Topical Encyclopedia
A tempest, in biblical terms, refers to a violent storm or disturbance, often characterized by strong winds, rain, thunder, and lightning. The term is used both literally and metaphorically throughout the Scriptures to describe natural phenomena and divine intervention.
Old Testament ReferencesIn the Old Testament, tempests are frequently depicted as manifestations of God's power and judgment. One of the earliest mentions is found in the Book of Job, where God speaks to Job out of a whirlwind, a form of tempest: "Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said" (
Job 38:1). This passage highlights the tempest as a vehicle for divine communication and authority.
The Psalms also make several references to tempests, often in the context of God's might and protection.
Psalm 55:8 speaks of the desire to escape from the storm: "I would hurry to my shelter far from this raging tempest." Here, the tempest symbolizes turmoil and distress from which the psalmist seeks refuge.
In Isaiah, the tempest is used metaphorically to describe God's judgment against the nations: "Behold, the storm of the LORD has gone out with fury, a whirlwind swirling down upon the heads of the wicked" (
Jeremiah 23:19). This imagery underscores the tempest as an instrument of divine retribution.
New Testament ReferencesThe New Testament continues the theme of tempests as both literal and symbolic events. In the Gospels, Jesus demonstrates His authority over nature during a tempest on the Sea of Galilee. In
Mark 4:37-39, a great storm arises, and Jesus calms it with His command: "And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was being swamped. But Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke Him and said, 'Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?' Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the sea. 'Silence!' He commanded. 'Be still!' And the wind died down, and it was perfectly calm." This miracle illustrates Jesus' divine authority and His ability to bring peace amidst chaos.
The Apostle Paul also encounters a tempest during his journey to Rome, as recorded in
Acts 27. The ship carrying Paul is caught in a violent storm, leading to shipwreck. Despite the peril, Paul reassures the crew of God's promise of safety: "But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not a single one of you will be lost, only the ship will be destroyed" (
Acts 27:22). This account emphasizes faith and divine providence in the face of natural disasters.
Symbolism and Theological SignificanceThroughout the Bible, tempests serve as powerful symbols of God's majesty, judgment, and salvation. They remind believers of the omnipotence of God, who controls the forces of nature and uses them to fulfill His purposes. Tempests also represent the trials and tribulations of life, from which God provides deliverance and peace.
In prophetic literature, tempests often signify the coming of the Day of the Lord, a time of divine judgment and restoration. The imagery of a tempest conveys both the terror of God's wrath and the hope of His ultimate victory over evil.
In summary, the concept of the tempest in the Bible is multifaceted, encompassing literal storms, divine intervention, and symbolic representations of God's power and protection. Through these narratives, believers are encouraged to trust in God's sovereignty and seek refuge in His presence amidst life's storms.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) An extensive current of wind, rushing with great velocity and violence, and commonly attended with rain, hail, or snow; a furious storm.
2. (n.) Fig.: Any violent tumult or commotion; as, a political tempest; a tempest of war, or of the passions.
3. (n.) A fashionable assembly; a drum.
4. (v. t.) To disturb as by a tempest.
5. (v. i.) To storm.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
TEMPESTtem'-pest (ce`-arah, or se`-arah, "a whirlwind," zerem, "overflowing rain"; cheimon, thuella): Heavy storms of wind and rain are common in Palestine and the Mediterranean. The storms particularly mentioned in the Bible are:
(1) the 40 days' rain of the great flood of Noah (Genesis 7:4);
(2) hail and rain as a plague in Egypt (Exodus 9:18);
(3) the great rain after the drought and the contest of Elijah on Carmel (1 Kings 18:45);
(4) the tempest on the sea in the story of Jonah (1:4);
(5) the storm on the Lake of Galilee when Jesus was awakened to calm the waves (Matthew 8:24 Mark 4:37 Luke 8:23);
(6) the storm causing the shipwreck of Paul at Melita (Acts 27:18).
Frequent references are found to God's power over storm and use of the tempest in His anger: "He maketh the storm a calm" (Psalm 107:29); He sends the "tempest of hail, a destroying storm" (Isaiah 28:2). See also Job 9:17; Job 21:18 Isaiah 30:30. Yahweh overwhelms His enemies as with a storm: "She shall be visited of Yahweh of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with whirlwind and tempest" (Isaiah 29:6). Yahweh is a "refuge from the storm" (Isaiah 25:4; Isaiah 4:6).
Alfred H. Joy
Greek
2366. thuella -- a whirlwind ... a whirlwind. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: thuella Phonetic Spelling:
(thoo'-el-lah) Short Definition: a storm,
tempest Definition: a storm
... //strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2366.htm - 6k5494. cheimon -- winter, a storm
... winter, a storm. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: cheimon Phonetic
Spelling: (khi-mone') Short Definition: a tempest, the rainy season Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5494.htm - 6k
5492. cheimazo -- to expose to winter cold, to drive with storm
... be tossed with tempest. From the same as cheimon; to storm, ie (passively) to
labor under a gale -- be tossed with tempest. see GREEK cheimon. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5492.htm - 6k
4578. seismos -- a commotion, shaking
... earthquake, tempest. From seio; a commotion, ie (of the air) a gale, (of the
ground) an earthquake -- earthquake, tempest. see GREEK seio. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4578.htm - 6k
2978. lailaps -- a hurricane
... storm, tempest. Of uncertain derivation; a whirlwind (squall) -- storm, tempest.
(lailapos) -- 1 Occurrence. (lailaps) -- 2 Occurrences. 2977, 2978. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2978.htm - 6k
4535. salos -- a tossing, spec. the swell (of the sea)
... sea). Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: salos Phonetic Spelling:
(sal'-os) Short Definition: the tossing of the sea in a tempest Definition: the ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4535.htm - 6k
4366. prosregnumi -- to break against
... beat vehemently against. From pros and rhegnumi; to tear towards, ie Burst upon
(as a tempest or flood) -- beat vehemently against (upon). see GREEK pros. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4366.htm - 6k
Strong's Hebrew
5591b. searah -- a tempest, storm wind... 5591a, 5591b. searah. 5592 . a
tempest, storm wind. Transliteration: searah
Short Definition: storm. Word Origin from saar Definition
... /hebrew/5591b.htm - 5k 5591. ca'ar -- a tempest
ca'ar. 5590, 5591. ca'ar. 5591a . a tempest. Transliteration: ca'ar Phonetic
Spelling: (sah'-ar) Short Definition: storm. stormy, tempest, whirlwind ...
/hebrew/5591.htm - 5k
5591a. saar -- a tempest
... saar. 5591b . a tempest. Transliteration: saar Short Definition: storm. Word Origin
from saar Definition a tempest NASB Word Usage storm (4), tempest (4). ...
/hebrew/5591a.htm - 5k
8183. searah -- a storm
... Word Origin fem. of saar Definition a storm NASB Word Usage storm (1), tempest
(1). storm, tempest. Feminine of sa'ar; a hurricane -- storm, tempest. ...
/hebrew/8183.htm - 6k
5492. cuwphah -- a storm wind
... Red Sea, storm, tempest, whirlwind, Red sea From cuwph; a hurricane -- Red Sea,
storm, tempest, whirlwind, Red sea. see HEBREW cuwph. 5491, 5492. ...
/hebrew/5492.htm - 5k
2230. zerem -- a flood of rain, rainstorm, downpour
... flood, overflowing, shower, storm, tempest. From zaram; a gush of water -- flood,
overflowing, shower, storm, tempest. see HEBREW zaram. 2229, 2230. ...
/hebrew/2230.htm - 6k
8178b. saar -- a storm
... saar. 8179 . a storm. Transliteration: saar Short Definition: tempest. Word Origin
from saar Definition a storm NASB Word Usage tempest (1). 8178a, 8178b. ...
/hebrew/8178b.htm - 5k
5590. saar -- to storm, rage
... A primitive root; to rush upon; by implication, to toss (transitive or intransitive,
literal or figurative) -- be (toss with) tempest(-uous), be sore, troubled ...
/hebrew/5590.htm - 6k
7584. shaavah -- a devastating storm
... 1). desolation. From sha'ah; a tempest (as rushing) -- desolation. see HEBREW
sha'ah. 7583, 7584. shaavah. 7585 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/7584.htm - 6k
8178. sa'ar -- horror
... affrighted, horribly, sore, storm From sa'ar; a tempest; also a terror -- affrighted,
X horribly, X sore, storm. See se'ar. see HEBREW sa'ar. see HEBREW se'ar. ...
/hebrew/8178.htm - 5k
Library
Tempest and Trust
... THE ACTS CHAP. XIII TO END TEMPEST AND TRUST. ... And we being exceedingly tossed
with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship; 19. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture the acts/tempest and trust.htm
Darkly the Tempest Swept,
... MEDITATIONS Darkly the tempest swept,. tr., John Brownlie 6.4.6.4.6.6.6.4. I. Darkly
the tempest swept,. Over the sea; Fiercely the billows leapt,. ...
/.../brownlie/hymns of the apostolic church/darkly the tempest swept.htm
Darkly the Tempest Swept
... HYMNS OF THE EARLY CHURCH Darkly the tempest swept. 6,4,6,4,6,6,6,4. Darkly the
tempest swept. Over the sea; Fiercely the billows leapt,. Bounding and free; ...
/.../brownlie/hymns of the early church/darkly the tempest swept.htm
The First Blast of Tempest
... THE FIRST BLAST OF TEMPEST. 'And as they spake unto the people, the priests,
and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture the acts/the first blast of tempest.htm
March the Eighteenth Serenity in the Tempest
... MARCH The Eighteenth SERENITY IN THE TEMPEST. JOB xix.23-27. Perhaps I am
akin to Job in having experienced the pressure of calamity. ...
/.../my daily meditation for the circling year/march the eighteenth serenity in.htm
CM Mrs. Hemans. Christ Stilling the Tempest.
... Christ Stilling the Tempest. ... 4 O Thou that in its wildest hour Didst rule the tempest's
mood, Send now thy Spirit forth in power O'er our dark souls to brood! ...
/.../various/book of hymns for public and private devotion/115 c m mrs hemans.htm
Jesus Calms the Tempest.
... JESUS CALMS THE TEMPEST. At one time when Jesus had entered a ship to cross
the Sea of Galilee with His disciples, a great storm ...
/.../anonymous/wee ones bible stories/jesus calms the tempest.htm
How Germanus the Bishop, Sailing into Britain with Lupus, First ...
... XVII. How Germanus the Bishop, sailing into Britain with Lupus, first quelled the
tempest of the sea, and afterwards that of the Pelagians, by Divine power. ...
/.../bede/bedes ecclesiastical history of england/chap xvii how germanus the.htm
The Voyage and Shipwreck
... Driven by the tempest, the vessel neared the small island of Clauda, and while
under its shelter the sailors made ready for the worst. ...
/.../white/the acts of the apostles/lesson 42 the voyage and.htm
The Sealing of the Servants of God.
... earth, on whom an effect would be produced by the blowing of the winds, analogous
to the effect produced on those elements by a violent tempest, or hurricane. ...
/.../bliss/a brief commentary on the apocalypse/the sealing of the servants.htm
Thesaurus
Tempest (30 Occurrences)... 2. (n.) Fig.: Any violent tumult or commotion; as, a political
tempest; a
tempest of war, or of the passions.
... 4. (vt) To disturb as by a
tempest.
.../t/tempest.htm - 17kTempest-tossed (1 Occurrence)
Tempest-tossed. Tempest, Tempest-tossed. Tempestuous . Multi-Version
Concordance Tempest-tossed (1 Occurrence). Acts ...
/t/tempest-tossed.htm - 6k
Tempestuous (8 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (a.) Resembling a tempest; turbulent; violent; stormy;
as, tempestuous weather; a tempestuous night; a tempestuous debate. ...
/t/tempestuous.htm - 9k
Weather (5 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) Vicissitude of season; meteorological change; alternation of the state of
the air. 3. (n.) Storm; tempest. 4. (n.) A light rain; a shower. ...
/w/weather.htm - 10k
Whirlwind (33 Occurrences)
... Most of the references in the Bible do not necessarily imply a circular motion,
and the word "tempest" might be used in translation. ...
/w/whirlwind.htm - 19k
Storm (62 Occurrences)
... 6. (vi) To raise a tempest. ... (BBE). Psalms 83:15 so pursue them with your tempest,
and terrify them with your storm. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS NAS NIV). ...
/s/storm.htm - 25k
Flood (70 Occurrences)
... not less than 13 words are rendered "flood," though in the Revised Version (British
and American) we find in some passages "river," "stream," "tempest," etc. ...
/f/flood.htm - 31k
Tempered (7 Occurrences)
/t/tempered.htm - 8k
Casteth (54 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 28:2 Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one; as a tempest of hail,
a destroying storm, as a tempest of mighty waters overflowing, will he cast ...
/c/casteth.htm - 22k
Violence (98 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 28:2 Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one; as a tempest of hail,
a destroying storm, as a tempest of mighty waters overflowing, will he cast ...
/v/violence.htm - 38k
Resources
What does it mean that God speaks in a still small voice? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is a theophany? What is a Christophany? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the peace that passes all understanding? | GotQuestions.orgTempest: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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