Lexical Summary pun: To turn, to be perplexed, to be distracted Original Word: פוּן Strong's Exhaustive Concordance be distracted A primitive root meaning to turn, i.e. Be perplexed -- be distracted. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originanother reading for aphunah, q.v. Brown-Driver-Briggs אָפ֑וּנָה Psalm 88:16 (ἄρ. λεγ DlPr 135 f. compare Assyrian appuna(ma) adv. = ma°diš, very, very much, but dubious; Thes MV form from √ פון & compare Arabic  diminuit, mente diminuit (Frey), hence be confused, helpless, compare ᵐ5 ἐξηπθρήθην ᵑ9 contur-batus sum; others emend אָפוּגָה from מּוּג q. v. A verb however is not needed for parallelism). **Arabic  in fact = milk (camel, etc.) dry, empty;  = empty-headed man; this does not support be confused, helpless (GFM, privately). [מּוּן] verb (?); only אָפוּנָה Psalm 88:16; read probably אֶמּוֺגָה, see פוג, אָפוּנָה. מּוֺנֶה2Chron 25:23 see מִּנָּה, מּוּנִי see מּוּאָה. above Topical Lexicon Hebrew Context The verb פוּן appears once in the Old Testament, in Psalm 88:15. The psalmist employs it to depict a state of mental and emotional collapse brought on by prolonged suffering. It stands in parallel with “Your terrors” and “near death,” intensifying the lament of a believer who feels overwhelmed and unable to regain composure. Biblical Usage and Literary Setting Psalm 88 is the bleakest of the laments, remarkable for ending without the customary note of praise. The solitary use of פוּן heightens that bleakness. The verse reads, “From my youth I was afflicted and near death. I have borne Your terrors; I am in despair” (Psalm 88:15). The word translated “in despair” (פוּן) conveys a person whose inner bearings are lost, whose thoughts whirl in confusion. In the structure of the psalm the term functions as the climactic confession of helplessness after a lifetime of pain (verses 3-15) and before the final cry of abandonment (verses 16-18). Theological Emphasis: Human Frailty and Divine Sovereignty Psalm 88 refuses to soften the mystery of suffering. By placing פוּן on the lips of a faithful worshiper, Scripture legitimizes seasons when the godly cannot trace either purpose or relief. Yet even in disorientation the psalmist addresses God directly (“I cry to You,” verse 1), implying that faith can persist when emotional stability does not. The juxtaposition of divine “terrors” with personal “despair” underscores that the believer’s circumstances are never outside God’s governance, even when His ways seem severe (Job 23:8-10; Romans 8:35-39). Historical Reception Jewish and Christian interpreters alike have seen Psalm 88 as a template for honest lament. Medieval Jewish commentators connected the language to national exile, while early church fathers heard echoes of Christ’s agony in Gethsemane and on the cross, where He “learned obedience from what He suffered” (Hebrews 5:8). The single occurrence of פוּן thus became emblematic of both Israel’s and Messiah’s darkest hours. Christological Reflections In Jesus Christ the ultimate righteous sufferer is revealed. The Gospels record Him “sorrowful and deeply distressed” (Matthew 26:37) and “overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Matthew 26:38 NIV), language that parallels the despair of Psalm 88:15. By entering the depth signified by פוּן, Christ identifies fully with human anguish and secures redemption for those who are “hard pressed but not crushed… perplexed but not in despair” (2 Corinthians 4:8). Pastoral and Ministry Applications 1. Permission to Lament: Congregations should be encouraged to voice raw grief without fear of spiritual failure. Psalm 88 authorizes such honesty. Liturgical Resonance Many historic liturgies assign Psalm 88 to Holy Saturday, the day commemorating Christ’s burial and the apparent silence of heaven. The lone appearance of פוּן captures the tension between Good Friday’s anguish and Resurrection Sunday’s triumph, reminding worshipers that God’s redemptive plan passes through real despair on its way to unshakeable joy. Summary Though occurring only once, פוּן serves as a verbal focal point for the Bible’s theology of suffering. It articulates a believer’s utter disorientation while still anchored, however tenuously, to the covenant God. In pastoral practice and personal devotion, the term invites God’s people to bring their deepest confusion into the presence of the One who can transform despair into hope. Forms and Transliterations אָפֽוּנָה׃ אפונה׃ ’ā·p̄ū·nāh ’āp̄ūnāh aFunahLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Psalm 88:15 HEB: נָשָׂ֖אתִי אֵמֶ֣יךָ אָפֽוּנָה׃ KJV: thy terrors I am distracted. INT: suffer your terrors I am distracted 1 Occurrence |
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