H1614 H1614
Brimstone, sulfur; a combustible mineral associated with divine judgment and catastrophic destruction.
Refers to brimstone or sulfur, the combustible yellow mineral that burns with a choking stench. In Scripture it is virtually always paired with fire as an instrument of God's devastating judgment. The definitive instance is Genesis 19:24, where the LORD rains brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah. From there it becomes a stock image of divine wrath: Psalm 11:6 warns the wicked of a rain of fire and brimstone, and Isaiah 30:33 likens God's breath to a stream of brimstone. German 'Schwefel' and Spanish 'azufre' both preserve the sulfur identification clearly.
Senses
1. brimstone, sulfur — Brimstone or sulfur, a naturally occurring combustible mineral substance used throughout Scripture as the primary image of divine punitive destruction. The paradigmatic occurrence is Genesis 19:24 where Yahweh rains gophrit and fire upon Sodom. It recurs in judgment oracles: Psalm 11:6 warns the wicked will receive fire and brimstone as their cup, Deuteronomy 29:23 describes scorched land of brimstone and salt, and Ezekiel 38:22 includes it in the arsenal against Gog. Isaiah 30:33 uses nachal gophrit (stream of brimstone) as a simile for Yahweh's destroying breath. Spanish 'azufre' and German 'Schwefel' directly denote sulfur, confirming the mineralogical identification. 7×
AR["إِلَى-كِبْرِيتٍ", "كِبْرِيتًا", "كِبْرِيتٌ", "كِبْرِيتٍ", "وَ-كِبْرِيتًا", "وَكِبْرِيتٌ"]·ben["এবং-গন্ধক", "ও-গন্ধক", "গন্ধক", "গন্ধক-এর", "গন্ধকে"]·DE["Schwefel", "[גפרית]", "[וגפרית]", "[לגפרית]", "sulfur", "und-sulfur"]·EN["and-brimstone", "and-sulfur", "brimstone", "burns", "into-brimstone", "sulfur"]·FR["[גפרית]", "[לגפרית]", "brimstone", "et-soufre", "sulfur", "גפרית"]·heb["גופרית", "גפרית", "ו-גופרית", "ל-גופרית"]·HI["और-गंधक", "गंधक", "गंधक-का", "गंधक-में", "गनधक"]·ID["Belerang", "belerang", "dan-belerang", "menjadi-belerang"]·IT["[גפרית]", "[וגפרית]", "[לגפרית]", "brimstone", "sulfur"]·jav["dados-walirang", "lan-walirang", "saha-wèlèrang", "walirang", "welirang", "wlirang"]·KO["그리고-유황-과", "그리고-유황을", "에-유황으로", "유황과", "유황의", "유황이"]·PT["e-enxofre", "em-enxofre", "enxofre"]·RU["Сера", "в-серу", "и-сера", "и-серу", "сера", "серу", "серы"]·ES["Azufre", "azufre", "en-azufre", "y-azufre"]·SW["kiberiti", "kufua", "kuwa-kiberiti", "na-kiberiti", "wa-kiberiti"]·TR["kukurdun", "kukurt-olacak", "kükürt", "ve-kükürt"]·urd["اور-گندھک", "گندھک", "گندھک-میں", "گندھک-کے"]
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
† גָּפְרִית n.f. brimstone (Aramaic גּוּפְרִיתָא, also כבריתא, כובריתא, ܟܶܒܪܝܺܬܳܐ, ܟܽܒܪܝܺܬܳܐ; Arabic كِبْرِيت (certainly foreign wd.); der. from (כֹּפֶר), גֹּפֶר by Thes RobGes, cf. Di Gn 6:14; i.e. pitch, and then other combustibles, especially sulphur; Lagl.c. thinks from Bactr. vohûkereti)—גָּפְרִית Gn 19:24 + 6 times—brimstone, after הִמְטִיר Gn 19:24 (J), fig. of judgment ψ 11:6 Ez 38:22 (in…