See EAST. The Babylonians and Assyrians are represented as coming from "the north," because they invaded Israel by a northern route in order to avoid the desert, Jer 1:14; 46:6,24; Zep 2:13. "Fair weather," says Job, or golden weather, "cometh out of the north," Job 37:22. This is as true in Syria and Arabia now as it was three thousand years ago. A traveler there remarks, "Our friends, who have been long residents, informed us that we should have fair weather for our start on the morrow, as the wind was from the north . . . . And so we have found it come to pass that the clouds of a golden hue always followed upon a north wind, and indicated a clear day; and as in the times of the Savior, we could always say when it was evening, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,'" Mt 16:2.

1. mezarim, lit. 'the scattering': regarding the north wind as scattering the clouds and bringing severe cold. Elihu said the cold came out of the north. The word occurs only in Job 37:9.

2. tsaphon, 'hidden, dark.' The ancients regarded the north as the region of gloom and darkness. This is the word commonly translated 'north' in the O.T. Job 37:9, etc.

3. ??????, north. Lu 13:29; Re 21:13.