H5492a H5492a
A violent storm-wind or tempest, often figuring God's sudden, sweeping judgment or overwhelming destructive force.
In prophetic and wisdom literature the Hebrew sûphâ names the fierce, whirling storm-wind that strips the threshing floor bare and scatters chaff beyond recovery. Amos and Nahum pair it with the common gale (seʿārâ) to intensify the image of divine fury (Am 1:14; Na 1:3). Hosea's memorable proverb—'they sow the wind and reap the sûphâ' (Hos 8:7)—turns the word into a byword for consequences that dwarf their cause. Isaiah likens chariot wheels to the tempest's speed (Isa 5:28), while Proverbs warns that ruin arrives 'like a sûphâ' on the complacent (Prov 1:27). English consistently renders it 'whirlwind' or 'storm'; Spanish uses 'torbellino,' capturing the rotary violence the Hebrew implies.
Senses
1. whirlwind, storm, tempest — A fierce, destructive windstorm or tempest. The word appears exclusively in poetic and prophetic contexts as the quintessential image of irresistible force—driving chaff (Job 21:18), accompanying theophanies (Isa 29:6; Ps 83:15), and embodying divine retribution. Its consistent pairing with seʿar and rûaḥ across passages confirms a single tight semantic core: sudden, overwhelming atmospheric violence used almost always in figurative or judicial contexts rather than mere weather description. 15×
AR["العَاصِفَةِ", "الْعَاصِفَةُ", "الْعَاصِفَةِ", "بِالزَّوْبَعَةِ", "عاصِفَةٌ", "عاصِفَةٍ", "عَاصِفَةٌ", "عَاصِفَةٍ", "كَالعَاصِفَةِ", "كَزَوْبَعَةٍ", "كَعَوَاصِفَ", "وَ-كَـ-الـ-زَّوْبَعَةِ", "وَبِزَوْبَعَتِكَ", "وَزَوبَعَةً", "وَكَالْعَاصِفَةِ"]·ben["-এবং-ঝড়ের-মতো", "-এর-মতো-ঘূর্ণিঝড়", "-ঝড়গুলির-মতো", "-ঝড়ের-মতো", "এবং-ঘূর্ণির-মতো", "এবং-ঝড়", "এবং-তোমার-প্রবল-বাতাসে", "ঘূর্ণিঝড়ে-", "ঘূর্ণিঝড়ের", "ঝড়", "ঝড়ের"]·DE["[בסופה]", "[וכסופה]", "[וסופתה]", "[כסופה]", "[כסופות]", "[סופה]", "[סופה]", "und-mit-dein-Sturm"]·EN["and-like-the-storm", "and-like-the-whirlwind", "and-whirlwind", "and-with-your-storm", "as-the-whirlwind", "in-the-whirlwind", "like-a-whirlwind", "like-storms", "storm", "storm-wind", "tempest", "the-storm", "the-whirlwind", "whirlwind"]·FR["[בסופה]", "[וסופתה]", "[סופה]", "comme-כסופה", "et-dans-tempête", "et-tempête", "tempête", "סופה"]·heb["ב-סופה", "ו-ב-סופתך", "ו-כ-סופה", "ו-סופה", "כ-סופה", "כ-סופות", "סוּפה", "סופה"]·HI["आँधियों-की-तरह", "आँधी", "आँधी-के", "आंधी", "और-अपने-तूफ़ान-से", "और-आँधी", "और-आँधी-की-तरह", "और-आंधी-जैसे", "जैसे-आंधी", "तूफ़ान", "तूफान-के।", "बवंडर-की-तरह", "बवंडर-में"]·ID["Seperti-badai", "angin-topan", "badai", "dalam-puting-beliung", "dan-badai", "dan-dengan-puting-beliung-Mu", "dan-seperti-angin-puyuh", "dan-seperti-badai", "seperti-angin-puyuh", "seperti-angin-topan"]·IT["[ובסופתך]", "come-like-un-whirlwind", "e-tempesta", "e-turbine", "il-storm", "il-whirlwind", "storm", "storm-wind", "tempesta", "turbine"]·jav["angin-prahara", "barat", "ing-prahara", "kados-angin-puyuh", "kados-prahara", "lan-kados-angin-prahara", "lan-kados-prahara", "lan-kanthi-lesus-Panjenengan", "lan-prahara", "prahara"]·KO["그리고-폭풍을", "그리고-폭풍처럼", "당신-의-회오리바람-으로", "에서-폭풍", "폭풍-이", "폭풍들-같이", "폭풍의", "폭풍이", "회오리바람-같도다", "회오리바람-같이", "회오리바람과"]·PT["Como-tempestades", "como-o-redemoinho", "como-vendaval", "e-com-teu-tornado", "e-como-tempestade", "e-tempestade", "em-tempestade", "tempestade", "tempestade.", "vendaval"]·RU["бурей", "буря", "в-буре", "вихря", "и-бурю", "и-вихрем-Твоим", "и-как-буря", "и-как-вихрь", "как-бури", "как-вихрь"]·ES["Como-torbellinos", "como-torbellino", "en-tormenta", "la-tempestad.", "tempestad", "torbellino", "tormenta", "y-como-torbellino", "y-con-torbellino-de-ti", "y-torbellino"]·SW["Kama-dhoruba", "dhoruba", "kama-dhoruba", "kama-tufani", "katika-dhoruba", "kimbunga", "na-dhoruba", "na-kama-dhoruba", "na-kwa-tufani-yako", "tufani"]·TR["firtininin", "fırtına", "kasirga", "kasirga-gibi", "kasrgada-o", "kasırga", "kasırga-gibi", "kasırganın", "ve-fırtına", "ve-kasırga-gibi", "ve-kasırganla"]·urd["آندھی", "آندھی-میں", "آندھی-کی-طرح", "آندھی-کے", "آندھیوں-کی-طرح", "اور-آندھی", "اور-آندھی-کی-طرح", "اور-بِ-اپنے-طوفان", "اور-طوفان-کی-طرح", "طوفان", "طوفان-کی-طرح"]
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
† I. סוּפָה n.f. storm-wind (that makes an end?);—abs. ס׳ Is 5:28 +; סוּפָ֫תָה Ho 8:7 (Ges§ 90 f.); sf. סוּפָֽתְךָ ψ 83:16; pl. סוּפוֹת Is 21:1;—storm-wind, כְּסַעַר בְּיוֹם ס׳ Am 1:14, Na 1:3 (‖ שְׂעָרָה), Is 17:13 (‖ רוּחַ), Jb 37:9 Is 21:1, as driving chaff Jb 21:18 (vb. גָּנַב; in sim.), sim. of rushing chariots Is 5:28; 66:15 Je 4:13, of ruin Pr 1:27 cf. 10:25; symbol. of י׳’s judgments, רוּחַ יִזְרָ֖עוּ וְס׳ יִקְצֹ֑רוּ Ho 8:7, ψ 83:16 (‖ סַעַר), Jb 27:20 (vb. גָּנַב), Is 29:6 (+ סְעָרָה).