Lexical Summary paah: Corner, edge, side Original Word: פָעָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance cry A primitive root; to scream -- cry. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to groan NASB Translation groan (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [מָּעָה] verb groan (onomatopoetic according to Thes; Late Hebrew Hiph`il bleat, so Arabic ![]() ![]() ![]() Topical Lexicon Overview Paʿah (Strong’s Hebrew 6463) appears only once in Scripture, Isaiah 42:14. The verb depicts an intense, involuntary release of breath—comparable to the sudden gasp or groan that accompanies extreme exertion or labor pains. Scripture employs this singular instance to convey the moment when long-restrained divine patience gives way to decisive action. Biblical Occurrence Isaiah 42:14: “I have kept silent from ages past; I have been quiet and restrained Myself. But now I will cry out like a woman in labor; I will gasp and pant.” Here paʿah stands parallel to “cry out” and “pant,” intensifying the image of a woman’s travail. The prophet sets the stage for Yahweh’s forthcoming deliverance and judgment: silence is broken, hidden purposes are unveiled, and redemptive history moves forward with unstoppable force. Theological Themes 1. Divine Restraint and Sudden Intervention 2. Birth Imagery and New Creation 3. Judgment Coupled with Redemption Historical Setting Isaiah addressed a people either already in exile or soon to be. They questioned God’s silence amid Babylonian dominance. The solitary use of paʿah becomes a prophetic anchor: the very restraint that seemed to negate covenant promises would climax in a gasp signaling Babylon’s fall and Israel’s restoration. History vindicates the prophecy in Cyrus’s decree (Ezra 1:1-4), while ultimate fulfillment awaits the return of Christ. Christological and Eschatological Implications • Jesus applied labor-pain language to His disciples’ sorrow turned to joy (John 16:21-22), echoing Isaiah 42. Ministry Application 1. Encouragement in Waiting 2. Call to Holiness 3. Mission to the Nations Related Imagery and Intertextual Links • Groaning of creation: Romans 8:22. Summary Paʿah captures the electrifying instant when divine forbearance transforms into action. Its solitary appearance in Isaiah 42:14 magnifies its weight: one breath that alters history, ushers in redemption, and warns of judgment. The church lives between the silence and the gasp, called to faith, holiness, and mission until God again breaks forth in decisive power. Forms and Transliterations אֶפְעֶ֔ה אפעה ’ep̄‘eh ’ep̄·‘eh efEhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 42:14 HEB: אֶתְאַפָּ֑ק כַּיּוֹלֵדָ֣ה אֶפְעֶ֔ה אֶשֹּׁ֥ם וְאֶשְׁאַ֖ף NAS: Myself. [Now] like a woman in labor I will groan, I will both KJV: [and] refrained myself: [now] will I cry like a travailing woman; INT: and restrained labor will groan gasp and pant 1 Occurrence |