Word Study for H483 (אִלֵּם) | Strong's Concordance

ʼillêm /il-lame'/ Ask about this word

Meaningspeechless

KJV usagedumb (man).

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of ʼillêm — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word ʼillêm, represented by H483, means speechless or dumb. It appears 6 times across 6 unique verses in the Bible. This term is used both literally to describe a person who cannot speak and figuratively to denote something that is silent, ineffective, or powerless.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical usage, H483 appears in several distinct contexts. It is used to illustrate God's sovereignty over human abilities, where the LORD asks who it is that makes a man dumb or seeing Exodus 4:11. The term is also employed figuratively to criticize spiritual leaders who fail in their duty, comparing them to dumb dogs that cannot bark a warning Isaiah 56:10. In a prophetic sense, the healing of the dumb is a sign of divine restoration, when their tongues will sing Isaiah 35:6. The word also describes the lifelessness of idols, which are called dumb because they are man-made and cannot speak Habakkuk 2:18.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help to frame the concept of being speechless:

H2795 chêrêsh (deaf): This word for being deaf is frequently paired with H483, as seen when God's power over human senses is declared Exodus 4:11 and when the psalmist describes his affliction Psalms 38:13.
H3956 lâshôwn (the tongue): This is the instrument of speech that is unbound in messianic prophecy, where the tongue of the dumb will sing Isaiah 35:6.
H6310 peh (the mouth): As the physical source of speech, this word is directly associated with being dumb. A righteous person is commanded to open their mouth for the dumb Proverbs 31:8, while in suffering, the psalmist is like a dumb man who does not open his mouth Psalms 38:13.
H6459 peçel (carved (graven) image): This term for an idol is connected to H483 to emphasize its powerlessness. An idol is described as a dumb and unprofitable object Habakkuk 2:18.

Theological Significance

The theological significance of H483 is seen in its varied applications:

Divine Sovereignty: The condition of being dumb is placed under the direct control of God, establishing His ultimate authority over human physical states Exodus 4:11.
Symbol of Ineffectiveness: Being dumb is used as a powerful metaphor for failure and impotence. This applies to worthless idols that cannot speak and to failed leaders who cannot fulfill their duty to warn (Habakkuk 2:18, Isaiah 56:10).
Promise of Restoration: The ability to speak being granted to the dumb is a key feature of prophetic hope, signifying God's miraculous intervention and the restoration of His people Isaiah 35:6.
Call to Justice: The word highlights a social responsibility to defend the vulnerable, as believers are instructed to speak on behalf of the dumb and those who cannot plead their own cause Proverbs 31:8.

Summary

In summary, H483 is more than a simple descriptor of a physical condition. It carries significant weight, representing themes of God's sovereignty, spiritual failure, and miraculous restoration. From the literal inability to speak to the figurative silence of worthless idols and failed watchmen, ʼillêm illustrates a state of powerlessness that can only be overcome by divine intervention or advocated for through righteous action.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as an adjective across 6 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

אִלֵּם
אִלְּמִים

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 6 verses across 5 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Isaiah (2 verses); never once in the other 34.

Exodus

Psalms

Proverbs

Isaiah

Habakkuk

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.