H8229 H8229
Abundance, flood, multitude; a company or troop of people
The noun שִׁפְעָה denotes a great quantity or mass, whether of things or persons. When applied to natural forces, it means a flood or overwhelming abundance — Job's 'flood of waters' (22:11, 38:34), the 'abundance of camels' covering Midian (Isa 60:6), and the 'multitude of horses' shaking Tyre's walls (Ezek 26:10). But in 2 Kings 9:17, when the watchman spots Jehu's approaching force, the word shifts to mean a company or troop of men — a military band rather than an undifferentiated mass. Spanish neatly distinguishes 'multitud de' (multitude of things) from 'tropa' (troop of soldiers), confirming the two senses.
Senses
1. abundance, flood, multitude — A large quantity or overflowing abundance of something, used for both literal flooding and figurative profusion of animals or natural forces. Job asks whether 'a flood of waters' covers him (22:11), and God challenges him about commanding 'an abundance of waters' (38:34). Isaiah 60:6 envisions 'an abundance of camels' filling the land in messianic restoration, while Ezekiel 26:10 describes the 'multitude of horses' in Nebuchadnezzar's army shaking Tyre's walls. Spanish 'multitud de' and English 'flood of/abundance of' consistently encode uncountable profusion. 4×
AR["فَيَغْمُرُكَ-", "كَثْرَةُ", "مِنْ-كَثْرَةِ", "وَ-وَفْرَةُ-"]·ben["আর-প্রচুরতা-", "এবং-বন্যা-", "প্রাচুর্য", "বাহুল্য-থেকে"]·DE["[ושפעת]", "[משפעת]", "[שפעת]"]·EN["and-an-abundance-of-", "and-flood-of", "from-abundance-of-", "multitude-of"]·FR["Schiphea", "[שפעת]", "et-ושפעת"]·heb["ו-שפעת", "מ-שפעת", "שפעת"]·HI["और-बहुतायत", "और-बाढ़", "बहुतायत"]·ID["Dari-banyaknya-", "Limpahan", "dan-banjir", "dan-kelimpahan-"]·IT["[משפעת]", "[שפעת]", "e-e-an-abundance-di", "e-e-flood-di"]·jav["Kathah", "Saking-kathahipun", "lan-akathah-ipun", "lan-tumuruning-"]·KO["그리고-많음이", "그리고-홍수가-", "많음에서-", "무리가"]·PT["Abundância-de", "Da-abundância-de", "E-abundância-de", "e-abundância-de-"]·RU["и-множество-", "и-обилие-", "множество-", "от-множества"]·ES["De-la-multitud-de", "Multitud-de", "y-abundancia-de-"]·SW["Kutoka-wingi-wa", "na-wingi-wa", "wingi-wa"]·TR["Bolulugu-", "ve-bolluk-", "çokluğundan"]·urd["اور-سیلاب-", "اور-کثرت", "بہتات", "سے-بہتات"]
2. company, troop, band — A company, troop, or band of people, particularly in a military or organized context. Both occurrences appear in 2 Kings 9:17, where the watchman on Jezreel's tower spots 'a company' approaching and then identifies it as 'the company of Jehu.' Spanish 'tropa' (troop) and English 'company' mark a clear shift from the liquid/animal abundance of sense 1 to a countable, organized group of persons — soldiers riding toward the city in formation. 2×
AR["جُمْلَةً", "جُمْلَةَ"]·ben["ভিড়"]·DE["company-von", "ein-company"]·EN["a-company", "company-of"]·FR["company-de", "un-company"]·heb["שפעת"]·HI["शिप्अत"]·ID["-rombongan", "rombongan"]·IT["compagnia-di", "un-compagnia"]·jav["Rombongan", "rombongan"]·KO["무리가", "무리를"]·PT["companhia", "companhia-de"]·RU["множество"]·ES["Tropa", "tropa-de"]·SW["umati", "umati-wa"]·TR["kalabalık", "kalabalığı"]·urd["بھیڑ"]
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
† [שִׁפְעָה], שִׁפְעַת n.f. abundance, quantity;—appar. abs. שִׁפְעַת 2 K 9:17, a multitude (of men), (Bur שִׁפְעָה, or שִׁפְעַת אֲנָשִׁים as Klo Benz al.; > 𝔊B Kit עָפָר); cstr. שִׁפְעַת יֵהוּא v 17 Jehu’s multitude; cstr., of horses Ez 26:10, camels Is 60:6; of waters Jb 22:11; 38:34.