### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **çûwphâh**, represented by `{{H5492}}`, is a term for a **hurricane**, **storm**, **tempest**, or **whirlwind**. It appears **16 times** across **16 unique verses** in the Bible. It is primarily used to describe a powerful and violent storm, often as an instrument of divine power or judgment. One unique usage in the scriptures also connects this word to the **Red Sea** [[Numbers 21:14]].
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In biblical passages, `{{H5492}}` frequently symbolizes God’s mighty and swift judgment. The prophet Nahum describes the LORD's path of power as being "in the **whirlwind** and in the storm" [[Nahum 1:3]]. God’s arrival is depicted with chariots "like a **whirlwind**" to carry out His anger with fury [[Isaiah 66:15]]. The term also serves as a metaphor for sudden destruction, where the wicked vanish "as the **whirlwind** passeth" [[Proverbs 10:25]] and destruction arrives "as a **whirlwind**" for those who reject wisdom [[Proverbs 1:27]]. A distinct usage is found in [[Numbers 21:14]], where `{{H5492}}` is translated as the **Red sea**.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words expand on the themes of storm, judgment, and divine power:
* `{{H5591}}` **çaʻar** (a hurricane; storm, tempest, whirlwind): This term is often used alongside `{{H5492}}` to intensify the description of a divine storm. God's visitation is described with both **storm** `{{H5492}}` and **tempest** `{{H5591}}` [[Isaiah 29:6]].
* `{{H1534}}` **galgal** (a wheel; by analogy, a whirlwind; also dust): This word illustrates the chaotic, spinning motion associated with a storm. In [[Isaiah 17:13]], the nations that are rebuked by God are chased "like a **rolling thing** before the whirlwind" `{{H5492}}`.
* `{{H4671}}` **môts** (chaff): This word symbolizes worthlessness and vulnerability. The wicked are compared to **chaff** that the **storm** `{{H5492}}` carries away, emphasizing their powerlessness before divine judgment [[Job 21:18]].
* `{{H7307}}` **rûwach** (wind; spirit): This word for wind is linked to `{{H5492}}` in the principle of sowing and reaping, where sowing the **wind** results in reaping the **whirlwind** [[Hosea 8:7]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H5492}}` is significant, highlighting God's power and sovereignty.
* **Vehicle of Divine Judgment:** The whirlwind is consistently employed to illustrate the awesome power of God in action. His judgment arrives with the force of a **whirlwind** [[Isaiah 66:15]] and is often part of a larger display of divine might, including **thunder** `{{H7482}}`, **earthquake** `{{H7494}}`, and **flame** `{{H3851}}` [[Isaiah 29:6]].
* **Symbol of Inevitable Consequence:** The word underscores the principle of cause and effect in the moral realm. The prophet Hosea warns that those who have "sown the wind" will "reap the **whirlwind**," a powerful metaphor for how destructive actions lead to catastrophic results [[Hosea 8:7]].
* **Metaphor for Transience:** The swiftness of a **whirlwind** is used to depict the fleeting existence of the wicked. They are compared to chaff scattered by the storm [[Isaiah 17:13]], vanishing completely while the righteous stand on an "everlasting foundation" [[Proverbs 10:25]].
### Summary
In summary, **çûwphâh** `{{H5492}}` is a dynamic and evocative term. Though overwhelmingly meaning a powerful **storm** or **whirlwind**, its single use as **Red sea** [[Numbers 21:14]] marks a notable exception. It functions primarily as a symbol of irresistible force, used by God to execute judgment and demonstrate His power over both nature and nations. From the sudden disappearance of the wicked to the inescapable consequences of sin, the **whirlwind** serves as a potent biblical image for swift, complete, and overwhelming divine action.
TRV