עַמּוּד, H5982
Pillar, column — both architectural supports and the theophanic pillar of cloud/fire guiding Israel
The Hebrew ʿammud covers two vivid realities. Architecturally, it names the load-bearing columns of the tabernacle, Solomon's temple, and ordinary buildings — the very pillars Samson grasped to bring down the Philistine house (Judg 16:25-29). But the word takes on numinous force in the exodus narratives, where God's presence manifests as a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night, leading Israel through the wilderness. The multilingual glosses make the distinction visible: architectural uses yield 'pillars/columns' (spa: columnas, fra: colonnes), while the theophanic uses consistently add the construct 'pillar of' (spa: columna-de, fra: colonne-de), marking the shift from structure to divine presence.
Senses
1. pillar, column (architectural) — An architectural pillar or column supporting a building, the tabernacle, or the temple. Encompasses the acacia-wood pillars of the tabernacle (Exod 26:32, 37), the cedar pillars of Solomon's palace (1 Kgs 7:2), and the load-bearing columns Samson seized (Judg 16:25-29). Also used figuratively for the 'pillars of heaven' and 'pillars of the earth' (Job 9:6; 26:11). The multilingual pattern (spa: las-columnas, fra: les-colonnes, deu: der-Saeulen) consistently yields simple plural nouns across 94 occurrences. 94×
AR["الأَعمِدَةِ", "الـ-أَعْمِدَةَ", "الـ-أَعْمِدَةِ", "الْأَعْمِدَةِ", "الْعَمُودَيْنِ-الـ"]·ben["-স্তম্ভ", "-স্তম্ভগুলি", "-স্তম্ভগুলির", "সেই-স্তম্ভগুলির", "স্তম্ভগুলো", "স্তম্ভগুলোর"]·DE["der-Saeulen"]·EN["the-pillars"]·FR["le-colonnes"]·heb["ה-עמודים"]·HI["खंभों", "खंभों-का", "खंभों-के"]·ID["tiang", "tiang-tiang", "tiang-tiang-itu"]·IT["il-colonne"]·jav["cagak", "saka-saka-punika", "saka-sakanipun", "tiang-tiang-punika"]·KO["그-기둡들의", "그-기둥들", "그-기둥들을", "그-기둥들의"]·PT["as-colunas"]·RU["столба", "столбами", "столбах", "столбов", "столбы"]·ES["las-columnas"]·SW["akafanya", "kwa-taji-moja", "kwa-ukumbi", "mbili", "na-safu", "nguzo", "vya-nguzo", "za-nguzo", "za-shaba"]·TR["-direklerin", "direklerin", "sütunları", "sütunların"]·urd["ستون-", "ستونوں", "ستونوں کا-", "ستونوں کے-", "ستونوں-", "ستونوں-کی", "ستونوں-کے"]
Exod 26:32, Exod 26:37, Exod 27:10, Exod 27:11, Exod 27:12, Exod 27:14, Exod 27:15, Exod 27:16, Exod 27:17, Exod 36:36, Exod 38:10, Exod 38:10 (+38 more)
2. pillar of cloud or fire — The theophanic pillar of cloud by day and fire by night in which God guided and sheltered Israel during the exodus. First appearing at Exod 13:21-22, this divine column leads the people, stands between them and Pharaoh's army (Exod 14:19, 24), and descends to the tent of meeting when God speaks with Moses (Exod 33:9-10; Num 12:5). Translations uniformly employ construct phrases — 'pillar of cloud/fire' (spa: columna-de, fra: colonne-de) — signaling the shift from structural support to visible divine presence. 18×
AR["بِ-عَمُودِ", "بِـ-عَمُودِ", "عَمودَ", "عَمودُ", "عَمُودَ", "عَمُودُ", "فِي-عَمُودِ", "وَ-بِ-عَمُودِ", "وَ-فِي-عَمُودِ"]·ben["-স্তম্ভে", "আর-স্তম্ভে", "এবং-স্তম্ভে", "সেই-স্তম্ভে", "স্তম্ভ", "স্তম্ভে", "স্তম্ভে-"]·DE["Saeule-von", "[ובעמוד]", "[עמוד]", "durch-Saeule-von", "in-Saeule-von", "in-ein-Saeule-von", "in-ein-Säule-von", "und-in-Saeule-von"]·EN["and-by-a-pillar-of", "and-in-pillar-of", "in-a-pillar-of", "in-pillar-of", "pillar-of", "the-pillar-of", "through-pillar-of"]·FR["colonne", "colonne-de", "dans-colonne", "dans-colonne-de", "dans-un-colonne-de", "et-colonne", "et-dans-colonne-de", "à-travers-colonne-de"]·heb["ב-עמוד", "ו-ב-עמוד", "ו-בעמד", "ו-בעמוד", "עמוד"]·HI["और-खम्भे-में", "और-खम्भे-से", "खंभा", "खम्भा", "में-खम्भे", "में-स्तंभ", "स्तंभ", "स्तंभ-में", "स्तम्भ"]·ID["Dalam-tiang", "dalam-tiang", "dan-dengan-tiang", "dan-di-tiang", "melalui-tiang", "tiang"]·IT["attraverso-colonna-di", "colonna", "colonna-di", "e-colonna", "e-in-colonna-di", "in-colonna-di", "in-un-colonna-di"]·jav["Lan-kaliyan-tiang", "Wonten-ing-tiang", "ing-tiang", "lan-ing-tiang", "lan-kaliyan-tiang", "saka", "tiang", "tiyang-", "wonten-ing-cagak", "wonten-ing-saka"]·KO["구름-기둥-안에서", "그리고-기둥-안에서", "그리고-기둥-으로", "기둥(접)", "기둥-에서", "기둥을", "기둥이", "에-기둥", "에-기둥(접)"]·PT["E-com-coluna-de", "Na-coluna", "coluna-de", "coluna-de-", "e-com-coluna-de", "e-em-coluna-de", "em-coluna-de", "na-coluna-de"]·RU["В-столпе", "И-в-столпе", "в-столпе", "и-в-столпе", "столп"]·ES["En-columna-de", "Y-en-columna-de", "columna-de", "columna-de-", "en-columna-de", "en-columna-de-", "la-columna-de", "pilar-de", "y-en-columna-de"]·SW["katika-nguzo", "katika-nguzo-ya", "kupitia-nguzo", "na-katika-nguzo", "na-kwa-nguzo-ya", "nguzo", "nguzo-ya"]·TR["-de-sütununda", "direk", "sütunu", "sütununda", "sütununda-", "sütununu", "ve-sütunla", "ve-sütununda"]·urd["اور-ستون-سے", "اور-ستون-میں", "ستون", "ستون-میں"]
Exod 13:21, Exod 13:21, Exod 13:22, Exod 14:19, Exod 14:24, Exod 33:9, Exod 33:10, Num 12:5, Num 14:14, Num 14:14, Deut 31:15, Deut 31:15 (+6 more)
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×)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×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
עַמּוּד, עַמֻּד n.m. 1 K 7:15 pillar, column;—עַמּוּד abs. 1 K 7:15 +, cstr. Ex 13:21 +; עַמֻּד abs. Je 52:21, cstr. Nu 14:14; sf. עַמּוּדוֹ 2 Ch 23:13; pl. עַמּוּדִים 1 K 7:16 +, less often עַמֻּ׳ v 21 +; cstr. עַמּוּדֵי Ex 26:32 + less often עַמֻּ׳ 38:17 +; sf. עַמּוּדָיו Ex 36:38 +, עַמֻּדָיו 27:10 +, etc.;— 1. pillar, supporting house Ju 16:25, 26, 29; pillars in tabern. Ex 27:10, 11, 17;…