When the Old Testament refers to silence, either the silence of persons or of God, that silence conveys a diversity of meanings.
It may indicate a breakdown in the divine-human relationship, or the beginning of the renewal of that relationship.
It can be associated with sacred space or the realm of death.
At times, God's silence seems painful and incomprehensible, an indication of God's indifference or neglect.
At other times it speaks of the great security that the people of God may have in.
Baylor University Press Between hearing and silence: a study in old testament theology, paperback/john kessler
