Lexical Summary mauph: Sign, Wonder, Miracle Original Word: מָעוּף 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 Originfrom 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). 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.” 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. 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 meUfLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman'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 |
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