### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **mâʻûwph**, represented by `{{H4588}}`, is a specific term for **dimness** or **darkness**. It appears only **1 times** across **1 unique verses** in the Bible, making it a highly focused term. Derived from a root meaning to cover with shade, it powerfully conveys a sense of profound gloom, obscurity, and despair.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In its sole biblical appearance, `{{H4588}}` is used to describe a state of intense judgment and hopelessness. The prophet Isaiah describes a scene where people will look{H5027} to the earth{H776} only to find a cascade of despair: "behold trouble{H6869} and darkness{H2825}, **dimness**{H4588} of anguish{H6695}" [[Isaiah 8:22]]. This term is the climax of a list of afflictions, immediately preceding the final consequence of being driven{H5080} into further darkness{H653}.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words from its context in [[Isaiah 8:22]] illuminate the full scope of this **dimness**:
* `{{H2825}}` **chăshêkâh** (darkness): Used in parallel with **dimness**, this word signifies not just a lack of light but also figurative misery. It can describe the "horror of great darkness" that fell upon Abram [[Genesis 15:12]] or the spiritual state of those who walk without God [[Isaiah 50:10]].
* `{{H6695}}` **tsôwq** (anguish): The text specifies the dimness is one of "anguish." This word denotes a strait or distress, emphasizing a state of being constricted and tormented, as seen in "troublous{H6695} times" [[Daniel 9:25]] and when distress{H6869} and anguish{H6695} come upon the disobedient [[Proverbs 1:27]].
* `{{H6869}}` **tsârâh** (trouble): This word for tightness or trouble appears right before darkness and dimness, setting the stage for the despair. It is often used to describe a time of affliction from which God is the only deliverer [[Psalms 46:1]].
* `{{H5080}}` **nâdach** (driven): This is the action that results from the state of dimness and anguish. It means to be pushed off or banished, often used for God's scattered people whom He promises to gather ([[Jeremiah 23:3]], [[Ezekiel 34:16]]).
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H4588}}`, while based on a single verse, is significant. It illustrates a clear principle of divine cause and effect.
* **Consequence of Earthly Focus:** The state of **dimness** is a direct result of looking "unto the earth" for answers instead of to God. The passage presents this despair as the inevitable outcome of rejecting divine guidance [[Isaiah 8:22]].
* **Intensification of Judgment:** The term is not used in isolation but is part of a sequence: trouble, then darkness, then "dimness of anguish." This demonstrates that the experience of judgment is a compounding state of deepening gloom and distress.
* **Prelude to Banishment:** This **dimness** is the final state before being "driven to darkness." It theologically represents a point of no return within that specific judgment, a spiritual condition that leads directly to expulsion and utter separation from light and hope.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H4588}}` is a rare but potent word that captures a specific and severe aspect of spiritual darkness. Its singular use in [[Isaiah 8:22]] paints a vivid picture of the suffocating gloom that comes from looking to the world for salvation. Paired with terms for trouble, anguish, and darkness, **mâʻûwph** serves as a powerful biblical warning about the consequences of turning away from God, resulting in a state of distressing dimness that precedes final banishment.
TRV