Original Word: דּוּמָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: duwmah
Pronunciation: DOO-mah
Phonetic Spelling: (doo-maw')
KJV: silence
NASB: silence
Word Origin: [from an unused root meaning to be dumb]

1. silence
2. (figuratively) death

silence

From an unused root meaning to be dumb (compare damah); silence; figuratively, death -- silence.

see HEBREW damah

Word Origin
from an unused word
Definition
a silence
NASB Translation
silence (2).

I. דּוּמָה noun feminine silence; — ׳ד = שְׁאוֺל Psalm 94:17, ׳יֹרְדֵי ד Psalm 115:17; also Isaiah 21:11 מַשָּׂא דּוּמָה oracle of silence, i.e. of concealment, hidden meaning, according to Ew Di, but see II. ׳ד, 3

Meaning and Scope

Dûmâ evokes the hushed stillness of death. It is not mere quiet but the oppressive silence that envelopes the grave, the cessation of earthly speech and worship. Scripture employs the term to personify the realm to which the dead descend and from which praise is absent. In both occurrences the word appears in stark contrast to the living experience of God’s help and worship.

Occurrences in Scripture

Psalm 94:17 – “If the LORD had not been my helper, my soul would soon have dwelt in silence.”

Psalm 115:17 – “It is not the dead who praise the LORD, nor any who descend into silence.”

Silence and Sheol

Dûmâ is functionally synonymous with Sheol, “the pit,” and “the dust” (Job 10:21–22; Psalm 88:3–6; Isaiah 38:18). All convey the same domain: an existence cut off from the covenant community’s liturgical life. The silence is theological before it is acoustic: it marks the absence of declared praise. Hence, to “dwell in silence” is to be exiled from the sanctuary of God’s presence.

Divine Deliverance From Silence

The psalmist’s hope is that Yahweh will break the silence. Psalm 94:17 testifies that divine intervention overturns the destiny of entering dûmâ. The rescue is not abstract but deeply personal—“my soul would soon have dwelt.” The believer’s life of praise persists because the LORD actively sustains it (Psalm 30:2–3; 1 Samuel 2:6).

Contrast Between Living Praise and Dead Silence

Psalm 115 contrasts the idolatrous nations with Israel’s living worship. The dead are silent; the living “bless the LORD, both now and forevermore” (Psalm 115:18). The psalm teaches covenant responsibility: every breath is an opportunity to glorify God, a privilege that ceases at death. Thus dûmâ functions as a solemn motivator for faithful, ongoing worship.

Eschatological Hope

Although the Old Testament sets dûmâ as the boundary of praise, later revelation anticipates its overthrow. Isaiah foretells a day when “your dead will live; their bodies will rise” (Isaiah 26:19). The New Testament confirms that in Christ “death has been swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:54). The grave’s silence will yield to everlasting doxology (Revelation 5:13).

Pastoral and Practical Application

1. Mortality and Humility: Dûmâ reminds believers of life’s brevity (Psalm 39:4–5); it cultivates humility before God.
2. Urgency of Worship: Knowing that praise is a privilege limited to earthly life presses the church toward wholehearted devotion now.
3. Comfort in Grief: The silence of the grave is neither final nor victorious. Christ’s resurrection guarantees that departed saints will yet sing (1 Thessalonians 4:13–14).

Liturgical Resonance

Historic Christian liturgies echo the psalmic tension: expressions such as “Life is in His favor” (Psalm 30:5) and “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things” (Romans 11:36) implicitly deny that dûmâ can silence God’s people forever.

Canonical Harmony

From Genesis to Revelation the Bible presents a unified narrative: sin introduces death’s silence; God’s redemptive plan culminates in the Lamb who restores eternal praise. Dûmâ serves as a sober backdrop against which the glory of resurrection shines all the brighter.

דוּמָ֣ה דוּמָֽה׃ דומה דומה׃ ḏū·māh duMah ḏūmāhInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts