H5575 H5575
sudden blindness; miraculous loss of sight as divine judgment
This plural intensive noun denotes sudden, supernatural blindness—a miraculous striking of the eyes. Genesis 19:11 describes angels smiting the men of Sodom 'with blindness, both small and great, so that they wore themselves out groping for the door'—judicial blindness preventing their assault. Second Kings 6:18 records Elisha's prayer: 'Strike this people with blindness,' and God struck the Aramean army 'with blindness' (mentioned twice)—temporary disorientation that allowed Israel's escape. In all cases, this is not natural blindness but sudden, supernatural vision-loss sent as judgment or protection. The plural form suggests intense or complete blindness—not mere dimming but total disorientation.
Senses
1. sense 1 — All three instances involve miraculous intervention against enemies of God's people. Sodom's men are struck blind to protect Lot's angelic visitors—they grope helplessly, unable to find the door despite surrounding the house. The Aramean army's blinding (2 Kings 6:18, twice) is explicitly temporary—Elisha later asks God to restore their sight—functioning as strategic confusion rather than permanent disability. Cross-linguistic renderings use 'blindness/ceguera/aveuglement/Blindheit' consistently. The sudden, miraculous nature distinguishes this from ordinary blindness—it's a divine weapon, a protective curse, leaving the afflicted groping and helpless before they can harm God's servants. 3×
AR["بِ-الْعَمَى"]·ben["-অন্ধত্ব-দিয়ে", "অন্ধত্বে"]·DE["mit-Blindheit", "mit-blindness"]·EN["with-blindness"]·FR["avec-aveuglement"]·heb["ב-ה-סנורים", "ב-סנוורים"]·HI["अनधपन-से", "बस्सन्वेरीम"]·ID["dengan-kebutaan"]·IT["con-blindness"]·jav["klayan-wuta", "ngangge-wuta"]·KO["눈멀-으로", "눈멜음으로"]·PT["com-cegueira"]·RU["слепотой", "слепотою"]·ES["con-ceguera"]·SW["kwa-upofu", "na-ukungu"]·TR["de-korluk", "körlükle"]·urd["اندھاپن-سے"]
Related Senses
H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H0398 1. eat (consume food) (697×)H4191 1. die (Qal: natural/general death) (645×)G3708 1. see, perceive visually (419×)G0191 1. hear, perceive sound (360×)H???? 3. (352×)G3708 2. behold, look (exclamatory) (256×)H7272 1. foot (body part) (236×)H8354 1. drink, consume liquid (209×)H3205 1. Qal active: bear/give birth (female subject) (204×)H3205 2. Qal active: beget/father (male subject) (198×)H2421 1. Qal: live, be alive (177×)H8085 2. Qal: listen, heed, pay attention (172×)H2416a 1. alive, living (state/attribute) (146×)H2416e 1. life, lifespan, lifetime (145×)G2198 1. be alive, have life (133×)H8193 1. lip, lips (body part) (123×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† סַנְוֵרִים n.[m.] pl. intens. vel abstr. (Sta§ 324 b) sudden blindness (etym. dub.; der. from נוּרִ highly improb., whether antiphr. Wetzst De ψψ 4, 886 Köii. 1, 404, or from dazzling, cf. ‘flimmern’ HoffmZAW ii (1882), 68; but also view of HalRÉJ xi. 66 deriv. from √ סנר cover with a skin, i.e. produce film over, lacks demonstration; at present we must be content with assuming quadrilit. √,…