### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **mᵉbûwkâh**, represented by `{{H3998}}`, means **perplexity**. It appears only **2 times** across **2 unique verses** in the Bible. Derived from a root meaning to perplex, this term describes a state of utter confusion, disarray, and helplessness, typically in the context of divine judgment.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In both of its occurrences, `{{H3998}}` is used to describe the consequences of a day of reckoning from God. Isaiah prophesies a "day of trouble... and of **perplexity**" brought directly "by the Lord GOD of hosts" [[Isaiah 22:5]]. This event is characterized by the complete breakdown of order, including "treading down" and the "breaking down the walls." Similarly, Micah warns that when the "day of thy watchmen and thy visitation" arrives, the result for a corrupt people will be "their **perplexity**" [[Micah 7:4]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help to frame the severe nature of `{{H3998}}`:
* `{{H4103}}` **mᵉhûwmâh** (trouble): Defined as "confusion or uproar," this word is used in direct parallel with "perplexity" to describe the chaos of God's judgment in the valley of vision [[Isaiah 22:5]].
* `{{H4001}}` **mᵉbûwçâh** (treading down): This term, meaning "a trampling," appears alongside `{{H3998}}` to illustrate the destructive and subjugating nature of the day of the Lord [[Isaiah 22:5]].
* `{{H6486}}` **pᵉquddâh** (visitation): Signifying an official reckoning or inspection, this word establishes the cause of the perplexity in Micah's prophecy. The day of **visitation** is the event that brings about the state of confusion [[Micah 7:4]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H3998}}` is concentrated in its depiction of divine justice.
* **A Consequence of Judgment:** Perplexity is not presented as a random event but as a direct outcome of a "day of visitation" [[Micah 7:4]] that is orchestrated "by the Lord GOD of hosts" [[Isaiah 22:5]]. It is the state of a people experiencing divine retribution.
* **Societal Collapse:** The term is associated with the complete unraveling of society. This includes the "treading down" of the people and the "breaking down the walls" that protect them, signifying a loss of security and structure [[Isaiah 22:5]].
* **Moral Corruption's End:** In Micah, the people facing perplexity are those whose "best" are like a "brier" and whose "most upright" are sharper than a "thorn hedge" [[Micah 7:4]]. The word highlights the inevitable confusion that results when a morally corrupt society faces a divine accounting.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H3998}}` is a rare but potent term for **perplexity**. It moves beyond simple confusion to describe a state of complete and helpless disarray brought upon a people as a direct act of judgment from God. Its use in scripture serves as a stark reminder of the consequences that follow a divine "visitation" upon a society that has abandoned righteousness.
TRV