הוּם
𐤄𐤅𐤌
hûwm
H1949 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To move or stir with great commotion; to be in tumult or agitation. It primarily conveys physical or emotional disturbance—shaking, loud noise, or disorder—whether of persons, peoples, or natural elements; secondarily, to disturb or unsettle, to cause anxiety or panic, or to destroy by means of tumult.
Semantic Range
to make a tumult, to agitate or disturb greatly (emotionally or physically), to cause alarm or panic, to destroy or overthrow by disorder, to move with noise, to be in uproar or tumult
Root / Etymology
Root הום, cognate with or parallel to המם (hamam, 'to make noise, be in uproar'). The core root meaning is 'to move noisily, to be in commotion.' The verb hûwm derives from this root, with a primary focus on agitation by movement or sound, often with the implication of emotional or social disturbance.
Historical & Contextual Notes
הוּם appears rarely in the Hebrew Bible. Occurrences are typically poetic (e.g., Psalms) or prophetic, depicting upheaval—of peoples, nations, or the natural world. It frequently overlaps in sense with words like רָגַז (ragaz, 'to quake'), רָעַשׁ (ra'ash, 'to shake') or המה (hāmah, 'to roar, make noise'), but hûwm more consistently emphasizes agitation leading to confusion, disorder, or fear, sometimes culminating in destruction. Later Jewish and translation traditions sometimes render the sense as 'destroy' or 'overthrow,' which may narrow the polyvalent dynamic of the original. In the Israelite context, hûwm does not have a technical meaning, but is invoked to evoke intense unrest, whether physical (earth, nations, seas) or psychological.
Translation Consistency
“Disturb” is a natural, flexible verb that covers both being in uproar (to be disturbed/ in turmoil) and causing agitation, alarm, or disorder. It fits the primary senses of moving or stirring with commotion, agitating emotionally or physically, and can extend to disrupting or overthrowing by disorder. Other options (e.g., “shake,” “stir,” or “panic”) are either too narrow or too specific, while “disturb” best matches the typical, everyday usage across the semantic range.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root (compare הָמַם); to make an uproar, or agitate greatly; destroy, move, make a noise, put, ring again.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
הום (h-w-m) — noisy movement, agitation, tumult
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1949-02 |
וַ/תֵּהֹ֖ם | vatehom | HC/VNw3fs |
and-it-resounded | and she was tumultuous | and it was disturbed | 3 |
H1949-03 |
וְ/אָהִֽימָה | veahimah | HC/Vhh1cs |
and-I-tremble | and let me cause tumult | and I tremble | 1 |
H1949-01 |
תְּהִימֶ֖נָה | tehimenah | HVhi3fp |
they will make noise | they will cause tumult | they will cause tumult | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
5 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1949-02 |
1 Samuel 4:5 | וַ/תֵּהֹ֖ם | vatehom | HC/VNw3fs |
and shook | and she was tumultuous | and it was disturbed |
H1949-02 |
1 Kings 1:45 | וַ/תֵּהֹ֖ם | vatehom | HC/VNw3fs |
and-it-resounded | and she was tumultuous | and it was disturbed |
H1949-01 |
Micah 2:12 | תְּהִימֶ֖נָה | tehimenah | HVhi3fp |
they will make noise | they will cause tumult | they will cause tumult |
H1949-03 |
Psalms 55:3 | וְ/אָהִֽימָה | veahimah | HC/Vhh1cs |
and-I-tremble | and let me cause tumult | and I tremble |
H1949-02 |
Ruth 1:19 | וַ/תֵּהֹ֤ם | vatehom | HC/VNw3fs |
and-was-stirred | and she was tumultuous | and it was stirred |