Bible Dictionary: Dumb

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Easton's Bible Dictionary

From natural infirmity (Exodus 4:11); not knowing what to say (Proverbs 31:8); unwillingness to speak (Psalm 39:9; Leviticus 10:3). Christ repeatedly restored the dumb (Matthew 9:32, 33; Luke 11:14; Matthew 12:22) to the use of speech.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

1. (a.) Destitute of the power of speech; unable; to utter articulate sounds; as, the dumb brutes.

2. (a.) Not willing to speak; mute; silent; not speaking; not accompanied by words; as, dumb show.

3. (a.) Lacking brightness or clearness, as a color.

4. (v. t.) To put to silence.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

DUMB

dum (alam, 'illem, literally, "tied in the tongue"; kophos): Used either as expressing the physical condition of speechlessness, generally associated with deafness, or figuratively as meaning the silence produced by the weight of God's judgments (Psalm 39:2-9 Daniel 10:15) or the oppression of external calamity (Psalm 38:13). As an adjective it is used to characterize inefficient teachers destitute of spirituality ("dumb dogs," Isaiah 56:10). The speechlessness of Saul's companions (Acts 9:7) was due to fright; that of the man without the wedding garment was because he had no excuse to give (Matthew 22:12). Idols are called mute, because helpless and voiceless (Habakkuk 2:18, 19 1 Corinthians 12:2). The dumbness of the sheep before the shearer is a token of submission (Isaiah 53:7 Acts 8:32).

Temporary dumbness was inflicted as a sign upon Ezekiel (3:26; 24:27:00; 33:22) and as a punishment for unbelief upon Zacharias (Luke 1:22). There are several cases recorded of our Lord's healing the dumb (Matthew 15:30 Mark 7:37 Luke 11:14, etc.). Dumbness is often associated with imbecility and was therefore regarded as due to demoniac possession (Matthew 9:32; Matthew 12:22). The evangelists therefore describe the healing of these as effected by the casting out of demons.

This is especially noted in the case of the epileptic boy (Mark 9:17). The deaf man with the impediment in his speech (Mark 7:32) is said to have been cured by loosening the string of his tongue. This does not necessarily mean that he was tongue-tied, which is a condition causing lisping, not stammering; he was probably one of those deaf persons who produce babbling, incoherent and meaningless sounds. I saw in the asylum in Jerusalem a child born blind and deaf, who though dumb, produced inarticulate noises.

In an old 14th-century psalter "dumb" is used as a verb in Psalm 39: "I doumbed and meked and was ful stille."

Alexander Macalister

Greek

2974. kophos -- blunt, dull
... blunt, dull. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: kophos Phonetic Spelling:
(ko-fos') Short Definition: dumb, deaf Definition: (lit: blunted) dumb, dull ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2974.htm - 6k

1769. enneos -- speechless.
... Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: enneos Phonetic Spelling: (en-neh-os')
Short Definition: dumb, speechless Definition: dumb, speechless (as with ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1769.htm - 6k

880. aphonos -- without voice, ie speechless
... Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: aphonos Phonetic Spelling: (af'-o-nos)
Short Definition: soundless, voiceless, speechless, dumb Definition: soundless ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/880.htm - 6k

216. alalos -- mute, speechless
... dumb, mute, speechless. From a (as a negative particle) and laleo; mute -- dumb.
see GREEK a. see GREEK laleo. (alalon) -- 2 Occurrences. (alalous) -- 1 Occurrence ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/216.htm - 6k

4623. siopao -- to be silent
... thus differing from sige, which is rather a voluntary refusal or indisposition to
speak, although the terms are often used synonymously); to be dumb (but not ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4623.htm - 7k

3424. mogilalos -- speaking with difficulty
... having an impediment in his speech. From mogis and laleo; hardly talking, ie Dumb
(tongue-tied) -- having an impediment in his speech. see GREEK mogis. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3424.htm - 6k

Strong's Hebrew

1826. damam -- to be or grow dumb, silent or still
... 1825, 1826. damam. 1826a . to be or grow dumb, silent or still. Transliteration:
damam Phonetic Spelling: (daw-man') Short Definition: cease. ...
/hebrew/1826.htm - 6k

1826a. damam -- to be or grow dumb, silent or still
... 1826, 1826a. damam. 1826b . to be or grow dumb, silent or still.
Transliteration: damam Short Definition: silent. Word Origin a prim. ...
/hebrew/1826a.htm - 6k

2790b. charash -- to be silent, dumb, speechless, or deaf
... 2790a, 2790b. charash. 2791 . to be silent, dumb, speechless, or deaf.
Transliteration: charash Short Definition: silent. Word Origin a prim. ...
/hebrew/2790b.htm - 6k

1748. dumam -- a silence, in silence, silently
... dumb, silent, quietly wait. From damam; still; adverbially, silently -- dumb, silent,
quietly wait. see HEBREW damam. 1747, 1748. dumam. 1749 . ...
/hebrew/1748.htm - 6k

483. illem -- mute (unable to speak)
... man (1), speechless (1). dumb man. From 'alam; speechless -- dumb (man). see
HEBREW 'alam. 482, 483. illem. 484 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/483.htm - 6k

481. alam -- to bind
... bind, be dumb, put to silence. A primitive root; to tie fast; hence (of the mouth)
to be tongue-tied -- bind, be dumb, put to silence. 480, 481. alam. 482 ...
/hebrew/481.htm - 6k

1724. daham -- to astonish, astound
... astonished. A primitive root (compare duwach); to be dumb, ie (figuratively)
dumbfounded -- astonished. see HEBREW duwach. 1723, 1724. daham. 1725 . ...
/hebrew/1724.htm - 6k

1745. dumah -- a silence
... silence. From an unused root meaning to be dumb (compare damah); silence; figuratively,
death -- silence. see HEBREW damah. 1744, 1745. dumah. 1746 . ...
/hebrew/1745.htm - 6k

1820. damah -- to cease, cause to cease, cut off, destroy
... cease, be cut down off, destroy, be brought to silence, be undone, utterly. A primitive
root; to be dumb or silent; hence, to fail or perish; trans. ...
/hebrew/1820.htm - 6k

929. behemah -- a beast, animal, cattle
... From an unused root (probably meaning to be mute); properly, a dumb beast; especially
any large quadruped or animal (often collective) -- beast, cattle. ...
/hebrew/929.htm - 6k

Library

Whether Hope is in Dumb Animals?
... OF THE IRASCIBLE PASSIONS, AND FIRST, OF HOPE AND DESPAIR (EIGHT ARTICLES) Whether
hope is in dumb animals? ... Therefore there is no hope in dumb animals. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether hope is in dumb.htm

The Deaf and Dumb Spirit.
... Book XIII. 5. The Deaf and Dumb Spirit. Now the father of the
epileptic"perhaps the angel to whom he had been allotted, if we ...
/.../origen/origens commentary on the gospel of matthew/5 the deaf and dumb.htm

The Deaf and Dumb.
... SERMON V. THE DEAF AND DUMB. ST Mark 7:32-37. And they bring unto Jesus
one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/westminster sermons/sermon v the deaf and.htm

The Deaf and Dumb Man
... Strong Meat for Hungry Souls: The Gospel of St. Mark CHAPTER 7:31-37 THE
DEAF AND DUMB MAN. "And again He went out from the borders ...
/.../chadwick/the gospel of st mark/chapter 7 31-37 the deaf and.htm

Healing of the Deaf and Dumb Demoniac. --The Charge of a League ...
... Section 161. Healing of the Deaf and Dumb Demoniac."The Charge of a League
with Beelzebub: a Visible Sign demanded."The Charge refuted. ...
/.../section 161 healing of the.htm

How Bishop John Cured a Dumb Man by his Blessing. [687 AD ]
... BOOK V CHAP. II. How Bishop John cured a dumb man by his blessing. [687
AD]. IN the beginning of Aldfrid's reign, Bishop Eata died ...
/.../bede/bedes ecclesiastical history of england/chap ii how bishop john.htm

Lix. Healing Blind Men and a Dumb Demoniac.
... Part Fifth. From Second Passover Until Third.(Time: One Year.) LIX. Healing Blind
Men and a Dumb Demoniac. (Probably Capernaum.) ^A Matthew 9:27-34. ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/lix healing blind men and.htm

Of the Consistency of the Accounts Given by Matthew and Luke ...
... The Prologue. Chapter XXXVII."Of the Consistency of the Accounts Given by Matthew
and Luke Regarding the Dumb and Blind Man Who Was Possessed with a Devil. ...
/.../augustine/the harmony of the gospels/chapter xxxvii of the consistency of.htm

The Ministry of Love, the Blasphemy of Hatred, and the Mistakes of ...
... MINISTRY OF LOVE, THE BLASPHEMY OF HATRED, AND THE MISTAKES OF EARTHLY AFFECTION -
THE RETURN TO CAPERNAUM - HEALING OF THE DEMONISED DUMB - PHARISAIC CHARGE ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xxii the ministry of.htm

Of the Two Blind Men and the Dumb Demoniac Whose Stories are ...
... The Prologue. Chapter XXIX."Of the Two Blind Men and the Dumb Demoniac
Whose Stories are Related Only by Matthew. 69. Matthew ...
/.../augustine/the harmony of the gospels/chapter xxix of the two blind.htm

Thesaurus

Dumb (34 Occurrences)
... Exodus 4:11); not knowing what to say (Proverbs 31:8); unwillingness to speak (Psalm
39:9; Leviticus 10:3). Christ repeatedly restored the dumb (Matthew 9 ...DUMB. ...
/d/dumb.htm - 20k

Devil (58 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). Matthew 9:32 As they went out, behold,
they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil. (KJV). ...
/d/devil.htm - 25k

Crowds (62 Occurrences)
... power to a man. (WEY DBY NAS RSV). Matthew 9:33 When the demon was expelled,
the dumb man could speak. And the crowds exclaimed in ...
/c/crowds.htm - 24k

Spake (704 Occurrences)
... (KJV ASV). Matthew 9:33 And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the
multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel. (KJV ASV DBY YLT) ...
/s/spake.htm - 33k

Insomuch (24 Occurrences)
... Matthew 12:22 Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb:
and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. ...
/i/insomuch.htm - 13k

Demon-possessed (16 Occurrences)
... demoniacs. (See NIV). Matthew 9:32 And as they are coming forth, lo, they brought
to him a man dumb, a demoniac, (See NAS NIV). Matthew ...
/d/demon-possessed.htm - 10k

Marvelled (27 Occurrences)
... (KJV). Matthew 9:33 And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes
marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel. (KJV ASV). ...
/m/marvelled.htm - 13k

Cured (62 Occurrences)
... (WEY). Matthew 12:22 At that time a demoniac was brought to Him, blind and dumb;
and He cured him, so that the dumb man could speak and see. (WEY). ...
/c/cured.htm - 23k

Astonished (92 Occurrences)
... as-ton'-isht, as-ton'-id (shamem, "astonished," the root idea being "silent," ie
struck dumb with amazement; ekplessomai, "to be struck with astonishment," as ...
/a/astonished.htm - 34k

Speak (855 Occurrences)
... Matthew 9:33 When the demon was expelled, the dumb man could speak. And the crowds
exclaimed in astonishment, "Never was such a thing seen in Israel." (WEY). ...
/s/speak.htm - 36k

Bible Concordance

Dumb (34 Occurrences)

Matthew 9:32 As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil.
(KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV)

Matthew 9:33 And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel.
(KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV)

Matthew 12:22 Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.
(KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV)

Matthew 15:30 And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them:
(KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV)

Matthew 15:31 Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel.
(KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV)

Mark 7:37 And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.
(KJV WEY ASV WBS YLT RSV)

Mark 9:17 And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;
(KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV)

Mark 9:25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.
(KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV)

Luke 1:20 And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.
(KJV WEY WBS)

Luke 1:22 When, however, he came out, he was unable to speak to them; and they knew that he must have seen a vision in the Sanctuary; but he kept making signs to them and continued dumb.
(WEY ASV DBY YLT RSV)

Luke 11:14 And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered.
(KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV)

Acts 8:32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:
(KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV)

Acts 9:7 Meanwhile the men who travelled with Saul were standing dumb with amazement, hearing a sound, but seeing no one.
(WEY)

1 Corinthians 12:2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
(KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV)

2 Peter 2:16 But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet.
(KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV)

Exodus 4:11 And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?
(KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV)

Job 17:9 And the righteous layeth hold 'on' his way, And the clean of hands addeth strength, And -- dumb are they all.
(YLT)

Psalms 31:18 Let the lying lips be dumb, Which speak against the righteous insolently, With pride and contempt.
(ASV DBY JPS YLT RSV)

Psalms 38:13 But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth.
(KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV)

Psalms 39:2 I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred.
(KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV)

Psalms 39:9 I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou didst it.
(KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV)

Psalms 56:1 To the Overseer. -- 'On the Dumb Dove far off.' -- A secret treasure of David, in the Philistines' taking hold of him in Gath. Favour me, O God, for man swallowed me up, All the day fighting he oppresseth me,
(YLT)

Psalms 58:1 To the Overseer. -- 'Destroy not.' -- A secret treasure, by David. Is it true, O dumb one, righteously ye speak? Uprightly ye judge, O sons of men?
(YLT)

Proverbs 31:8 Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.
(KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV)

Isaiah 35:6 Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
(KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV)

Isaiah 56:10 His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.
(KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV)

Jeremiah 14:9 Why art Thou as one dumb? As a mighty one not able to save? And Thou 'art' in our midst, O Jehovah, And Thy name over us is called, leave us not.
(YLT)

Ezekiel 3:26 And I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be to them a reprover: for they are a rebellious house.
(KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV)

Ezekiel 24:27 In that day shall thy mouth be opened to him which is escaped, and thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb: and thou shalt be a sign unto them; and they shall know that I am the LORD.
(KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS RSV)

Ezekiel 33:22 Now the hand of the LORD was upon me in the evening, afore he that was escaped came; and had opened my mouth, until he came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb.
(KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS RSV)

Daniel 4:19 Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was stricken dumb for a while, and his thoughts troubled him. The king answered and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine adversaries.
(ASV)

Daniel 10:15 And when he had spoken such words unto me, I set my face toward the ground, and I became dumb.
(KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS RSV)

Habakkuk 2:18 What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols?
(KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV)

Habakkuk 2:19 Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.
(KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV)

Subtopics

Dumb

Mute) Dumb (Deafness: Miraculous Healing of, by Jesus

Mute) Dumb (Deafness: Stricken of God

Related Terms

Devil (58 Occurrences)

Crowds (62 Occurrences)

Spake (704 Occurrences)

Insomuch (24 Occurrences)

Demon-possessed (16 Occurrences)

Marvelled (27 Occurrences)

Cured (62 Occurrences)