דּוּמִיָּה
du.miy.yah
silence
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
Supported# Dumiyah: Silence in Biblical Hebrew The Hebrew word *dumiyah* (דּוּמִיָּה) denotes silence and appears four times in the biblical text. Based on its limited attestation, this term represents a specific concept of quietness or soundlessness, though the precise contexts of its usage are not detailed in the lexicon data provided. With only four occurrences across the entire Bible, *dumiyah* was not a frequently employed word in biblical Hebrew. This rarity suggests it may have carried particular weight or been reserved for specific theological or poetic contexts rather than serving as the common everyday term for silence. The word's relative scarcity makes it difficult to establish a broad semantic range from attestation patterns alone, though its core meaning as silence is clearly established. Understanding this word's significance requires recognizing that biblical Hebrew possessed multiple terms for silence-related concepts. The existence of *dumiyah* alongside other vocabulary for quiet or stillness indicates that ancient Hebrew speakers differentiated between various types or qualities of silence, though the specific nuances distinguishing *dumiyah* from related terms cannot be determined from the lexicon data alone.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences across the text
My God, I cry in the daytime, but you don’t answer; in the night season, and am not silent.
Psalms 39:2I was mute with silence. I held my peace, even from good. My sorrow was stirred.
Psalms 62:1My soul rests in God alone. My salvation is from him.
Psalms 65:1Praise waits for you, God, in Zion. Vows shall be performed to you.