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מְהוּמָה

𐤌𐤄𐤅𐤌𐤄

mᵉhûwmâh

H4103 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A state of confusion, tumult, or panic, especially as experienced in the midst of a disturbance, battle, or disaster. The term indicates both the emotional and social chaos that arises during tumultuous events, including panic, terror, uproar, or alarm affecting individuals or communities.

Semantic Range

confusion, tumult, uproar, panic, commotion, terror, alarm, disturbance, trouble, social or military chaos

Root / Etymology

From the root הום (hum), meaning 'to make noise, be in motion, be agitated.' The noun מְהוּמָה (mᵉhûwmâh) is pattern-formed from the root, signifying a noun of state or quality connected to agitation or commotion.

Historical & Contextual Notes

מְהוּמָה is used in narratives describing sudden outbreaks of disorder, chaos, or fear, particularly in military or judgment contexts (e.g., Exodus 23:27, 1 Samuel 14:20). It often carries the sense of divinely-induced panic or socially disruptive terror that overwhelms an army or city, sometimes resulting in self-destructive confusion. Across Israelite history, it appears both for supernatural panic instilled by YHWH against enemies and for general states of tumult. Distinct from יָגוֹן (yāgôn, 'grief'), which denotes sorrow or mourning, and תְּנוּפָה (tenûfâh, 'shaking'), which denotes a physical agitation. English translations like 'confusion,' 'tumult,' and 'trouble' often do not capture the term's intensity and association with communal panic and collapse. The term loses some of its acute, collective sense in later Hebrew texts, where it may come to refer more generally to any disturbance or trouble.

Translation Consistency

primary "tumult" 4 occurrences

Tumult best captures the primary sense in the SILEX range — noisy, social or military chaos and emotional confusion/uproar — while remaining a natural, established English rendering of מְהוּמָה. It covers both the noisy disturbance (uproar/commotion) and the broader panic/confusion senses better than narrower options like "panic" or "confusion."

Alternatives (8 occurrences):
"tumultuous commotion" (5x) "tumult-of" (2x) "turmoil" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from הוּם; confusion or uproar; destruction, discomfiture, trouble, tumult, vexation, vexed.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

הום (h-w-m) — to make noise, stir, be agitated, be in commotion

Root הום to make noise, stir, be agitated, be in commotion
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1949 הוּם they will cause tumult
H8415 תְּהוֹם in the primeval depths

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H4103-02 מְהוּמָ֣ה mehumah HNcfsa panic tumultuous commotion tumultuous commotion 5
H4103-01 הַ/מְּהוּמָה֙ hamehumah HTd/Ncfsa of-turmoil the tumult the tumult 2
H4103-03 מְהֽוּמַת mehumat HNcfsc panic tumult-of tumult-of 2
H4103-04 מְהוּמֹ֤ת mehumot HNcfpa great tumults tumults 2
H4103-05 וּ/מְה֥וּמָה umehumah HC/Ncfsa and turmoil and commotion and turmoil 1

Occurrences in Scripture

12 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H4103-02 Deuteronomy 7:23 מְהוּמָ֣ה mehumah HNcfsa confusion tumultuous commotion tumultuous commotion
H4103-01 Deuteronomy 28:20 הַ/מְּהוּמָה֙ hamehumah HTd/Ncfsa the confusion the tumult the tumult
H4103-02 1 Samuel 5:9 מְהוּמָה֙ mehumah HNcfsa panic tumultuous commotion tumultuous commotion
H4103-03 1 Samuel 5:11 מְהֽוּמַת mehumat HNcfsc panic of tumult-of tumult-of
H4103-02 1 Samuel 14:20 מְהוּמָ֖ה mehumah HNcfsa confusion tumultuous commotion tumultuous commotion
H4103-02 Isaiah 22:5 מְהוּמָ֨ה mehumah HNcfsa panic tumultuous commotion tumultuous commotion
H4103-02 Ezekiel 7:7 מְהוּמָ֖ה mehumah HNcfsa of tumult tumultuous commotion tumultuous commotion
H4103-01 Ezekiel 22:5 הַ/מְּהוּמָֽה hamehumah HTd/Ncfsa of-turmoil the tumult the tumult
H4103-04 Amos 3:9 מְהוּמֹ֤ת mehumot HNcfpa tumults tumults tumults
H4103-03 Zechariah 14:13 מְהֽוּמַת mehumat HNcfsc panic tumult-of tumult-of
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