H5387b H5387b
clouds, vapors; rising mist that forms clouds and portends rain
This noun, distinct from the more common נָשִׂיא (prince, leader), refers to atmospheric vapors or clouds, especially those that rise and bring rain. Jeremiah 10:13 and 51:16 describe God bringing up "clouds from the ends of the earth," while Psalm 135:7 and Proverbs 25:14 use the term in contexts associating clouds with rain or its absence. The root suggests something "lifted up" or "rising," fitting the imagery of ascending vapors.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Denotes clouds or rising vapors, particularly those associated with rain. The term appears in poetic and prophetic contexts describing God's sovereign control over weather (Jeremiah 10:13, 51:16, Psalm 135:7) and in Proverbs 25:14's simile of clouds without rain. Multilingual evidence is somewhat mixed: most render as "clouds/nuages/Wolken," but French includes "prince" and German brackets forms like [נשאים] and [נשיאים], likely reflecting homographic overlap with נָשִׂיא I (prince). The consistent "clouds" rendering in rain contexts confirms the meteorological sense. 4×
AR["السُّحُبِ", "بُخَارًا", "سُحُبًا", "غُيُومٌ"]·ben["বাষ্প", "মেঘ", "মেঘের"]·DE["Wolken", "[נשאים]", "[נשיאים]"]·EN["clouds"]·FR["[נשאים]", "nuage", "prince"]·heb["נשיאים"]·HI["बादल", "बादलों-को", "भाप"]·ID["Awan-awan", "awan-awan"]·IT["[נשאים]", "capo"]·jav["mega", "mega-mega", "méga"]·KO["구름-을", "구름과", "구름들을", "구름을"]·PT["Nuvens", "nuvens", "os-vapores", "vapores"]·RU["облака"]·ES["Nubes", "nubes"]·SW["mawingu"]·TR["buharları", "bulutlar", "bulutları"]·urd["بادل", "بادلوں-کو"]
Related Senses
H8033 1. There (locative adverb) (835×)H7760a 1. put, place, set physically (444×)H8064 1. heavens / sky (329×)H5439 1. around, all around (spatial) (319×)H4057b 1. wilderness, desert region (270×)H3220 1. sea, body of water (269×)H0520a 1. cubit (unit of length) (246×)H0127 1. ground, land (territory) (210×)H3383 1. Jordan River (proper noun) (183×)G1093 1. earth, the world (176×)H5800a 1. forsake, abandon (Qal active) (166×)H8121 1. sun (celestial body) (133×)H7126 1. offer, present sacrificially (122×)H6828 1. north, cardinal direction (120×)H2351 1. outside, exterior space (119×)H5104 1. river, stream (119×)H7341 1. width, breadth (101×)G1563 1. there (95×)H7126 2. draw near, approach (95×)G2281 1. sea, large body of water (91×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† II. [נָשִׂיא] n.[m.] rising mist, vapour (Arabic نَشْءٌ, نَشِىٌٔ );—only pl. נְשִׂאִים vapours, forming clouds, and portending rain, Je 10:13 = 51:16, ψ 135:7, נְשִׂיאִים Pr 25:14.