Reference: Winds
American
Mt 24:31. The winds which most commonly prevail in Palestine are from the western quarter, more usually perhaps from the south-west, Lu 12:54. Not infrequently a north wind arises, Job 37:9, which, as in ancient days, is till the sure harbinger of fair weather; illustrating the truth of the observation in Pr 25:23, "The north wind driveth away rain." For the tempestuous wind called EUROCLYDON, see that article.
But the wind most frequently mentioned in the Bible is the "cast wind," which is represented as blasting and drying up the fruits, Ge 41:6; Eze 17:10; 19:12, and also as blowing with great violence, Ps 48:7; Eze 27:26; Jon 4:8. It is also the "horrible tempest" literally the glow-wind, of Ps 11:6. This is a sultry and oppressive wind blowing from the south-east, and prevailing only in the hot and dry months of summer. Coming thus from the vast Arabian desert, it seems to increase the heat and drought of the season, and produces universal languor and debility. Rev. Dr. Eli Smith, who experienced it effects during the summer, at Beyrout, describes it as possessing the same qualities and characteristics as the Sirocco, which he had felt at Malta, and which also prevails in Sicily and Italy; except that the Sirocco, in passing over the sea, acquires great dampness. This wind is called by the Arabs the Simoom, by the Turks the Samuel; and by the Egyptians the Camsin; and has long been regarded as a pestilential wind, suddenly overtaking travelers and caravans in the deserts, and almost instantly destroying them by its poisonous and suffocating death. But late and judicious travelers find no evidence that this wind is laden with any poisonous influence. It is indeed oppressively hot and dry, rapidly evaporating the water in the ordinary skin bottles, stopping the perspiration of travelers, drying up the palate and the air passages, and producing great restlessness and exhaustion. As it often blows with a terrible roaring and violence, it carries dust and fine sand high up into the air, so that the whole atmosphere is lurid, and seems in a state of combustion, and the sun is shorn of his beams, and looks like a globe of dull smoldering fire. Both men and animals are greatly annoyed by the dust, and seek any practicable shelter or covering. The camels turn their backs, and hide their heads from it in the ground. It is often accompanied by local whirlwinds, which form pillars of sand and dust, rising high above the ground and moving with swiftness over the plain. Such a tempest may have suggested some features in the prophetic descriptions of the day of God's power: "wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood and fire and pillars of smoke: the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood," Joe 2:30-31; Ac 2:19-20.
Dr. Thomson describes another variety of hot winds or siroccos, often more overwhelming than those just mentioned. The sky is covered with clouds, and pale lightning play through the air; but there is no rain, thunder, or wind. The heat, however, is intolerable; every traveler seeks a refuge, the birds hide themselves in the thickest shades, the fowls pant under the walls with open mouths, and no living thing is in motion.
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And behold! Seven thin ears, and blasted with the east wind, sprang up after them!
Out of the storeroom comes the tempest; and cold from scattering winds.
On the wicked He shall rain snares, fire and brimstone; and a horrible tempest shall be the portion of their cup.
You break the ships of Tarshish with an east wind;
The north wind drives away rain; so does an angry face a backbiting tongue.
And behold, being planted, shall it prosper? Shall it not utterly wither when the east wind touches it? It shall wither in the beds where it sprouted.
But she was plucked up in fury; she was thrown down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit. Her strong rods were broken and withered; the fire burned them up.
Your rowers have made you come into great waters; the east wind has broken you in the heart of the seas.
And I will show wonders in the heavens, and in the earth, blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of Jehovah.
And it happened when the sun shone, God ordained a scorching east wind. And the sun beat on the head of Jonah, so that he fainted. And he asked for his life to die. And he said, Better is my death than my life.
And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
And He also said to the crowd, When you see a cloud rise out of the west, immediately you say, There is a shower coming. And so it is.
And I will give wonders in the heaven above, and miracles on the earth below, blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before that great and glorious Day of the Lord.
Easton
blowing from the four quarters of heaven (Jer 49:36; Eze 37:9; Da 8:8; Zec 2:6). The east wind was parching (Eze 17:10; 19:12), and is sometimes mentioned as simply denoting a strong wind (Job 27:21; Isa 27:8). This wind prevails in Palestine from February to June, as the west wind (Lu 12:54) does from November to February. The south was a hot wind (Job 37:17; Lu 12:55). It swept over the Arabian peninsula. The rush of invaders is figuratively spoken of as a whirlwind (Isa 21:1); a commotion among the nations of the world as a striving of the four winds (Da 7:2). The winds are subject to the divine power (Ps 18:10; 135:7).
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The east wind lifts him up, and he is gone; for it whirls him out of his place.
You whose clothes warm when He quiets the earth from the south wind?
And He rode on a cherub, and flew; yea, He soared on the wings of the wind.
He causes the vapors to rise from the end of the earth; He makes lightnings for the rain; He brings wind out of His storehouses.
The burden against the desert of the sea: As tempests in the south pass, it comes from the desert, from a terrible land.
By driving her away, you will contend with her; by sending her away, You punished her. He takes away by His rough wind, in the day of the east wind.
And I will bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven on Elam, and will scatter them toward all these winds. And there shall be no nation where the outcasts of Elam shall not come.
And behold, being planted, shall it prosper? Shall it not utterly wither when the east wind touches it? It shall wither in the beds where it sprouted.
But she was plucked up in fury; she was thrown down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit. Her strong rods were broken and withered; the fire burned them up.
And He said to me, Prophesy to the Spirit, prophesy, son of man, and say to the Spirit, So says the Lord Jehovah: Come from the four winds, O Spirit, and breathe on these dead ones so that they may live.
Daniel spoke and said, In my vision by night I was looking: and behold, the four winds of the heavens were stirring up the Great Sea.
Then the he-goat became very great. And when he was strong, the great horn was broken. And in its place came up four outstanding ones towards the four winds of the heavens.
Ho! Ho! Flee then from the land of the north, says Jehovah. For I have scattered you as the four winds of the heavens, says Jehovah.
And He also said to the crowd, When you see a cloud rise out of the west, immediately you say, There is a shower coming. And so it is. And when you see the south wind blow, you say, There will be heat; and it occurs.
Fausets
The four represent the four quarters (Eze 37:9; Da 8:8; Mt 24:31; Jer 49:36). The N. wind was coldest (Song 4:16). The N. wind "awakes," i.e. arises strongly; the Holy Spirit as the Reprover of sin (Joh 16:8-11). The S. wind "comes" gently; the Comforter (Joh 14:16). The W. wind brings rain from the sea (1Ki 18:44-45); its precursor is cloud (Lu 12:54), prevailing in Palestine from November to February. The E. wind is tempestuous (Job 27:21) and, withering (Ge 41:23). The N. wind is first invoked (Song 4:16) to clear the air (Job 37:22); then the warm S. wind (Job 37:17; Lu 12:55); so the Holy Spirit first clears away mists of gloom, error, unbelief, and sin, which intercept the light of the Sun of righteousness, then infuses warmth (2Co 4:6), causing the graces to exhale their odor.
In Pr 25:23 "the N. wind driveth away (literally, causeth to grieve, so puts to flight) rain," so a frowning countenance drives away a backbiting tongue. So Vulgate, Chald., and Syriac less appropriately "bringeth forth rain." The N. wind prevails from June to the equinox, the N.W. wind thence to November. The E. wind, "the wind of the wilderness" (Job 1:19; 27:21; Jer 13:24). It is parching and penetrating, like the sirocco (Jon 4:8). The E. wind blowing from across the Red Sea, just at the Passover time of year, was the natural agency employed by divine interposition to part the waters of the Red Sea S. of Suez (Ex 14:21). The E. wind meant in Ge 41:6,23 is probably the S.E. wind blowing from the Arabian desert, called the chamsin, so parching as to wither up all grass; during it there is an entire absence of ozone in the air.
The samoom blows from the S.S.E.; blowing over the Arabian peninsula, it is parching when it reaches Palestine. Lake squalls (lailaps) are noticed Mr 4:37; Lu 8:23. The Greek (lips) name for S.W. wind, and the Latin (cores) N.W. wind, and the violent Euraquilon (not Euroclydon), E.N.E. wind, are noticed Ac 27:12,14. (See EUROCLYDON.) The E. wind symbolizes empty violence (Job 15:2; Ho 12:1; Israel "followeth after" not only vain but pernicious things) and destruction (Jer 18:17; Isa 27:8). Wind indicates speed (Ps 104:4; Heb 1:7), transitoriness (Job 7:7; Ps 78:39), the Holy Spirit (Joh 3:8; Ac 2:2; Ge 3:8 margin).
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And they heard the voice of Jehovah God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. And Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Jehovah God in the middle of the trees of the garden.
And behold! Seven thin ears, and blasted with the east wind, sprang up after them!
And behold, seven ears, withered, thin, blasted by the east wind, sprang up after them.
And behold, seven ears, withered, thin, blasted by the east wind, sprang up after them.
And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. And Jehovah caused the sea to recede by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
And it happened at the seventh time, he said, Behold, there arises a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up and say to Ahab, Bind up and go down, so that the rain does not stop you. And it happened in the meantime the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rose and went to Jezreel.
And, behold, a great wind came from the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead. And I only have escaped alone to tell you.
Remember that my life is a breath; my eye shall no more see good.
Should a wise man answer with windy knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind?
The east wind lifts him up, and he is gone; for it whirls him out of his place.
The east wind lifts him up, and he is gone; for it whirls him out of his place.
You whose clothes warm when He quiets the earth from the south wind?
Golden splendor comes out of the north; God is awesome in His majesty.
For He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes away and does not come again.
He makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flaming fire.
The north wind drives away rain; so does an angry face a backbiting tongue.
Awake, O north wind; and come, south wind; blow on my garden, so that the spices of it may flow out. Let my Beloved come into His garden and eat His pleasant fruits.
Awake, O north wind; and come, south wind; blow on my garden, so that the spices of it may flow out. Let my Beloved come into His garden and eat His pleasant fruits.
By driving her away, you will contend with her; by sending her away, You punished her. He takes away by His rough wind, in the day of the east wind.
And I will scatter them as the stubble that passes away by the wind of the wilderness.
I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will show them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity.
And I will bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven on Elam, and will scatter them toward all these winds. And there shall be no nation where the outcasts of Elam shall not come.
And He said to me, Prophesy to the Spirit, prophesy, son of man, and say to the Spirit, So says the Lord Jehovah: Come from the four winds, O Spirit, and breathe on these dead ones so that they may live.
Then the he-goat became very great. And when he was strong, the great horn was broken. And in its place came up four outstanding ones towards the four winds of the heavens.
Ephraim feeds on wind and follows after the east wind. He daily multiplies lies and cruelty. And they make a covenant with the Assyrians, and oil is carried into Egypt.
And it happened when the sun shone, God ordained a scorching east wind. And the sun beat on the head of Jonah, so that he fainted. And he asked for his life to die. And he said, Better is my death than my life.
And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
And there arose a windstorm, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was now full.
But as they sailed, He fell asleep. And a storm of wind came onto the lake. And they were being filled with water and were in jeopardy.
And He also said to the crowd, When you see a cloud rise out of the west, immediately you say, There is a shower coming. And so it is. And when you see the south wind blow, you say, There will be heat; and it occurs.
The Spirit breathes where He desires, and you hear His voice, but you do not know from where He comes, and where He goes; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.
And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, so that He may be with you forever,
And when that One comes, He will convict the world concerning sin, and concerning righteousness, and concerning judgment. Concerning sin, because they do not believe on Me; read more. concerning righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
And suddenly a sound came out of the heaven as borne along by the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
And the port not being fit to winter in, the most of them advised to set sail from there, if by any means they might be able to get to Phoenix to winter; which is a port of Crete, looking toward the southwest and northwest.
But not long after, a stormy wind called Euroclydon beat down on it.
For it is God who said, "Out of darkness Light shall shine;" who shone in our hearts to give the brightness of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
And of the angels He says, "Who makes His angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire."
Smith
Winds.
That the Hebrews recognized the existence of four prevailing winds as issuing, broadly speaking, from the four cardinal points, north, south, east and west, may be inferred from their custom of using the expression "four winds" as equivalent to the "four quarters" of the hemisphere.
Eze 37:9; Da 8:8; Zec 2:6; Mt 24:31
The north wind, or, as it was usually called "the north," was naturally the coldest of the four, Ecclus. 43:20 and its presence is hence invoked as favorable to vegetation in
It is described in
as bringing rain; in this case we must understand the northwest wind. The northwest wind prevails from the autumnal equinox to the beginning of November, and the north wind from June to the equinox. The east wind crosses the sandy wastes of Arabia Deserts before reaching Palestine and was hence termed "the wind of the wilderness."
It blows with violence, and is hence supposed to be used generally for any violent wind.
Job 27:21; 38:24; Ps 48:7; Isa 27:8; Eze 27:26
In Palestine the east wind prevails from February to June. The south wind, which traverses the Arabian peninsula before reaching Palestine, must necessarily be extremely hot.
Job 37:17; Lu 12:55
The west and southwest winds reach Palestine loaded with moisture gathered from the Mediterranean, and are hence expressly termed by the Arabs "the fathers of the rain." Westerly winds prevail in Palestine from November to February. In addition to the four regular winds, we have notice in the Bible of the local squalls,
Mr 4:37; Lu 8:23
to which the Sea of Gennesareth was liable. In the narrative of St. Paul's voyage we meet with the Greek term Lips to describe the southwest wind; the Latin Carus or Caurus, the northwest wind
and Euroclydon, a wind of a very violent character coming from east-northeast.
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And, behold, a great wind came from the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead. And I only have escaped alone to tell you.
The east wind lifts him up, and he is gone; for it whirls him out of his place.
You whose clothes warm when He quiets the earth from the south wind?
How is it, the way the light is distributed, and how does the east wind spread itself on the earth?
You break the ships of Tarshish with an east wind;
Awake, O north wind; and come, south wind; blow on my garden, so that the spices of it may flow out. Let my Beloved come into His garden and eat His pleasant fruits.
By driving her away, you will contend with her; by sending her away, You punished her. He takes away by His rough wind, in the day of the east wind.
And I will smash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, says Jehovah. I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, to keep them from their destruction.
Your rowers have made you come into great waters; the east wind has broken you in the heart of the seas.
And He said to me, Prophesy to the Spirit, prophesy, son of man, and say to the Spirit, So says the Lord Jehovah: Come from the four winds, O Spirit, and breathe on these dead ones so that they may live.
Then the he-goat became very great. And when he was strong, the great horn was broken. And in its place came up four outstanding ones towards the four winds of the heavens.
Ho! Ho! Flee then from the land of the north, says Jehovah. For I have scattered you as the four winds of the heavens, says Jehovah.
And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
And there arose a windstorm, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was now full.
But as they sailed, He fell asleep. And a storm of wind came onto the lake. And they were being filled with water and were in jeopardy.
And when you see the south wind blow, you say, There will be heat; and it occurs.
But not long after, a stormy wind called Euroclydon beat down on it.