Biblical Lexicon

H6051 H6051

Conj-w | N-msc | 87× in 1 sense

Cloud — a visible mass in the sky; especially the theophanic cloud of God's guiding, sheltering presence

The Hebrew עָנָן covers both ordinary meteorological clouds and, far more prominently, the cloud of divine presence that guided Israel through the wilderness, settled on Sinai, and filled the tabernacle and temple. Of its 87 occurrences, the majority refer to this theophanic cloud — the pillar of cloud (עַמּוּד הֶעָנָן) of Exodus 13:21–22, the heavy cloud on Sinai (Exod 19:16), and the glory-cloud in Solomon's temple (1 Kgs 8:10–11). Figuratively, clouds can represent transience (Hos 6:4) or God's concealing cover (Job 26:9). Spanish la-nube, French la-nuée, and German die-Wolke all capture the basic meteorological sense, but the theological weight of this word in Hebrew far exceeds its counterparts.

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Senses

1. [split] cloud — A cloud-mass in the sky, used predominantly of the theophanic cloud manifesting God's presence — the pillar of cloud leading Israel (Exod 13:21–22), the heavy cloud on Sinai (Exod 19:9, 16), and the glory-cloud filling the tabernacle and temple (1 Kgs 8:10–11). Also used of ordinary weather clouds and figuratively of what is transient (Hos 6:4) or concealing (Job 26:9). The overwhelming association with divine presence sets this term apart from mere meteorological vocabulary. 0×

GEOGRAPHY_SPACE › Geographical Objects and Features › Clouds and Sky

AR["السَّحابُ", "السَّحابِ", "السَّحَابَةُ", "السَّحَابَةِ", "السَّحَابُ", "السَّحَابِ"]·ben["-মেঘ", "মেঘ", "মেঘের"]·DE["der-Wolke", "die-Wolke"]·EN["the-cloud"]·FR["la-nuée", "le-nuée"]·heb["ה-ענן"]·HI["बादल", "बादल-का", "बादल-के", "बादल-ने"]·ID["awan", "tebal"]·IT["il-nuvola", "la-nuvola"]·jav["mega", "mega,", "mega-punika", "mega-punika,", "mega-punika."]·KO["그-구름", "그-구름-이", "그-구름의", "그-구름이"]·PT["a-nuvem"]·RU["облака", "облаке", "облако", "облачный"]·ES["la-nube"]·SW["wingu", "ya-wingu"]·TR["-bulut", "bulut", "bulutun"]·urd["-بادل-کا", "-بادل-کے", "بادل", "بادل-نے", "بادل-کا", "بادل-کے"]

Gen 9:14, Exod 13:21, Exod 13:22, Exod 14:19, Exod 14:20, Exod 19:9, Exod 24:15, Exod 24:16, Exod 24:16, Exod 24:18, Exod 33:9, Exod 33:10 (+38 more)

1. theophanic cloud (divine presence) — Split from sense 125418. Criteria: The pillar of cloud, Sinai cloud, glory-cloud filling tabernacle/temple - manifestations of God's presence with theological significance 63×

Exod 13:21, Exod 13:22, Exod 14:19, Exod 14:20, Exod 14:24, Exod 16:10, Exod 19:9, Exod 24:15, Exod 24:16, Exod 24:16, Exod 24:18, Exod 33:9 (+38 more)

2. meteorological cloud / ordinary cloud — Split from sense 125418. Criteria: Weather clouds, natural atmospheric phenomena, and figurative uses of transience (Hos 6:4) or covering (Job 26:9) 24×

AR["السَّحَابَ", "الغَمامُ", "بِالسَّحَابِ", "بِسَحَابٍ", "سَحابٍ", "سَحَابًا", "سَحَابٍ", "غَمَامٌ", "غَيْمٍ", "غَيْمَ", "فِي-السَّحَابِ", "كَالسَّحَابِ", "كَسَحابَةِ-", "كَسَحابِ-", "وَالسَّحَابُ"]·ben["এবং-মেঘ", "মেঘ", "মেঘকে", "মেঘে", "মেঘের", "মেঘের-মতো", "মেঘের-মতো-"]·DE["Wolke", "Wolken", "in-der-Wolke", "in-die-Wolke", "und-Wolke", "wie-Wolke"]·EN["and-cloud", "cloud", "clouds", "his-cloud-of", "in-cloud", "in-the-cloud", "like-cloud", "like-cloud-of-", "with-a-cloud"]·FR["[בענן]", "dans-le-nuée", "et-nuée", "nuée"]·heb["ב-ה-ענן", "ב-ענן", "ו-ענן", "כ-ענן", "כ-ענן-", "עָנָן", "ענן"]·HI["और-बादल", "बादल", "बादल-का", "बादल-की-तरह", "बादल-के-समान-", "बादल-को", "बादल-जैसी-", "बादल-मेइन", "बादल-से", "में-बादल"]·ID["awan", "berawan,", "dan-awan", "dengan-awan", "di-awan", "seperti-awan"]·IT["[בענן]", "e-nuvola", "in-il-nuvola", "nube", "nuvola"]·jav["ing-mega", "kados-mendhung", "kados-méga", "kanthi-méga", "klayan-méga", "lan-mega", "mega", "mendhung", "méga"]·KO["같으니라-구름에-", "구름", "구름-으로", "구름-의", "구름과", "구름을", "구름의", "구름이", "구름처럼", "그리고-구름-은", "에-그-구름", "에-그-구름으로"]·PT["a-nuvem", "como-nuvem", "como-nuvem-de", "e-nuvem", "em-nuvem", "na-nuvem", "nuvem", "nuvem-de-"]·RU["в-облаке", "и-облако", "как-облако", "как-облако-", "облака", "облако", "облаком", "облачный", "тучу"]·ES["como-nube", "como-nube-de", "como-nube-de-", "con-nube", "en-la-nube", "la-nube", "nube", "nube-de", "y-nube"]·SW["kama-wingu", "kama-wingu-la", "kama-wingu-la-", "katika-wingu", "kwa-wingu", "mawingu", "na-mawingu", "wingu", "ya-mawingu", "ya-wingu"]·TR["bulut", "bulut-gibi", "bulut-gibi-", "bulutla", "bulutlarını", "bulutta", "bulutu", "bulutun", "ve-bulut"]·urd["-بادل-میں", "اور-بادل", "بادل", "بادل-سے", "بادل-میں", "بادل-کا", "بادل-کی-طرح", "بادل-کے", "جیسے-بادل-", "صبح-کے-بادل-کی-طرح-"]

Gen 9:13, Gen 9:14, Gen 9:14, Gen 9:16, Job 7:9, Job 26:8, Job 26:9, Job 37:11, Job 37:15, Job 38:9, Isa 44:22, Jer 4:13 (+12 more)

BDB / Lexicon Reference

I. עָנָן87 n.m. Ex 19:16 cloud-mass, cloud;—(הֶ)ע׳ abs. Ex 19:9 +; cstr. עֲנַזִ Ho 6:4 +; sf. עֲנָֽנְךָ Nu 14:14, עֲנָנוֹ Jb 26:9; 37:15; pl. עֲנָנִים Je 4:13;— 1. cloud-mass: a. especially of theophanic cloud (58 times), chiefly at Exodus in JE (less often P), usually עַמּוּד הֶע׳ Ex 13:21, 22 + (v. עַמּוּד), but also ע׳ alone Ex 34:5 cf. 14:20 (J), Nu 10:34; 11:25; 14:14 (all JE); עַב־הֶע׳ Ex…