### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **pûwg**, represented by `{{H6313}}`, is a primitive root that means **to be sluggish; cease, be feeble, faint, be slacked**. This term, while appearing only **4 times** across **4 unique verses**, conveys a powerful sense of physical, emotional, or systemic weakness and cessation.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The uses of `{{H6313}}` illustrate different facets of weakness and termination. In [[Genesis 45:26]], Jacob’s heart **fainted** upon hearing the incredible news that his son Joseph was alive and a governor over Egypt, as he could not believe the report. The psalmist uses it to describe a state of deep personal suffering, declaring, "I am **feeble** and sore broken" [[Psalms 38:8]]. In a state of prolonged distress, the word is used negatively to describe a wound that "ceased not" [[Psalms 77:2]], highlighting a relentless affliction. Finally, the prophet Habakkuk uses it to describe a breakdown of justice, stating that "the law is **slacked**" and wrong judgment proceeds because the wicked oppress the righteous [[Habakkuk 1:4]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help clarify the contexts in which feebleness and cessation occur:
* `{{H1794}}` **dâkâh** (to collapse; break): This word is paired directly with `{{H6313}}` in [[Psalms 38:8]], where the psalmist is "feeble and sore **broken**," emphasizing a state of complete physical or mental collapse.
* `{{H3820}}` **lêb** (the heart): This is the center of the affliction in two instances. It is Jacob's **heart** that fainted [[Genesis 45:26]], and the psalmist's suffering comes from the "disquietness of my **heart**" [[Psalms 38:8]], linking this weakness to the very core of a person's being.
* `{{H8451}}` **tôwrâh** (law): In [[Habakkuk 1:4]], it is the **law** that is slacked, extending the meaning of `{{H6313}}` from personal frailty to the weakening of divine statutes and societal justice.
* `{{H6869}}` **tsârâh** (trouble; adversity): The context for the unceasing pain in [[Psalms 77:2]] is "the day of my **trouble**," showing that this state of weakness is often born from periods of intense anguish and affliction.
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H6313}}` is seen in its portrayal of human and systemic frailty.
* **Human Frailty:** The word captures moments of profound human limitation, such as when Jacob's heart **fainted** [[Genesis 45:26]] or the psalmist felt utterly **feeble** [[Psalms 38:8]]. It underscores the reality of physical and emotional collapse in the face of overwhelming news or suffering.
* **Breakdown of Justice:** Its use in [[Habakkuk 1:4]] to describe the law as **slacked** gives it a corporate and moral dimension. It points to a time when God's standards of judgment fail to be enacted on earth, as the wicked "compass about the righteous."
* **Unceasing Affliction:** In [[Psalms 77:2]], the term's negative use ("ceased not") describes a trial that feels endless, where the "soul refused to be comforted." This highlights a profound spiritual state of despair that cries out for divine intervention.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H6313}}` is a concise but potent term describing a state of being faint, feeble, or slacked. Though rare, its applications are significant, ranging from the personal, emotional collapse of a patriarch to the societal decay of justice. It vividly portrays moments where human strength gives way, divine law appears to weaken, and suffering feels relentless, thereby underscoring the deep human need for a source of enduring strength and unwavering justice.
TRV