The Hebrew word pâʻâh, represented by H6463, is a rare but potent term meaning to scream or cry. It appears only 1 time in 1 unique verse in the entire Bible, making its single usage highly significant. It describes a sudden, forceful vocalization that breaks a long period of silence, signaling a dramatic shift from quiet restraint to powerful action.
The sole appearance of pâʻâh is in Isaiah 42:14, where God describes his own actions. After a period of deliberate quietness, described as having “long time holden my peace” H2814 and having “been still” H2790, God declares a change. This shift is announced with the intense imagery of childbirth: “now will I cry like a travailing woman” Isaiah 42:14. The cry is not one of helplessness but of immense effort and impending action, as it is immediately followed by a declaration of destructive power.
The theological weight of pâʻâh is concentrated in its singular, dramatic appearance.
- The End of Divine Patience: The cry marks the definitive end of a long period of God's self-restraint H662. After being still H2790 and holding His peace H2814, the scream of pâʻâh announces that the time for quietness is over and the time for direct intervention has arrived Isaiah 42:14.
- The Pain of Judgment: By using the metaphor of a travailing woman H3205, the cry is depicted as an expression of immense, painful effort. This suggests that divine judgment is not a dispassionate or simple act, but one that involves a kind of divine agony in its execution.
- The Herald of Sudden Action: The cry is the audible precursor to swift and overwhelming divine power. It is immediately followed by the declaration, “I will destroy and devour at once” H3162. The sound of pâʻâh serves as a warning that God's long-awaited action will be both immediate and all-encompassing Isaiah 42:14.
In summary, pâʻâh is far more than a simple word for a cry. Though used only once, it provides a profound theological portrait of divine action. It captures the moment of transition from God's long silence to His powerful, painful, and decisive judgment. The imagery in Isaiah 42:14 ensures that this single word carries the full weight of a new and formidable divine move on the stage of history.
