Jump to: Smith's • ATS • Easton's • Concordance • Thesaurus • Greek • Hebrew • Library • Subtopics • Terms Topical Encyclopedia In the Bible, winds are often depicted as powerful forces of nature, symbolizing both the might of God and the unpredictability of life. They are mentioned in various contexts, from literal descriptions of weather to metaphorical uses representing divine intervention, judgment, or the movement of the Holy Spirit.Creation and Control by God The Bible frequently emphasizes that God has sovereign control over the winds. In Genesis 8:1, after the flood, "God remembered Noah and all the animals and livestock that were with him in the ark, and He sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded." This passage illustrates God's command over the natural elements, using wind to fulfill His purposes. In the book of Job, the power of God over the winds is further highlighted: "He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; He suspends the earth over nothing. He wraps up the waters in His clouds, yet the clouds do not burst under their own weight" (Job 26:7-8). Here, the winds are part of the divine orchestration of the universe. Divine Judgment and Deliverance Winds are also depicted as instruments of God's judgment. In Exodus 10:13, Moses stretched out his staff over Egypt, and "the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day and all that night. By morning the east wind had brought the locusts." This east wind was a tool of divine retribution against Pharaoh for his refusal to release the Israelites. Conversely, winds can signify deliverance. In Exodus 14:21, during the crossing of the Red Sea, "Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land." Here, the wind is a means of salvation for the Israelites, demonstrating God's protective power. Symbolism and Metaphor Winds are often used metaphorically in Scripture to convey spiritual truths. In John 3:8, Jesus uses the wind to describe the mysterious and sovereign work of the Holy Spirit: "The wind blows where it wishes. You hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." The unpredictability and uncontrollable nature of the wind serve as a metaphor for the Spirit's work in the hearts of believers, emphasizing the divine initiative in the process of spiritual rebirth. Prophetic Imagery In prophetic literature, winds frequently symbolize the forces of change and divine intervention. In Daniel 7:2, Daniel speaks of "the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea," which introduces a vision of the rise and fall of empires. Similarly, in Revelation 7:1, the four angels are seen "standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or sea or on any tree," indicating a pause in judgment. Conclusion Throughout the Bible, winds are a multifaceted symbol, representing God's power, judgment, deliverance, and the mysterious workings of the Holy Spirit. They remind believers of the divine sovereignty over creation and the spiritual realm, encouraging trust in God's providential care and ultimate authority. Smith's Bible Dictionary WindsThat the Hebrews recognized the existence of four prevailing winds as issuing, broadly speaking, from the four cardinal points, north, south, east and west, may be inferred from their custom of using the expression "four winds" as equivalent to the "four quarters" of the hemisphere. (Ezekiel 37:9; Daniel 8:8; Zechariah 2:6; Matthew 24:31) The north wind, or, as it was usually called "the north," was naturally the coldest of the four, Ecclus. 43:20 and its presence is hence invoked as favorable to vegetation in (Solomon 4:16) It is described in (Proverbs 25:23) as bringing rain; in this case we must understand the northwest wind. The northwest wind prevails from the autumnal equinox to the beginning of November, and the north wind from June to the equinox. The east wind crosses the sandy wastes of Arabia Deserts before reaching Palestine and was hence termed "the wind of the wilderness." (Job 1:19; Jeremiah 13:14) It blows with violence, and is hence supposed to be used generally for any violent wind. (Job 27:21; 38:24; Psalms 48:7; Isaiah 27:8; Ezekiel 27:26) In Palestine the east wind prevails from February to June. The south wind, which traverses the Arabian peninsula before reaching Palestine, must necessarily be extremely hot. (Job 37:17; Luke 12:55) The west and southwest winds reach Palestine loaded with moisture gathered from the Mediterranean, and are hence expressly termed by the Arabs "the fathers of the rain." Westerly winds prevail in Palestine from November to February. In addition to the four regular winds, we have notice in the Bible of the local squalls, (Mark 4:37; Luke 8:23) to which the Sea of Gennesareth was liable. In the narrative of St. Paul's voyage we meet with the Greek term Lips to describe the southwest wind; the Latin Carus or Caurus , the northwest wind (Acts 27:12) and Euroclydon , a wind of a very violent character coming from east-northeast. (Acts 27:14) ATS Bible Dictionary WindsMatthew 24:31. The winds which most commonly prevail in Palestine are from the western quarter, more usually perhaps from the southwest, Luke 12:54. Not infrequently a north wind arises, Job 37:9, which, as in ancient days, is till the sure harbinger of fair weather; illustrating the truth of the observation in Proverbs 25:23, "The north wind driveth away rain." For the tempestuous wind called EUROCLYDON, see that article. But the wind most frequently mentioned in the Bible is the "cast wind," which is represented as blasting and drying up the fruits, Genesis 41:6 Ezekiel 17:10 19:12, and also as blowing with great violence, Psalm 48:7 Ezekiel 27:26 Jonah 4:8. It is also the "horrible tempest" literally the glow-wind, of Psalm 11:6. This is a sultry and oppressive wind blowing from the south-east, and prevailing only in the hot and dry months of summer. Coming thus from the vast Arabian desert, it seems to increase the heat and drought of the season, and produces universal languor and debility. Rev. Dr. Eli Smith, who experienced it effects during the summer, at Beyrout, describes it as possessing the same qualities and characteristics as the Sirocco, which he had felt at Malta, and which also prevails in Sicily and Italy; except that the Sirocco, in passing over the sea, acquires great dampness. This wind is called by the Arabs the Simoom, by the Turks the Samuel; and by the Egyptians the Camsin; and has long been regarded as a pestilential wind, suddenly overtaking travelers and caravans in the deserts, and almost instantly destroying them by its poisonous and suffocating death. But late and judicious travelers find no evidence that this wind is laden with any poisonous influence. It is indeed oppressively hot and dry, rapidly evaporating the water in the ordinary skin bottles, stopping the perspiration of travelers, drying up the palate and the air passages, and producing great restlessness and exhaustion. As it often blows with a terrible roaring and violence, it carries dust and fine sand high up into the air, so that the whole atmosphere is lurid, and seems in a state of combustion, and the sun is shorn of his beams, and looks like a globe of dull smoldering fire. Both men and animals are greatly annoyed by the dust, and seek any practicable shelter or covering. The camels turn their backs, and hide their heads from it in the ground. It is often accompanied by local whirlwinds, which form pillars of sand and dust, rising high above the ground and moving with swiftness over the plain. Such a tempest may have suggested some features in the prophetic descriptions of the day of God's power: "wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood and fire and pillars of smoke: the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood," Joel 2:30,31 Acts 2:19,20. Dr. Thomson describes another variety of hot winds or siroccos, often more overwhelming than those just mentioned. The sky is covered with clouds, and pale lightning play through the air; but there is no rain, thunder, or wind. The heat, however, is intolerable; every traveler seeks a refuge, the birds hide themselves in the thickest shades, the fowls pant under the walls with open mouths, and no living thing is in motion. Easton's Bible Dictionary Blowing from the four quarters of heaven (Jeremiah 49:36; Ezek. 37:9; Dan. 8:8; Zechariah 2:6). The east wind was parching (Ezek. 17:10; 19:12), and is sometimes mentioned as simply denoting a strong wind (Job 27:21; Isaiah 27:8). This wind prevails in Palestine from February to June, as the west wind (Luke 12:54) does from November to February. The south was a hot wind (Job 37:17; Luke 12:55). It swept over the Arabian peninsula. The rush of invaders is figuratively spoken of as a whirlwind (Isaiah 21:1); a commotion among the nations of the world as a striving of the four winds (Dan. 7:2). The winds are subject to the divine power (Psalm 18:10; 135:7). Greek 4151. pneuma -- wind, spirit ... Word Origin from pneo Definition wind, spirit NASB Word Usage breath (3), Spirit (241), spirit (101), spirits (32), spiritual (1), wind (1), winds (1). ... //strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4151.htm - 8k 417. anemos -- wind Strong's Hebrew 7307. ruach -- breath, wind, spirit... 1), side (4), sides (2), Spirit (76), spirit (127), spirits (3), strength (1), temper (2), thoughts* (1), trustworthy* (1), wind (98), winds (7), windy (2 ... /hebrew/7307.htm - 6k 5591b. searah -- a tempest, storm wind 7308. ruach -- wind, spirit Library Detained by Contrary Winds Concerning Air and Winds. Come from the Four Winds, O Breath! "And He Arose and Rebuked the Winds and Sea. " Comparison of Christ's Power Over Winds and Waves with Moses' ... Fourth Sunday after Epiphany. And He Said unto Them, Why are Ye ... "They that Go Down to the Sea in Ships. " 1 Lord of the Wide ... If any one Wishes to Hear the Arrangements for My Journey from ... Essay vi. "The Way of Ancient Ordinance, Though it Winds, is yet ... The vision Thesaurus Winds (35 Occurrences)... The rush of invaders is figuratively spoken of as a whirlwind (Isaiah 21:1); a commotion among the nations of the world as a striving of the four winds (Dan. ... /w/winds.htm - 18k Storm-winds (3 Occurrences) Phoenix (2 Occurrences) Four (3139 Occurrences) Rush (35 Occurrences) Rose (279 Occurrences) Blast (28 Occurrences) Blasting (4 Occurrences) Calm (18 Occurrences) Wind (180 Occurrences) Resources What does the Bible mean when it refers to the four winds? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the location of the Garden of Eden? | GotQuestions.org What does it mean to be doers of the Word in James 1:22? | GotQuestions.org Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus Concordance Winds (35 Occurrences)Matthew 7:25 Matthew 7:27 Matthew 8:26 Matthew 8:27 Matthew 24:31 Mark 13:27 Luke 8:25 Acts 27:4 1 Corinthians 14:9 Hebrews 1:7 Jude 1:12 Revelation 7:1 Genesis 2:11 Genesis 2:13 Job 28:25 Job 37:9 Job 38:24 Psalms 104:4 Psalms 135:7 Psalms 148:8 Jeremiah 49:32 Jeremiah 49:36 Ezekiel 5:10 Ezekiel 5:12 Ezekiel 12:14 Ezekiel 13:11 Ezekiel 17:21 Ezekiel 37:9 Daniel 7:2 Daniel 8:8 Daniel 11:4 Amos 1:14 Zechariah 2:6 Zechariah 6:5 Zechariah 9:14 Subtopics Related Terms |
    |