H1300a H1300a
lightning, flash of lightning; the phenomenon or manifestation of electrical discharge in storms
This term designates the lightning flash itself, particularly as a manifestation of divine power and glory. The Psalms describe God flashing lightning to scatter enemies—the theophanic thunderstorm serving as divine warfare. The plural form suggests multiple lightning bolts or repeated flashes that accompanied God's intervention. In ancient Near Eastern thought, lightning demonstrated the storm god's power, and Scripture adopts this imagery for Yahweh's appearances, where natural phenomena become vehicles of divine presence and action.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The noun for lightning or lightning flashes (2 Samuel 22:15; Psalm 18:14), appearing in parallel poetic accounts of God's theophanic intervention. Both passages use it with the verb 'flash' or 'send forth,' describing God actively wielding lightning against enemies. The plural form emphasizes multiple bolts or repeated flashes. Translations consistently render it 'lightning,' sometimes with conjunction ('and lightning') to show its pairing with other theophanic elements like arrows, thunder, and darkness in these dramatic divine appearance scenes. 2×
AR["بَرْقًا", "وَبُرُوقًا"]·ben["এবং-বিদ্যুৎ", "বিদ্যুৎ"]·DE["lightning", "und-Blitz"]·EN["and-lightning", "lightning"]·FR["et-dans-éclair", "lightning"]·heb["ברק", "ו-ברקים"]·HI["और-बिजलियाँ", "बिजली"]·ID["dan-kilat-kilat", "kilat"]·IT["[וברקים]", "lampo"]·jav["kilat", "saha-kilat"]·KO["그리고-번개들-을", "번개"]·PT["e-relâmpagos", "relâmpago"]·RU["и-молнии", "молнию"]·ES["relámpago", "y-relámpagos"]·SW["na-umeme", "umeme"]·TR["ve-şimşekler", "şimşek"]·urd["اور-بجلیاں", "بجلی"]
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
† בָּרַק vb. flash, of lightning (Arabic بَرَقَ gleam, flash, lighten, Assyrian barâḳu ZimBP 76, Aramaic בְּרַק, ܒܪܰܩ, Ethiopic በረቀ Sab. ברק Hal252 cf. DHMZMG 1875, 597)— Qal Pf. בָּרַק so read after 𝔊L 2 S 22:15 & also in ‖ ψ 18:15 (cf. Klo Che crit. n.); Imv. בְּרֹק ψ 144:6;—all c. acc. cogn. בָּרָק, בְּרָקִים;—flash, trans. flash lightning, subj. י׳.