חָשָׁה
to hush or keep quiet
Definition
The Hebrew verb חָשָׁה (châshâh) primarily means to be silent, to keep quiet, or to hold one's peace. It describes a deliberate choice to refrain from speaking, often in contexts requiring restraint or submission. For example, in Psalm 39:2, the psalmist resolves to 'keep silence' even from good words in the presence of the wicked. In other passages, the word carries a sense of ceasing or becoming still, as when God stills a storm in Psalm 107:29. The word also appears in contexts of holding back information or failing to speak up, as seen when the lepers in 2 Kings 7:9 realize they must not 'hold our peace' about the good news they've discovered.
Biblical Usage
חָשָׁה is used 14 times in the Old Testament, appearing in narrative, poetic, and wisdom literature. It often describes a person's conscious decision to remain silent in a social or ethical situation. In Judges 18:9, it's used to urge action ('be not slothful to go'), implying a silence of inaction. In Nehemiah 8:11, the people are told not to 'be silent' in their mourning but to celebrate. The word is used in imperatives ('hold your peace' in 2 Kings 2:3, 5) and descriptions of divine action (Psalm 107:29). Its usage spans historical books (Judges, 2 Kings), poetry (Psalms), and wisdom (Ecclesiastes 3:7, which notes a time 'to keep silence').
Etymology
חָשָׁה is a primitive root verb in Hebrew. Its core meaning relates to being silent or still. Cognates in other Semitic languages, like Aramaic and Arabic, support meanings of hushing, being quiet, or even desisting. The root does not have a widely attested, more basic meaning beyond this concept of quietness or cessation of sound/action, indicating it was a fundamental term for silence in the ancient Semitic world.
Semantic Range
This word carries theological weight in its connection to human and divine restraint. Human silence can be an act of wisdom (Ecclesiastes 3:7), submission to God (Psalm 39:2), or ethical failure (2 Kings 7:9). Conversely, God's power to 'silence' or 'still' the storm (Psalm 107:29) reveals His sovereign command over creation. Understanding חָשָׁה enriches reading by highlighting that biblical silence is often an active, purposeful posture before God and others, not merely a lack of sound. It frames silence as a potential spiritual discipline and a response to God's mighty works.
In ancient Israelite culture, speech was a powerful social action. Choosing to 'hold peace' (חָשָׁה) was a significant decision with social consequences. It could show respect (as with Elisha's followers in 2 Kings 2), indicate mourning or contemplation, or, negatively, represent cowardice or a failure to bear witness (2 Kings 7:9). The command for communal silence in Nehemiah 8:11 was part of reorienting a national day from grief to holy joy. This cultural view of silence as an active, communicative state differs from a modern view of silence as mere absence of noise.
חָרַשׁ (charash, H2790) — to be silent, but often with a nuance of deafness, inactivity, or secrecy. דָּמַם (damam, H1826) — to be silent, cease, perish; often implies a stillness that comes from awe, destruction, or waiting. שָׁתַק (shathaq, H8252) — to be quiet, at rest; often implies a settling down or becoming tranquil.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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