פָּעָה
to scream
Definition
The Hebrew verb פָּעָה (pâʻâh) means to cry out, scream, or shriek, often conveying a sense of intense, unrestrained vocal expression. In its sole biblical occurrence in Isaiah 42:14, it describes God's passionate, almost birth-like cry of anguish and determination as He prepares to act for His people. This is not a simple shout but a deep, guttural cry associated with overwhelming emotion or a moment of dramatic intervention. The word carries connotations of a powerful, eruptive sound emerging from a state of prior restraint.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in Isaiah 42:14. It is employed in a prophetic context where God, using a striking anthropomorphism, compares His long-held silence to a woman in labor who finally lets out a piercing cry. The usage is highly poetic and metaphorical, depicting Yahweh's transition from patient forbearance to decisive, zealous action on behalf of Israel.
Etymology
פָּעָה is a primitive root in Hebrew, meaning its derivation from an earlier form is unclear. It is considered onomatopoeic, imitating the sound of a sharp cry or scream. Cognates may exist in other Semitic languages with similar meanings related to crying out. Its meaning is specific and intense, focused on the act of vocal outburst itself.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it provides a rare and powerful image of God's profound emotional engagement with His people. In Isaiah 42:14, it portrays divine passion, portraying God not as detached but as one who experiences a form of anguished longing before breaking forth in saving action. Understanding this Hebrew term enriches the reading of this prophecy, highlighting the depth of God's covenantal zeal and the dramatic nature of His salvation, which is preceded by a cry of pent-up power and compassion.
In its ancient Near Eastern context, a cry or scream (like that of a woman in labor) was a universally understood symbol of both extreme pain and the imminent, inevitable arrival of something new. The metaphor in Isaiah 42:14 would have immediately communicated to the original audience that God's intervention, though preceded by a period of seeming inactivity, was now certain and unstoppable, born from a place of deep feeling.
צָעַק (tsâʻaq, H6817) — a more general term for crying out, often for help or in distress. זָעַק (zâʻaq, H2199) — another common verb for crying out, shouting, or calling aloud, frequently in a legal or petitionary context. שָׁוַע (shâvaʻ, H7768) — to cry for help, often in desperate need.
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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