The Hebrew word ʼâbak, represented by H55, is a primitive root defined as to coil upward or mount up. It is a rare term, appearing only 1 time in 1 unique verse in the entire biblical text, making its single usage particularly significant.
The sole appearance of H55 is in Isaiah 9:18, where it vividly illustrates the consequences of sin. The verse describes wickedness as a fire that devours everything in its path, from briers and thorns to the thickets of the forest. In this dramatic scene of judgment, the resulting smoke is said to mount up H55, creating a powerful image of widespread, ascending destruction. The word captures the visual of a great column of smoke coiling into the sky from a raging fire.
The imagery surrounding H55 is built by several key related words found in its context:
- H7564 rishʻâh (wrong (especially moral)): This word identifies the source of the destructive fire, framing the entire event as a consequence of wickedness.
- H1197 bâʻar (to kindle, i.e. consume (by fire or by eating)): This verb describes the action of the fire, emphasizing its consuming and destructive nature as it spreads.
- H3293 yaʻar (a copse of bushes; hence, a forest): This specifies the location of the kindling, indicating that the fire of wickedness consumes even the most substantial and verdant things.
- H6227 ʻâshân (smoke, literally or figuratively (vapor, dust, anger)): This is the object that is said to "mount up," serving as the visible evidence of the devastation caused by the fire of wickedness.
The theological weight of H55 is concentrated in its powerful metaphorical role within its single context.
- The Manifestation of Judgment: The act of smoke "mounting up" provides a visible, undeniable sign of judgment. It shows that wickedness H7564 is not a hidden act but a destructive force with public and inescapable consequences.
- The Escalation of Sin: The imagery portrays wickedness as an active, escalating power. It starts by burning H1197 briers and thorns but then kindles H3341 in the forest thickets, culminating in a massive plume of smoke that coils upward H55, signifying total consumption.
- A Picture of Ruin: The word is used in comparison to the "lifting up" H1348 of smoke. This illustrates how the destructive outcome of sin becomes a monumental and unavoidable spectacle, a towering column marking a scene of utter ruin.
In summary, while ʼâbak H55 appears only once, its meaning is clear and impactful. It is used exclusively to depict the coiling, upward movement of smoke from a fire symbolizing judgment. Through this single, vivid image in Isaiah 9:18, the word serves as a potent and memorable illustration of the visible, escalating, and all-consuming consequence of wickedness.
TRV