κῦμα G2949
A wave or billow, especially of the sea; used literally of surging water and figuratively of restless instability.
Derived from a root meaning 'to swell,' this noun pictures the rolling, cresting motion of ocean water. In the Gospels it describes the terrifying waves that swamped the disciples' boat (Matt 8:24; 14:24; Mark 4:37), while in Acts 27:41 it captures the destructive surf that broke apart Paul's ship. Jude 1:13 turns the image metaphorical: false teachers are 'wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame.' The multilingual glosses consistently render it as 'wave(s)' (Spanish olas, French vagues, German Wellen), confirming a tight semantic focus on surging water.
Senses
1. sense 1 — A wave or billow of the sea — the surging, cresting mass of water driven by wind or storm. All five NT occurrences depict literal or metaphorical sea-waves. In the Synoptic storm narratives (Matt 8:24; Mark 4:37), the word conveys overwhelming natural force threatening a small vessel. Jude 1:13 extends the image to moral chaos, portraying false teachers as 'wild waves' — an image that every major translation tradition renders with the standard word for ocean wave (spa: olas, fra: vagues, deu: Wellen). 5×
amh["ማዕበሎች"]·AR["أمواج", "أَمواجِ", "الأَمْواجُ", "الأَمْوَاجِ"]·ben["ঢেউ", "ঢেউগুলির", "ঢেউয়ের", "তরঙ্গ"]·ces["vlny"]·dan["bølger"]·DE["Welle", "Wellen", "κυμάτων", "κυμάτων]"]·ell["κύματα"]·EN["waves"]·FR["vague", "vagues"]·guj["મોજાં"]·hat["vag"]·hau["raƙuman-ruwa"]·heb["גַּלִּים", "גַּלִּים]", "גלים"]·HI["लहरें", "लहरों-से", "लहरोंके]।", "लहरोन"]·hun["hullámok"]·ID["gelombang", "ombak", "ombak-ombak", "ombak."]·IT["kumata", "kumaton", "onda", "onde"]·jav["ombak", "ombak]."]·JA["波"]·KO["파도들", "파도들-의", "파도들이", "파도들이며", "파도에"]·mar["लाटा"]·mya["လှိုင်းများ"]·nld["golven"]·nor["bølger"]·pnb["لہراں"]·pol["fale"]·PT["ondas", "ondas]."]·ron["valuri"]·RU["волн", "волнами", "волны"]·ES["olas"]·SW["mawimbi", "mawimbi;"]·swe["vågor"]·tam["அலைகள்"]·tel["అలలు"]·tgl["mga-alon"]·TH["คลื่น"]·TR["dalgalar", "dalgalarla", "dalgaların"]·ukr["хвилі"]·urd["لہروں", "لہروں-سے", "لہریں"]·VI["sóng"]·yor["ìgbì"]·yue["浪"]·ZH["波浪"]
Related Senses
H4325 1. water, waters (582×)H6965b 1. Qal: to rise, arise, get up (432×)H2091 1. gold (the metal) (389×)H0068 1. stone, rock (material/object) (267×)H5178a 1. bronze/copper as metal (131×)H6083 1. dust, dry earth, soil (108×)H8313 1. burn, set fire to (94×)H2734 1. anger was kindled (82×)G5204 1. water (80×)H2822 1. darkness, absence of light (80×)G5457 1. light (illumination) (71×)G0450 1. rise, stand up (physical) (69×)H6965b 2. Qal: to stand firm, endure, be valid (50×)H6999a 2. burn sacrifice on altar (Hifil) (45×)H5553 1. rock, cliff (physical feature) (43×)H6965b 4. Hifil: to establish, confirm (covenant/kingdom/word) (40×)H1197a 1. burn, be on fire (39×)H4306 1. rain, showers (38×)H1653 1. rain, precipitation (34×)G4655 1. darkness (30×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
κῦμα, ατος, τό, (κύω) anything swollen (as if pregnant): hence, __I wave, billow, of rivers as well as the sea, in singular and plural; κ. θαλάσσης Refs 8th c.BC+; κύματ᾽ ἐπ᾽ ἠϊόνος κλύζεσκον Refs 5th c.BC+ when the swell abated, Refs 5th c.BC+ __I.2 metaphorically, flood of men, κ. χερσαῖον στρατοῦ Refs 4th c.BC+ __I.2.b of the waves of adversity, etc., κ. ἄτης, κακῶν, Refs 5th c.BC+; κελαινοῦ…