Lexical Summary atham: To be astounded, to be desolate, to be appalled Original Word: עָתַם Strong's Exhaustive Concordance be darkened A primitive root; probably to glow, i.e. (figuratively) be desolated -- be darkened. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition perhaps to burn NASB Translation burned (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [עָתַם] verb dubious; Niph`al Perfect3masculine singular נֶעְתַּם אָ֑רֶץ Isaiah 9:18 ( Topical Lexicon Biblical Context The verb עָתַם appears a single time in Scripture, Isaiah 9:19, where it describes the land under the burning fury of the LORD of Hosts: “By the wrath of the LORD of Hosts the land is scorched, and the people are like fuel for the fire; no one spares his brother” (Isaiah 9:19). The placement is strategic—within a series of oracles (Isaiah 9:8 – 10:4) that expose Israel’s arrogance and foretell mounting waves of judgment. In that literary setting, עָתַם paints an image of a land so overwhelmed by divine anger that its vitality is choked off, its atmosphere thick with smoke and heat, its people left gasping for life and mercy. Word Picture and Semantics Though the verbal root is rare, its lone biblical occurrence is potent. It conveys the idea of a thing tightly closed, blocked, or sealed until no life-giving breath can enter. When applied to the land, the picture is of creation itself “shut up” under judgment—air thick, sky veiled, soil unable to yield fruit. Such language deliberately echoes earlier covenant warnings that disobedience would result in heavens “like bronze” and earth “like iron” (Leviticus 26:19). Isaiah’s choice of this unusual word intensifies the scene: God’s wrath does not merely afflict; it suffocates every avenue of human rescue. Themes of Divine Judgment 1. Totality of Judgment. The verb underscores how divine wrath touches every sphere—environmental, social, and spiritual. What should be open and life-giving becomes sealed and destructive. Historical and Cultural Setting Isaiah prophesied during a period of political upheaval (circa 740-701 B.C.). The northern kingdom of Israel leaned on human alliances, dismissed prophetic calls to repentance, and reveled in social injustice. The Assyrian threat loomed, yet leaders failed to perceive God’s hand behind international events. Into that milieu, the prophet spoke warning after warning. By employing an otherwise unattested verb, Isaiah jolted his audience, implying that their land would become as uninhabitable as a kiln. Connections with Related Scriptures • Deuteronomy 28:23-24 foretells heavens like bronze and earth like iron—parallel images of a shut-up environment under curse. Christological Implications Isaiah’s vision of a land shut up under wrath prepares the way for the Servant theme later in the book (Isaiah 53). The One who would bear the curse (Galatians 3:13) ultimately opens what sin has sealed. In Christ, the suffocating heat of judgment is absorbed, clearing the way for “times of refreshing” (Acts 3:19). Thus, the lone appearance of עָתַם foreshadows the comprehensive redemption that reverses every aspect of the fall. Spiritual Lessons for the Church • Sin suffocates: personal or collective disobedience eventually blocks spiritual vitality, relationships, and societal well-being. Ministry Applications 1. Preaching and Teaching—Use Isaiah 9:19 to illustrate the seriousness of sin and the urgency of repentance, while tying the passage to Christ’s atoning work. Conclusion Though עָתַם surfaces only once, its message resonates throughout Scripture: when humanity rebels, life itself is stifled; when God redeems, every closed channel is opened. The word stands as a solemn warning and a silent invitation—calling readers to flee wrath by embracing the grace that alone can breathe life into a scorched land. Forms and Transliterations נֶעְתַּ֣ם נעתם ne‘·tam ne‘tam neTamLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 9:19 HEB: יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת נֶעְתַּ֣ם אָ֑רֶץ וַיְהִ֤י NAS: the land is burned up, And the people KJV: is the land darkened, and the people INT: God of hosts is burned the land become 1 Occurrence |
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is be clogged in speech, 
suffocating heat, 
burned by heat; hence Thes scorched, but derived sense dubious; see RSJPhil. xiii. 61 f.); — read perhaps נִצְּתָה (√ יָצַת) is burned up, compare RSl.c., Krochm Kit CheHpt.