4588. mauph
Lexical Summary
mauph: Sign, Wonder, Miracle

Original Word: מָעוּף
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: ma`uwph
Pronunciation: mo-fayth
Phonetic Spelling: (maw-off')
KJV: dimness
NASB: gloom
Word Origin: [from H5774 (עוּף - To fly) in the sense of covering with shade]

1. darkness

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
dimness

From uwph in the sense of covering with shade (compare muw'aph); darkness -- dimness.

see HEBREW uwph

see HEBREW muw'aph

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from uph
Definition
gloom
NASB Translation
gloom (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
[מָעוּף] noun [masculine] id.; — construct מְעוּף צוּקָה Isaiah 8:22 ("" הֲשֵׁכָה); CheHpt. reads מוּעַף.

תְּעֻפָה

noun feminine id.; — so read probably for תָּעֻ֫פָה Job 11:17 (opposed to כֹּקֶר).

Topical Lexicon
Biblical Occurrence

The noun מָעוּף appears once, at Isaiah 8:22: “Then they will look to the earth and see distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish; and they will be driven into utter darkness.”

Immediate Context in Isaiah

Isaiah 7–9 traces Judah’s crisis during the Syro-Ephraimite threat and the looming Assyrian invasion. Verse 22 stands at the climax of a judgment oracle (Isaiah 8:19-22) that condemns reliance on mediums and necromancers. The “gloom of anguish” conveys a total absence of divine guidance for those who reject the prophetic word. Immediately afterward, Isaiah 9:1 heralds a “great light,” forming a deliberate contrast between oppressive darkness and Messianic dawn. Thus מָעוּף underscores the severity of judgment just before the promise of salvation.

Theological Significance

1. Spiritual Blindness: Darkness here is not merely lack of daylight but estrangement from God (Proverbs 4:19; John 12:35).
2. Moral Consequence: Ignoring God’s law and seeking forbidden counsel produces inward turmoil that culminates in national calamity (Leviticus 19:31; 2 Kings 21:6).
3. Eschatological Pattern: Scripture frequently moves from darkness to light—judgment preceding deliverance (Joel 2:31–32; Malachi 4:1-2; Revelation 22:5). מָעוּף fits this redemptive trajectory.

Historical Background

Around 734-732 B.C., Tiglath-Pileser III of Assyria ravaged Syria and northern Israel. The dread that swept Judah matched Isaiah’s description of “distress and darkness.” Archaeological strata from Lachish and other Judean sites reveal burn layers and population dislocation consistent with such terror, lending historical weight to Isaiah’s imagery.

Prophetic Foreshadowing and Messianic Hope

Isaiah 9:2: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.”
Matthew 4:14-16 cites this passage to announce Jesus’ Galilean ministry, presenting Him as the Light that scatters מָעוּף.
John 8:12: Christ claims, “I am the light of the world,” fulfilling the reversal of Isaiah 8:22.

Practical Ministry Application

1. Call to Discernment: Modern fascination with occult practices echoes Israel’s temptation. Preaching Isaiah 8:19-22 warns believers to seek wisdom solely from Scripture and the Holy Spirit.
2. Pastoral Care: Those in depression or cultural despair can identify with “gloom of anguish.” Isaiah points them beyond subjective darkness to objective hope in Christ.
3. Evangelism: Presenting the contrast between מָעוּף and the gospel light clarifies humanity’s need and God’s provision (2 Corinthians 4:6).

Homiletical Outline

A. The Source of Darkness—Rejection of God’s Word (Isaiah 8:19-20)

B. The Symptoms of Darkness—Distress, Famine, Rage (8:21)

C. The Depth of Darkness—Gloom of Anguish (8:22)

D. The Shattering of Darkness—The Promised Light (9:1-2)

Devotional Reflection

Meditate on Psalm 27:1, “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” The solitary appearance of מָעוּף magnifies how swiftly divine light can turn a single night of despair into a dawn of rejoicing (Psalm 30:5).

Forms and Transliterations
מְע֣וּף מעוף mə‘ūp̄ mə·‘ūp̄ meUf
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Isaiah 8:22
HEB: צָרָ֤ה וַחֲשֵׁכָה֙ מְע֣וּף צוּקָ֔ה וַאֲפֵלָ֖ה
NAS: and darkness, the gloom of anguish;
KJV: and darkness, dimness of anguish;
INT: distress and darkness the gloom of anguish darkness

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 4588
1 Occurrence


mə·‘ūp̄ — 1 Occ.

4587
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