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מָעוּף

𐤌𐤏𐤅𐤐

mâʻûwph

H4588 noun

SILEX Entry

Root עוף to fly, hover, cover overhead

Definition

Obscurity or gloom, particularly as experienced in low visibility caused by shadow, darkness, or dimness. Refers to a state or condition in which light is limited, and objects are indistinct due to shadow or a covering effect—often associated metaphorically with difficulty or confusion.

Semantic Range

darkness, gloom, dimness, obscurity, shadow-caused dimness

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root עוּף, which primarily means 'to fly, soar,' but in this nominal derivative, it relates to the effect of something passing overhead or covering, suggesting the sense of shade or obscurity. The form is a noun probably indicating the state of being shadowed or dim, paralleling similar constructs such as מוּעָף.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The noun מָעוּף is rare in the Hebrew Bible and closely linked etymologically to concepts of flight or hovering (עוּף) which, in the noun’s sense, evokes the imagery of shadow caused by something moving or lingering above. In biblical usage, especially in poetic and prophetic passages (e.g., Isaiah 8:22), מָעוּף denotes not literal flight but a metaphorical 'covering' that results in darkness, gloom, or dimness. The term may reference actual physical conditions—like twilight or the darkness of a storm—or serve as a metaphor for states of confusion or spiritual darkness. English translations differ: some render it 'dimness,' others 'gloom' or 'obscurity.' The parallel with מוּעָף (from the same root) reinforces a sense of covering or hovering that leads to diminished visibility. This word is distinct from more common Hebrew terms for darkness such as חֹשֶׁךְ ('darkness proper') and אַפֵּלָה ('thick darkness'), and more specifically refers to that which is caused by something overshadowing or passing overhead. There is no evidence the term carried any religious or cultic connotation; any such associations derive from context, not lexical core meaning. In later periods and translations, such as the Septuagint, the term is rendered variously, sometimes generalizing its meaning to simply 'darkness.'

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from עוּף in the sense of covering with shade (compare מוּעָף); darkness; dimness.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

עוף (ʿ-w-p) — to fly, hover, cover overhead

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3287 יָעֵף the exhausted one
H4155 מוּעָף covered-over dimness
H5774 עוּף he flew
H5775 עוֹף flying creature
H5776 עוֹף flying creature

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H4588-01 מְע֣וּף meuf HNcmsc gloom shadowed gloom of 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H4588-01 Isaiah 8:22 מְע֣וּף meuf HNcmsc gloom shadowed gloom of
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