Lexical Summary pugath: Cessation, weariness, respite Original Word: פוּגָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance rest From puwg; intermission -- rest. see HEBREW puwg NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom pug Definition benumbing, cessation NASB Translation relief (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs מּוּגַת (Ges§ 80f) noun feminine benumbing (figurative), cessation; — לָךְ ׳אַלתִּֿתְּנִי פ Lamentations 2:18 grant thyself no benumbing (read probably מּוּגֹת). Topical Lexicon Word Significance and NuanceThe noun denotes a pause, respite, or loosening of pressure. It carries the sense of a brief breathing-space rather than a permanent cessation, highlighting an interval in which anguish might slacken before resuming. This semantic range prepares the reader to feel the tension between continued suffering and the yearning for mercy. Context in Lamentations 2:18 Lamentations 2 records the aftermath of Babylon’s destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC. In verse 18 the city personified is urged, “give yourself no relief; give your eyes no rest”. Here the term serves as a command to withhold any easing of grief until the petition for divine intervention is fully poured out. The poetic voice intensifies communal lament by denying even a momentary let-up, pressing Judah to exhaustive repentance and supplication. Historical and Literary Background • Authorship traditionally attributed to Jeremiah places the word within a prophet’s theology of covenant discipline (Jeremiah 25:11–12). Theological Themes 1. Uninterrupted Repentance The refusal of respite echoes Joel 2:12–17, where wholehearted, unceasing turning to the Lord is demanded in crisis. 2. Divine Justice and Mercy By suspending relief, the text magnifies the weight of divine wrath while simultaneously implying that true relief lies only in God’s eventual compassion (Lamentations 3:22–23). 3. Corporate Solidarity The imperative is directed to the entire “wall of daughter Zion,” illustrating that national sin requires communal intercession without interruption (Nehemiah 1:4–7). Intertextual Echoes While the specific noun appears only once, its theme resonates: • Psalm 77:2 “My soul refused to be comforted” — an individual analogue of unrelieved lament. Christological Fulfillment The gospel reveals the ultimate answer to longing for relief: “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Jesus grants the true פוּגָה by bearing wrath on the cross, transforming temporary respite into eternal sabbath (Hebrews 4:9-10). Implications for Worship and Prayer • Seasons of corporate fasting and prayer may rightly suspend normal comforts to seek God’s face with urgency (Acts 13:2-3). Pastoral and Discipleship Applications 1. Shepherding the Grieving Counsel must allow space for tears without forcing quick fixes; true comfort flows after honest, extended lament. 2. Intercessory Vigilance Churches should engage in sustained prayer for justice, revival, and the persecuted, resisting fatigue until God answers (Luke 18:7). 3. Formation of Holy Longing Teaching on this word encourages believers to hunger for the Lord’s appearing, echoing the cry “Maranatha” (1 Corinthians 16:22), refusing complacent “relief” in a fallen world. Summary The solitary occurrence of פוּגָה in Scripture strategically leverages a rare term to intensify lament, calling God’s people to uninterrupted repentance and prayer until divine mercy prevails. Its theological gravity extends from Jerusalem’s ruins to the church’s ongoing mission, pointing ultimately to the perfect rest secured in Christ and anticipated in His return. Forms and Transliterations פוּגַת֙ פוגת fuGat p̄ū·ḡaṯ p̄ūḡaṯLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Lamentations 2:18 HEB: אַֽל־ תִּתְּנִ֤י פוּגַת֙ לָ֔ךְ אַל־ NAS: yourself no relief, Let your eyes KJV: give thyself no rest; let not the apple INT: no Give relief no have 1 Occurrence |
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