Original Word: נְהָמָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: nhamah
Pronunciation: neh-haw-maw'
Phonetic Spelling: (neh-haw-maw')
KJV: disquietness, roaring
NASB: agitation, roaring
Word Origin: [feminine of H5099 (נַהַם - growling)]

1. snarling

snarling, roaring

Feminine of naham; snarling -- disquietness, roaring.

see HEBREW naham

Word Origin
from naham
Definition
a growling, groaning
NASB Translation
agitation (1), roaring (1).

[נְהָמָה] noun feminine growling, groaning; — only construct נָָֽהֲמַת :

1 Isaiah 5:30 of sea, in simile of growling of Assyr. Lion.

2 figurative groaning Psalm 38:9 of heart (׳שָׁאַָ֫גְתִּי מִנ).

Nehâmâ (נְהָמָה)

Overview

Nehâmâ is an evocative Hebrew noun denoting an audible expression of intense emotion—ranging from the subdued groan of a stricken heart to the thunderous roar of natural or military upheaval. Its two appearances reveal both the personal and cosmic dimensions of anguish and power that unfold in the biblical narrative.

Range of Meaning

1. Personal lament: the suppressed, painful sigh of an afflicted soul.
2. Public tumult: the overwhelming, resonant roar that signals danger, judgment, or unstoppable force (often likened to the sea).

Occurrences

• Psalm 38:9
• Isaiah 5:30

Literary Contexts

Psalm 38:9 — In a psalm of penitence David confesses, “O Lord, my every desire is before You; my groaning is not hidden from You”. Nehâmâ here captures the wordless depth of repentance. David’s anguish is not merely physical but spiritual, pressing him to seek mercy. The term underscores that God perceives suffering even when human language falters.

Isaiah 5:30 — Isaiah warns that invading forces “will roar over it on that day like the roaring of the sea”. The prophet employs nehâmâ to portray the relentless surge of judgment sweeping over Judah because of covenant unfaithfulness. The image of the sea’s roar intimates both chaos and the inescapability of divine retribution.

Theological Significance

1. Divine Awareness. Psalm 38 assures believers that unspoken pain reaches God. Nehâmâ testifies to His intimate knowledge of human frailty (compare Exodus 2:24; Psalm 6:6).

2. Judgment Manifested. In Isaiah 5, nehâmâ announces impending discipline, aligning with the pattern that God’s holiness confronts sin (Leviticus 26:17; Hebrews 10:31).

3. Creation’s Groan. The word anticipates Paul’s articulation that “the whole creation has been groaning together” (Romans 8:22). Human and cosmic sighs converge, highlighting the need for redemption.

4. Messianic Hope. David’s groaning foreshadows the greater Son who would be “a man of sorrows” (Isaiah 53:3) and whose own cries would culminate in the cross (Matthew 27:46), ensuring that no groan is wasted.

Ministry Implications

Lament and Prayer. Nehâmâ encourages believers to bring raw emotion before the Lord without fear of censure. Pastoral care can invite congregants to replace stoicism with honest prayer, trusting that God hears the inaudible.

Prophetic Warning. Isaiah’s usage calls preachers to sound a clear alarm against national and personal sin. The roar of judgment is not merely poetic; it is historical and future reality that summons repentance.

Worship Planning. Including laments in corporate worship gives voice to suffering saints and aligns the church with the full emotional range of Scripture (Psalm 13; Lamentations 3).

Intertextual Echoes

• Roaring seas: Psalm 46:3; Luke 21:25.
• Groaning saints: Psalm 32:3; 2 Corinthians 5:2.
• Divine hearing: Psalm 18:6; 1 Peter 3:12.

Homiletical Considerations

1. “From Groan to Grace” — trace David’s journey from anguish to assurance in Psalm 38.
2. “When the Sea Roars” — compare Isaiah 5:30 with Christ stilling the storm in Mark 4:39, showing the same authority that judges also saves.
3. “The Creation Choir” — link nehâmâ with Romans 8, illustrating how every sigh participates in the hope of resurrection.

Practical Reflection

Believers live between the sigh of present pain and the shout of future victory (Revelation 19:6). Nehâmâ invites acknowledgment of both realities: honest lament before a compassionate God and sober awareness of His righteous judgment.

כְּנַהֲמַת־ כנהמת־ מִֽנַּהֲמַ֥ת מנהמת kə·na·hă·maṯ- kenahamat kənahămaṯ- min·na·hă·maṯ minnahaMat minnahămaṯInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts