H6227 H6227
smoke — visible vapor rising from fire, theophanic presence, burning cities, or as a figure of transience and wrath
Ashan is the standard Hebrew noun for smoke, appearing 25 times across narrative, prophetic, poetic, and wisdom contexts. Its semantic range moves from the concretely physical to the theologically charged. Literally, it describes the smoke of burning cities in the conquest narratives — the men of Ai looked back and 'the smoke of the city went up to the heavens' (Josh 8:20-21; cf. Judg 20:38, 40). In theophany, smoke signals the terrifying presence of God: the smoking fire pot of Abraham's covenant ceremony (Gen 15:17), Mount Sinai wrapped in smoke 'like the smoke of a kiln' when YHWH descended in fire (Exod 19:18), and the temple filling with smoke in Isaiah's inaugural vision (Isa 6:4). Prophetically, unending smoke symbolizes irreversible judgment — Edom's smoke 'shall go up forever' (Isa 34:10), and Joel foresees 'columns of smoke' among the portents of the Day of the LORD (Joel 2:30). In wisdom and psalmody, smoke becomes a simile for what is fleeting and insubstantial: 'my days pass away like smoke' (Ps 102:3; cf. Hos 13:3; Ps 37:20; 68:2).
Senses
1. smoke — Visible smoke rising from fire, deployed across four registers. Literally, of burning cities during warfare (Josh 8:20-21; Judg 20:38, 40; Nah 2:13). Theophanically, signaling divine presence: the smoking fire pot of the Abrahamic covenant (Gen 15:17), Sinai engulfed 'like the smoke of a kiln' (Exod 19:18), and Isaiah's smoke-filled temple (Isa 6:4). As an eschatological portent of judgment, smoke marks Edom's unending destruction (Isa 34:10) and Joel's Day-of-the-LORD signs (Joel 2:30). Figuratively, a simile for transience and insubstantiality — 'my days vanish like smoke' (Ps 102:3; Hos 13:3). Spanish 'humo,' French 'fumee,' German 'Rauch.' 25×
AR["الدُّخانِ", "الدُّخَانِ", "بِ-الدُّخانِ", "دُخانٍ", "دُخانُ", "دُخَانًا", "دُخَانٌ", "دُخَانٍ", "دُخَانُهُ", "عَشَن", "في-الدُّخان", "وَ-كَالدُّخَانِ", "وَكَالدُّخانِ"]·ben["-ধোঁয়ার", "এবং-ধোঁয়ার-মতো", "এবং-যেমন-ধোঁয়া", "তার-ধূম", "ধোঁয়া", "ধোঁয়ায়", "ধোঁয়ার", "ধোয়ার-মতো"]·DE["Rauch", "[וכעשן]", "[עשן]", "der-Rauch", "der-Rauch-von", "in-Rauch", "sein-Rauch", "smoke", "von-Rauch"]·EN["and-like-smoke", "are-smoke", "in-smoke", "its-smoke", "smoke", "the-smoke", "the-smoke-of"]·FR["[וכעשן]", "dans-fumée", "de-fumée,", "et-fumée", "fumée", "le-fumée", "le-fumée-de", "smoke", "son-fumée"]·heb["ב-עשן", "ה-עשן", "ו-כ-עשן", "עָשָׁן", "עשן", "עשנו"]·HI["और-जैसे-धुआँ", "और-धुएं-के-समान", "धुँए-के", "धुअन", "धुआँ", "धुआं", "धुआं-उसका", "धुआं-से", "धुएँ-के।", "धुएं-में", "धूआं", "में-धुएँ"]·ID["asap", "asap.", "asapnya", "dan-seperti-asap", "seperti-asap"]·IT["[וכעשן]", "[עשן]", "e-come-il-e-like-smoke", "fumo", "il-fumo", "il-fumo-di", "smoke", "suo-fumo"]·jav["asep", "ing-kukus", "kados-kebul", "kebul-ipun", "kukus", "kukus-", "lan-kados-kukus"]·KO["-연기-로", "그-연기가", "그리고-같으니라-연기에", "그리고-연기-같다", "연기-가", "연기-속-에", "연기-의", "연기가", "연기나는", "연기로", "연기의", "연기이다"]·PT["a-fumaça", "e-como-fumaça", "em-fumaça", "fumaça", "fumaça-de", "sua-fumaça"]·RU["в-дыме", "в-дыму", "дым", "дым-её", "дыма", "дымом", "дымящаяся", "и-как-дым"]·ES["de-humo", "el-humo", "en-humo", "humo", "humo-de", "humo-de-él", "y-como-humo"]·SW["kama-moshi", "katika-moshi", "moshi", "moshi-wa", "moshi-wake", "na-kama-moshi", "ni-moshi", "ya-moshi", "za-moshi"]·TR["-dumanda", "duman", "dumanda", "dumanla", "dumanlı", "dumanı", "dumanın", "ve-duman-gibi", "ve-gibi-duman"]·urd["اور-دھوئیں-جیسے", "اور-دھویں-کی-طرح", "اُس-کا-دھواں", "دھوئیں", "دھوئیں-سے-بھرا", "دھوئیں-میں", "دھوئیں-کا", "دھواں", "دھواں-کے", "دھویں", "دھویں-سے", "دھویں-میں", "ستون"]
Gen 15:17, Exod 19:18, Exod 19:18, Josh 8:20, Josh 8:21, Judg 20:38, Judg 20:40, 2 Sam 22:9, Job 41:20, Ps 18:8, Ps 37:20, Ps 68:2 (+13 more)
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. עָשָׁן n.m. Ex 19:18 smoke;—abs. ע׳ Ju 20:38 +, cstr. עֲשַׁן Jos 8:20, 21; עֶ֫שֶׁן Ex 19:18; sf. עֲשָׁנוֹ Ex 19:18, עֲשָׁנָהּ Is 34:10;— 1. a. of burning city Jos 8:20, 21; Ju 20:38, 40, cf. Na 2:14; heralding a foe Is 14:31. b. in fig. of destruction of Isr. Is 9:17, Edom 34:10. c. sim. of dust-cloud Ct 3:6; of transitoriness Ho 13:3 Is 51:6 ψ 37:20 (reading בֶּע׳, as 𝔊 𝔖 𝔙), 68:3;…