Original Word: דָּהַם
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: daham
Pronunciation: dah-ham'
Phonetic Spelling: (daw-ham')
KJV: astonished
NASB: dismayed
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to be dumb, i.e. (figuratively) dumbfounded

astonished

A primitive root (compare duwach); to be dumb, i.e. (figuratively) dumbfounded -- astonished.

see HEBREW duwach

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to astonish, astound
NASB Translation
dismayed (1).

[דָּהַם] verb astonish, astound (Arabic , ) —

Niph`al Participle כְּאִישׁ נִדְהָם Jeremiah 14:9 like a man astounded ("" כְּגִבּוֺר לֹא יוכל להושׁיע); ᵐ5 ὑπνῶν נִרְדָּם.

Range of Meaning and Imagery

The verb דָּהַם paints the picture of a person struck speechless, stunned into immobility, or paralyzed with bewilderment. It conveys more than momentary surprise; it is a deep, almost numbing disorientation in the face of overwhelming circumstances.

Solitary Occurrence: Jeremiah 14:9

“Why should You be like a man taken by surprise, like a warrior powerless to save? Yet You, O Lord, are in our midst, and we are called by Your name. Do not forsake us!”.

Historical Setting in Jeremiah

Jeremiah 14 records a devastating drought in Judah. Crops fail, cisterns dry up, and even wild animals pant for water (Jeremiah 14:2-6). The nation’s sin has provoked covenant curses (Deuteronomy 28:23-24), yet the people plead with God to act on His covenant name. In that lament they liken Him to a stunned soldier—using דָּהַם—only to confess moments later that He truly dwells among them. The verse captures the tension between perceived divine inactivity and the prophet’s unshakeable conviction that the Lord remains present.

Theological Significance

1. Apparent Divine Inactivity: Scripture occasionally allows God to be portrayed as if He were silent or unresponsive (Psalm 44:23; Mark 4:38). Such language expresses human anguish, not theological reality.
2. Covenant Faithfulness: Even while voicing the dread that God might be “like a warrior powerless,” Jeremiah immediately reaffirms, “You, O Lord, are in our midst.” The verb’s shock imagery serves to underscore the greater truth of the Lord’s steadfast presence (Jeremiah 14:9b; Lamentations 3:22-23).
3. Judgment and Mercy: The stunned-warrior metaphor reminds Israel that their true plight is not water scarcity but sin. Repentance, not mere relief, is the path to restored communion (Jeremiah 15:19).

Biblical Parallels

• Psalm 44:23 – “Awake, O Lord! Why do You sleep?” echoes the same rhetorical boldness used in Jeremiah 14:9.
• Isaiah 59:1 – “Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save,” counters any notion of divine paralysis.
• Mark 4:38-39 – The disciples accuse Jesus of indifference, yet He rises and calms the storm, proving His authority.

Ministry and Pastoral Application

• Lament as Faith: Jeremiah’s language legitimizes honest lament in worship. Expressing confusion is not unbelief when coupled with reliance on God’s name.
• Waiting Under Discipline: Seasons that feel like divine silence may be times of chastening designed to draw hearts to repentance (Hebrews 12:10-11).
• Assurance of Presence: Believers can confess with Jeremiah that the Lord is “in our midst,” even when circumstances tempt us to think otherwise (Matthew 28:20).

Christological Perspective

On the cross, Jesus quotes Psalm 22:1, entering fully into human experience of apparent abandonment. His resurrection demonstrates that God is never truly stunned or powerless; redemption unfolds even when His hand seems hidden (Acts 2:23-24).

Homiletical Insights

• Title Idea: “When God Seems Stunned: Faith in the Silence.”
• Key Points:

– Diagnose the real crisis (sin, not drought).

– Lament leads to loyalty.

– Divine presence is covenant-guaranteed, not circumstance-dependent.

Related References for Further Study

Deuteronomy 31:17; Psalm 22:1-3; Psalm 121:4; Isaiah 64:12; Habakkuk 1:2-4; Hebrews 13:5.

נִדְהָ֔ם נדהם niḏ·hām nidHam niḏhāmInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts