### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **ʻulpeh**, represented by `{{H5969}}`, describes a state of having **fainted**. It appears **1 times** across **1 unique verses** in the Bible. Derived from a root meaning "to envelop," the word is used figuratively to convey a sense of being overcome by mourning or distress to the point of collapse.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The single biblical use of `{{H5969}}` is found in a prophecy depicting the far-reaching impact of a great fall. In this passage, God describes the cosmic reaction to the downfall, stating that "all the trees of the field **fainted** for him" [[Ezekiel 31:15]]. This personification of nature illustrates a grief so profound that it causes the very trees of the field to lose strength and faint, emphasizing the magnitude of the event.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words provide a broader context for the themes of mourning and distress associated with `{{H5969}}`:
* `{{H56}}` **ʼâbal**: This word means to **bewail** or **lament, mourn**. It appears in the same verse as `{{H5969}}`, where God "caused a **mourning**" [[Ezekiel 31:15]]. It is also used to describe the earth itself mourning in response to judgment [[Jeremiah 4:28]].
* `{{H6937}}` **qâdar**: Meaning to be **ashy** or **dark-colored**, this word is used by implication to **mourn**. It is used in [[Ezekiel 31:15]] to describe Lebanon being caused to **mourn**. This term links the act of mourning with darkness, as seen when the heavens "be black" [[Jeremiah 4:28]] in a time of grief.
### Theological Significance
The theological significance of `{{H5969}}` is centered on its powerful imagery of grief and judgment.
* **Creation's Response to Judgment:** The word's use in [[Ezekiel 31:15]] illustrates that creation is not a passive backdrop to divine acts. Nature itself is depicted as participating in the sorrow of a great fall, with trees fainting in a display of collective mourning.
* **Grief as an Overwhelming Force:** "Fainted" suggests more than simple sadness. It portrays a physical, incapacitating reaction to loss, highlighting the overwhelming power of the sorrow being described.
* **Comprehensive Sorrow:** Used alongside `{{H56}}` and `{{H6937}}` in its only appearance, `{{H5969}}` contributes to a picture of universal mourning. The deep, the waters, Lebanon, and the trees all react, showing the totality of the response to God's judgment.
### Summary
In summary, while appearing only once, `{{H5969}}` is a uniquely descriptive term for profound mourning. It moves beyond the emotional state of grief to a physical manifestation of collapse. Its singular context in [[Ezekiel 31:15]] uses powerful personification to show that the consequences of divine judgment are so immense that even the natural world faints in response.
TRV