Deaf
Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words [1]
akin to kopto, "to beat," and kopiao, "to be tired" (from a root kop---, "to cut"), signifies "blunted, dull," as of a weapon; hence, "blunted in tongue, dumb," Matthew 9:32 etc.; "in hearing, deaf," Matthew 11:5; Mark 7:32,37; 9:25; Luke 7:22 . See Dumb.
Webster's Dictionary [2]
(1): ( a.) Unwilling to hear or listen; determinedly inattentive; regardless; not to be persuaded as to facts, argument, or exhortation; - with to; as, deaf to reason.
(2): ( a.) Deprived of the power of hearing; deafened.
(3): ( a.) Obscurely heard; stifled; deadened.
(4): ( a.) Decayed; tasteless; dead; as, a deaf nut; deaf corn.
(5): ( a.) Wanting the sense of hearing, either wholly or in part; unable to perceive sounds; hard of hearing; as, a deaf man.
(6): ( v. t.) To deafen.
Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types [3]
Psalm 58:4 (b) In this interesting way GOD describes the wicked sinner who refuses to hear the call of GOD's voice and will not respond to GOD's Word.
Isaiah 42:18 (a) The word is symbolical of people of today who do not hear GOD's call, probably because they have no interest in spiritual matters. They are called upon to pay attention to GOD's Word, but they ignore it.
Isaiah 42:19 (b) This is a description of the child of GOD who refuses to listen to the call of the world and of sin. He will not listen to Satan's arguments. (See also Psalm 38:13).
King James Dictionary [4]
DEAF, n. deef.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia [5]
def ( חרשׁ , ḥērēsh ; κωφός , kōphós ): Used either in the physical sense, or figuratively as expressing unwillingness to hear the Divine message ( Psalm 58:4 ), or incapacity to understand it for want of spirituality ( Psalm 38:13 ). The prophetic utterances were sufficiently forcible to compel even such to hear ( Isaiah 42:18; Isaiah 43:8 ) and thereby to receive the Divine mercy ( Isaiah 29:18; Isaiah 35:5 ).
The expression "deaf adder that stoppeth her car" ( Psalm 58:4 ) alludes to a curious notion that the adder, to avoid hearing the voice of the charmer, laid its head with one car on the ground and stopped the other with the tip of its tail ( Diary of John Manninghan , 1602). The adder is called deaf by Shakespeare ( 2 Hen VI , iii, 2, 76; Troilus and Cressida , ii, 2, 172). The erroneous idea probably arose from the absence of external ears.
Physical deafness was regarded as a judgment from God ( Exodus 4:11; Micah 7:16 ), and it was consequently impious to curse the deaf ( Leviticus 19:14 ). In New Testament times deafness and kindred defects were attributed to evil spirits ( Mark 9:18 ). See Dumb .
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature [6]
( חֵרֵשׁ , Cheresh' ; Κωφός , both, especially the latter, implying dumbness also). Moses extended the protection of a special statute to the deaf mute: "Thou shalt not curse the deaf" ( Leviticus 19:14). This enactment not only absolutely prohibited the reviling of these unfortunates, but might also be understood figuratively, as if Moses recommended that kindness and instruction should be shown to them (Isaiah 29:18, 35; Matthew 11:5; Mark 7:32). (See Dumb).
