H3999 H3999
The Flood — the catastrophic deluge in the time of Noah, God's judgment by water upon the earth
A masculine noun used exclusively for the great Flood of Noah's day, always with the article except in God's covenant promises (Gen 9:11, 15). Scripture introduces the Flood as the waters that God brings upon the earth to destroy all flesh (Gen 6:17), and the narrative traces its onset, duration, and aftermath through Genesis 7–9. The word appears once outside the Pentateuch in Psalm 29:10, where Yahweh 'sat enthroned over the Flood' — a stunning image of sovereign majesty over the primordial waters. Its etymology remains debated; it may be an ancient Mesopotamian loanword. All major translations preserve a dedicated term: spa 'diluvio', fra 'deluge', deu 'Flut'.
Senses
1. the flood — The cataclysmic deluge of Noah's era, denoting God's worldwide judgment by water upon all living things. Always articular (הַמַּבּוּל) except when negated in covenant discourse ('there shall not again be a flood,' Gen 9:11, 15). Paired with מַיִם as appositional ('a flood of waters,' Gen 6:17; 7:6) and used in temporal constructions ('after the flood,' Gen 9:28; 10:1, 32; 11:10). Psalm 29:10 extends the term beyond narrative into worship, affirming Yahweh's eternal enthronement over the Flood. Cross-lingual glosses uniformly reserve a distinct term: eng 'flood', spa 'diluvio', fra 'deluge', deu 'Flut'. 13×
AR["الطُّوفَانَ", "الطُّوفَانُ", "الطُّوفَانِ", "طُوفَانًا", "طُوفَانٌ", "عَلَى-الطُّوفَانِ", "وَ-الطُّوفَانُ"]·ben["এবং-সেই-জলপ্লাবন", "জলপ্লাবন", "জলপ্লাবন-রূপে", "জলপ্লাবনের", "বন্যায়-তে", "সেই-জলপ্লাবন", "সেই-জলপ্লাবনের"]·DE["der-Flut", "die-Flut", "eine-Flut", "und-die-Flut", "zur-Flut", "über-der-Flut"]·EN["and-the-flood", "flood", "for-flood", "over-the-flood", "the-flood"]·FR["déluge", "et-le-déluge", "le-déluge", "pour-déluge", "à-déluge"]·heb["ה-מבול", "ו-ה-מבול", "ל-מבול", "מבול"]·HI["और-जलप्रलय", "जलप्रलय", "जलप्रलय-का", "जलप्रलय-के", "जलप्रलय-के-लिये", "जलप्लवन-के", "पर-जलप्रलय-के"]·ID["air-bah", "air-bah-itu", "dan-air-bah", "untuk-air-bah"]·IT["e-il-flood", "flood", "il-flood", "inondazione", "per-flood"]·jav["banjir-ageng", "ing-banjir-ageng", "kangge-banjir-ageng", "lan-banjir-ageng", "wonten-ing-banjir-agung"]·KO["그-홍수", "그-홍수-가", "그-홍수-의", "그리고-그-홍수-가", "에-홍수", "홍수", "홍수-에"]·PT["dilúvio", "do-dilúvio", "e-o-dilúvio", "o-dilúvio", "para-dilúvio", "sobre-o-dilúvio"]·RU["-потопа", "и-потоп", "над-потопом", "потоп", "потопа", "потопом"]·ES["diluvio", "el-diluvio", "para-diluvio", "sobre-el-diluvio", "y-el-diluvio"]·SW["gharika", "gharika-ya", "juu-ya-gharika", "kwa-gharika", "na-gharika-ya"]·TR["-tufan", "-tufanı", "-tufanın", "tufan", "tufan-için-", "tufan-olarak", "ve-tufan"]·urd["-طوفان-پر", "اور-طوفان", "طوفان", "طوفان-کے", "طوفان-کے-لیے"]
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
† מַבּוּל n.m. Gn 7:6 flood in time of Noah (NH id.; Jew.-Aramaic; מַבּוּלָא; Syriac ܡܳܡܽܘܠܴܐ; der. dub.; Thes al. √ יבל, but improb., v. DlProl. 122 f.; poss. old Assyrian (Bab.) loan-word (yet form unkn. in Assyrian), or from √ נבל = Assyrian nabâlu, destroy DlHWB443 f.; cf. DlPar. 156; Prol. 122 Che ψ 29, 10 crit. n., Hbr. iii. 3, 175 f., O. WhitehouseCOT ii. 293);—מ׳ only Gn and ψ 29:10;…