רָדַם
𐤓𐤃𐤌
râdam
H7290 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To be in a deep, heavy, or unnatural sleep; to fall into a profound stupor or unconscious state, sometimes with an emphasis on a divinely or fate-imposed sleep. The term is used both literally, for an extraordinary or deep sleep, and figuratively, to describe spiritual, mental, or social unresponsiveness.
Semantic Range
to fall into a deep sleep, to be overcome by a heavy or supernatural sleep, to be in a stupor or unconsciousness, to be spiritually or mentally unresponsive
Root / Etymology
From the root רדם, denoting the idea of deep or heavy sleep. Unlike more common terms for ordinary sleep, רָדַם conveys a sense of profoundness, abnormality, or induced insensibility, possibly of Semitic origin but not etymologically connected to broader root systems. The root appears only in this stem in biblical Hebrew and has parallels in later Hebrew and cognate Semitic languages with similar meanings related to deep sleep or torpor.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, רָדַם is a rare verb referring almost exclusively to a sleep that is unusually deep, often brought about by God or representing a state of insensibility beyond that of natural rest (e.g., Genesis 2:21, 1 Samuel 26:12). In some contexts, it serves to highlight the vulnerability or unawareness of individuals, or as a metaphor for lethargy or spiritual numbness (cf. Isaiah 29:10). The term is distinct from שָׁכַב (to lie down, sleep) or יָשֵׁן (to sleep, be sleeping), which denote ordinary rest; רָדַם is reserved for situations marked by deep unconsciousness, sometimes bordering on the threshold between sleep and death. Modern English translations often render it as 'deep sleep,' though sometimes this fails to convey the word's abnormal or divinely induced aspects. The Septuagint often renders the corresponding passages with terms for deep or miraculous sleep. Usage is consistent across pre-exilic and exilic texts, retaining its specific semantic nuance, and never becoming the standard Hebrew term for sleep.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to stun, i.e. stupefy (with sleep or death); (be fast a-, be in a deep, cast into a dead, that) sleep(-er, -eth).
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
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רדם (r-d-m) — deep sleep, stupor, unconsciousness
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H8639 | תַּרְדֵּמָה | profound slumber |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7290-01 |
נִרְדָּ֥ם | niredam | HVNrmsa |
in a deep sleep | one overcome by deep sleep | 5 |
H7290-03 |
וַ/יֵּרָדַֽם | vayeradam | HC/VNw3ms |
and was fast asleep | he fell into deep stupor | 1 |
H7290-02 |
נִרְדַּ֥מְתִּי | niredameti | HVNp1cs |
I fell into a deep sleep | I was overcome by deep sleep | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
7 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7290-01 |
Judges 4:21 | נִרְדָּ֥ם | niredam | HVNrmsa |
was fast asleep | one overcome by deep sleep |
H7290-03 |
Jonah 1:5 | וַ/יֵּרָדַֽם | vayeradam | HC/VNw3ms |
and was fast asleep | he fell into deep stupor |
H7290-01 |
Jonah 1:6 | נִרְדָּ֑ם | niredam | HVNrmsa |
sleeping | one overcome by deep sleep |
H7290-01 |
Psalms 76:7 | נִ֝רְדָּ֗ם | niredam | HVNrmsa |
lay stunned | one overcome by deep sleep |
H7290-01 |
Proverbs 10:5 | נִרְדָּ֥ם | niredam | HVNrmsa |
sleeps | one overcome by deep sleep |
H7290-02 |
Daniel 8:18 | נִרְדַּ֥מְתִּי | niredameti | HVNp1cs |
I fell into a deep sleep | I was overcome by deep sleep |
H7290-01 |
Daniel 10:9 | נִרְדָּ֥ם | niredam | HVNrmsa |
in a deep sleep | one overcome by deep sleep |