### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
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.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The sole appearance of `{{H6463}}` 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.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words in its immediate context help define the meaning and impact of this powerful cry:
* `{{H2814}}` **châshâh** (to hush or keep quiet): This word establishes the profound silence that precedes the cry. God's state of having "holden my peace" `{{H2814}}` for a "long time" `{{H5769}}` creates a dramatic contrast with the sudden eruption of sound from `{{H6463}}` [[Isaiah 42:14]].
* `{{H3205}}` **yâlad** (to bear young): The cry of `{{H6463}}` is explicitly compared to that of a "travailing woman" `{{H3205}}`. This simile links the cry to the pain and power of childbirth, suggesting an act of great effort that will bring forth something new, even through destruction [[Isaiah 42:14]].
* `{{H7602}}` **shâʼaph** (to... devour): This word describes the result of the action heralded by the cry. Immediately after declaring He will cry out, God states He will "devour" `{{H7602}}` at once. This connects the scream of `{{H6463}}` directly to an act of sudden and total consumption [[Isaiah 42:14]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H6463}}` 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 `{{H6463}}` 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 `{{H6463}}` serves as a warning that God's long-awaited action will be both immediate and all-encompassing [[Isaiah 42:14]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H6463}}` 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.
TRV