דּוּמָה
Dumah, a tribe and region of Arabia
Definition
Dûwmâh is a proper noun referring to both a tribe descended from Ishmael and a region in ancient Arabia. In Genesis 25:14 and 1 Chronicles 1:30, Dumah is listed as one of the twelve sons of Ishmael, representing a tribal group. In Joshua 15:52, a different Dumah appears as a town in the hill country of Judah, likely a separate location. The word takes on a more symbolic role in Isaiah 21:11, where a prophetic oracle is addressed to 'Dumah,' which may be a wordplay on its root meaning of 'silence' to evoke a sense of desolation or the underworld.
Biblical Usage
The word is used four times in the Old Testament. It appears in genealogical lists for the Ishmaelite tribe (Genesis 25:14, 1 Chronicles 1:30) and as a geographical location in Judah (Joshua 15:52). Its most distinctive usage is in Isaiah 21:11, where the prophet receives an oracle concerning 'Dumah.' Here, the name is likely used poetically, possibly referring to the region of Edom or symbolizing a place of silence and death, creating a prophetic message of impending judgment.
Etymology
Dûwmâh is derived from the same Hebrew root (דּוּמָה, H1745) that means 'silence' or 'stillness.' As a proper noun, it was applied to a person and subsequently to the tribe and territory associated with him. The connection to 'silence' may have influenced its evocative use in Isaiah's prophecy.
Semantic Range
The primary theological interest in Dumah comes from its use in Isaiah 21:11. Here, the prophet's oracle uses the name, potentially as a pun on 'silence,' to deliver a message of judgment. It serves as a reminder of God's sovereignty over all nations, including those in distant Arabia, and the prophetic use of language to convey themes of desolation and the need for watchfulness ('Watchman, what of the night?').
In the ancient Near East, genealogies like those listing Dumah as a son of Ishmael (Genesis 25) were not just family trees but represented political and tribal relationships. The Dumah tribe was part of the nomadic Ishmaelite confederation in northern Arabia. The town in Judah (Joshua 15) shared the name but was a distinct, settled community. The oracle in Isaiah reflects the geopolitical tensions of the region, where desert tribes like Dumah were subject to the rise and fall of empires.
Edom (ʼĔḏôm, H123) — A neighboring region/people group southeast of Judah, often in conflict with Israel; the similarity in sound to Dumah may be intentional in Isaiah 21:11. Seir (Śēʻîr, H8165) — A mountainous region closely associated with Edom. Kedar (Qēḏār, H6938) — Another Ishmaelite tribe and region in Arabia, often mentioned alongside or in contrast to desert peoples.
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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