as Habakkuk’s stone.
4. Offer pastoral counsel that in seasons of discipline, enforced quiet may be God’s invitation to deeper trust rather than evidence of abandonment.
Preaching Outline Suggestion
I. The Silence God Commands (Isaiah 47:5) – humbling pride.
II. The Silence God Commends (Lamentations 3:26) – nurturing hope.
III. The Silence God Condemns (Habakkuk 2:19) – exposing idols.
IV. The Silence God Completes (Revelation 8:1) – ushering final justice.
Devotional Reflection
True life is found not in ceaseless noise but in the quiet that listens for the Shepherd’s voice (John 10:27). To sit “in silence” may feel like loss, yet it positions the believer to witness the salvation of the LORD and to proclaim, with renewed voice, His unfailing glory.
Forms and Transliterations
דּוּמָ֑ם דוּמָ֛ם דומם וְדוּמָ֔ם ודומם dū·mām ḏū·mām duMam dūmām ḏūmām veduMam wə·ḏū·mām wəḏūmām
Links
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