H5645 H5645
A dark cloud or cloud-mass; also thick density or a thicket of vegetation used as cover.
This noun evokes the heavy, dark clouds of a Middle Eastern rainstorm rather than wispy fair-weather formations. It appears prominently in theophanic passages where God rides on clouds (Ps 104:3, Isa 19:1) and in storm imagery where the clouds pour down rain (Judg 5:4). The same root sense of density extends to the thick clay ground of the Jordan plain (2 Chr 4:17) and even to tangled brush where fugitives hide (Jer 4:29). German consistently translates Wolken ('clouds'), while Spanish and French both reach for nubes/nuées, all preserving the sense of something dark, massive, and opaque.
Senses
1. cloud, clouds — The primary meteorological sense: a cloud or mass of clouds in the sky. This covers rain-clouds (1 Kgs 18:44–45, where Elijah's servant spots a cloud small as a man's hand), theophanic clouds serving as God's chariot (Isa 19:1, Ps 104:3), and figurative uses where clouds represent swiftness (Isa 60:8) or transience (Job 30:15). French nuées and Spanish nubes both consistently point to this reading. 26×
AR["السَّحاب", "السَّحَابَ", "السَّحَابِ", "السُّحُبُ", "الغَمامِ", "بِـ-السُّحُبِ", "سَحَابَةٍ", "غَيْمٌ", "غَيْمَةٌ", "غُيومًا", "غُيُومٍ", "كَ-السَّحَابِ", "كَ-سَحابَةِ", "كَالسَّحَابِ", "كَـ-سَحَابَةِ", "مِنَ-السُّحُبِ", "هِ-عَبِيم"]·ben["-মেঘের", "-মেঘের-মতো", "মেঘ", "মেঘ-এর", "মেঘকে", "মেঘগুলি", "মেঘসমূহ", "মেঘে", "মেঘে-", "মেঘের", "মেঘের-মতো"]·DE["-der-Wolken", "Wolke", "Wolken", "[העבים]", "[כעב]", "[עב]", "[עבים]", "der-Wolken", "mit-Wolken", "wie-eine-Wolke"]·EN["-the-clouds", "a-cloud", "as-cloud-of", "cloud", "clouds", "like-a-cloud", "like-cloud", "like-cloud-of", "of-a-cloud", "the-cloud", "the-clouds", "with-clouds"]·FR["-le-nuées", "[בעבים]", "[עבות]", "[עבים]", "comme-nuage", "le-nuage", "nuage", "nuée", "nuées"]·heb["ב-עבים", "ה-עבים", "כ-עב", "עב", "עבות", "עבים"]·HI["आवोत", "जैसे-बादल", "बादल", "बादल-की", "बादल-की-तरह", "बादल-को", "बादलकी-तरह", "बादलों", "बादलों-के", "बादलों-से"]·ID["awan", "awan-awan", "dengan-awan", "seperti-awan", "seperti-awan-tebal"]·IT["-il-nuvole", "come-nube", "il-nube", "nube", "nubi", "nuvola"]·jav["kados-mega", "kados-mendhung", "kados-méga", "kados-méga-kandel", "kanthi-mega-mega", "mega", "méga"]·KO["같으니라-구름", "같이-구름", "구름", "구름-같이", "구름-들-을", "구름들", "구름들-그", "구름들-이", "구름들이", "구름을", "구름의", "구름이", "구름처럼", "에-구름들로"]·PT["Nuvens", "as-nuvens", "com-nuvens", "como-nuvem", "como-nuvem-de", "das-nuvens", "nuvem", "nuvens"]·RU["-облака", "как-облако", "облака", "облаками", "облаке", "облако", "облаков", "тучи"]·ES["Las-nubes", "como-nube", "como-nube-de", "con-nubes", "las-nubes", "nube", "nubes"]·SW["Mawingu", "cha-wingu", "kama-wingu", "kwa-mawingu", "mawingu", "ni-kama-wingu-la", "vya-mawingu", "wingu"]·TR["bulut", "bulut-gibi", "bulutlar", "bulutlarla", "bulutları", "bulutların", "bulutu", "bulutun", "gibidir-bulut"]·urd["بادل", "بادل کا", "بادل کو", "بادل کے", "بادل-جیسے", "بادل-کی", "بادل-کی-طرح", "بادل-کے", "بادلوں", "بادلوں-سے", "بادلوں-نے", "بِ-بادلوں-سے"]
Judg 5:4, 2 Sam 23:4, 1 Kgs 18:44, 1 Kgs 18:45, Job 20:6, Job 22:14, Job 30:15, Job 36:29, Job 37:11, Job 37:16, Job 38:34, Ps 18:12 (+14 more)
2. thick clouds, cloud-mass — An intensified form emphasizing thick, dense clouds — the impenetrable cloud-mass that conceals God's presence. In 2 Samuel 22:12 and Psalm 18:11, God makes thick darkness his canopy from 'thick clouds of the skies.' Job 26:8 describes God binding water in his thick clouds. The emphasis shifts from weather to divine concealment and overwhelming power. 3×
AR["سُحُبَ", "فِي-سُحُبِهِ", "كَثِيفَةَ"]·ben["ঘন-মেঘ", "তাঁর-মেঘে", "মেঘ-"]·DE["[בעביו]", "thick-Wolken-von"]·EN["in-His-thick-clouds", "thick-clouds-of"]·FR["[עבי]", "dans-son-nuage-lui", "épais-nuées-de"]·heb["ב-עביו", "עבי"]·HI["अपने-बादलों-में", "घने", "बादलों"]·ID["awan-awan", "awan-awan-tebal", "dalam-awan-Nya"]·IT["in-nube-suo", "nuvola", "spesso-nubi-di"]·jav["ing-méga-Ipun", "mega", "mega-kandel"]·KO["구름들-이", "그의-구름들에", "두꺼운"]·PT["densas-nuvens", "em-suas-nuvens", "nuvens-de"]·RU["в-облаках-Своих", "густые", "тучи"]·ES["en-sus-nubes", "espesura-de", "nubes-de"]·SW["katika-mawingu-yake", "mawingu-mazito", "mawingu-mazito-ya"]·TR["bulutları", "bulutlarında"]·urd["بادل-گھنے", "بادلوں-اپنے-میں", "گھنے"]
3. thickness, density — An abstract extension to thickness or density of material substance, not clouds per se. Exodus 19:9 speaks of a 'thick cloud' (though here the density of the medium, not the meteorological phenomenon, is the focus), and 2 Chronicles 4:17 refers to the dense clay of the Jordan plain used for casting bronze vessels. The multilingual evidence splits here: some versions render 'cloud,' others 'thickness.' 2×
AR["فِي-كَثَافَةِ"]·ben["-ঘনে", "ঘনতায়"]·DE["[בעבי]", "in-thickness-von"]·EN["in-thickness-of"]·FR["[בעבי]", "dans-thickness-de"]·heb["ב-עב", "ב-עבי"]·HI["में-घने", "में-मोटाई"]·ID["dalam-awan", "di-cetakan"]·IT["[בעבי]", "in-thickness-di"]·jav["wonten-ing-kandelipun", "wonten-ing-lemah-lempung"]·KO["볹-에", "에-진흩의"]·PT["em-espessura-de", "na-espessura-de"]·RU["в-густом", "в-толще"]·ES["en-espesura-de-", "en-tierra"]·SW["katika-udongo-mzito", "katika-utacho"]·TR["-de-kalınlığında", "kalınlığında"]·urd["گاڑھی", "گھنے-میں"]
4. thicket, dense cover — A rare extension to dense vegetation — thicket or tangled brush offering concealment. In Jeremiah 4:29, people flee into thickets to hide from approaching armies. The semantic thread connecting cloud-mass and thicket is opacity and cover: both block sight and offer concealment. This usage appears only once but fits the root's core idea of dense, obscuring mass. 1×
AR["فِي-الـ-غَابِ"]·ben["মেঘের-মধ্যে"]·DE["Wolke"]·EN["into-the-thickets"]·FR["nuée"]·heb["ב-עבים"]·HI["बादलों-में"]·ID["ke-dalam-semak-semak"]·IT["nube"]·jav["ing-gegrumbul"]·KO["에-덩불들에"]·PT["nas-nuvens"]·RU["в-чащи"]·ES["en-espesuras"]·SW["vichakani"]·TR["çalılıklara-"]·urd["جھاڑیوں-میں"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)H8033 1. There (locative adverb) (835×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
II. עָב33 n.m. Is 19, 1 and (1 K 18:44 KöSynt. 163) f. dark cloud, cloud-mass, thicket;—ע׳ abs. 1 K 18:44 +, cstr. Is 18:4; Pr 16:15; pl. עָבִים Ju 5:4 +, עָבוֹת 2 S 23:4 ψ 77:18; cstr. עָבֵי 2 S 22:12 ψ 18:12; sf. עָבָיו ψ 18:13 (but prob. del., v. עבר Qal ad fin.);— 1. dark cloud: a. rain-cloud Ju 5:4; Is 5:6; 1 K 18:44, 45 + 9 times. b. as high Is 14:14 Jb 20:6, + Ez 19:11; 31:3, 10, 14…