Word Study for H6227 (עָשָׁן)

ʻâshân /aw-shawn'/ Ask about this word

Meaningsmoke, literally or figuratively (vapor, dust, anger)

KJV usagesmoke(-ing).

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of ʻâshân — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word ʻâshân, represented by H6227, primarily means smoke. It appears 25 times across 24 unique verses in the Bible. Derived from a root meaning to smoke, its use extends beyond the literal, often serving as a powerful figurative symbol for concepts like transience, divine anger, and the very presence of God.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical narratives, H6227 appears in several significant contexts. It is a key element in divine manifestations, such as when Mount Sinai was completely covered in smoke because the LORD descended upon it in fire Exodus 19:18. The smoke of the city of Ai ascending to heaven served as a sign of military victory for Israel Joshua 8:20. Figuratively, it illustrates impermanence, as the heavens are prophesied to "vanish away like smoke" Isaiah 51:6. It is also used to describe a nuisance, where a lazy person is "as smoke to the eyes" Proverbs 10:26.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the contexts in which smoke appears:

H784 ʼêsh (fire): As the source of smoke, this primitive word is often paired with H6227. God's presence on Sinai was in fire, causing the mountain to smoke Exodus 19:18, and fire from his mouth devoured while smoke went up from his nostrils Psalms 18:8.
H6051 ʻânân (cloud): Often appearing alongside smoke, this word for cloud signifies God's visible glory and protection. The LORD promises to create upon Mount Zion a "cloud and smoke by day" Isaiah 4:5.
H3536 kibshân (furnace): This word for a smelting furnace is used to describe the intensity of the smoke at Sinai, which "ascended as the smoke of a furnace" Exodus 19:18.
H8574 tannûwr (furnace): A fire-pot or oven, this word is used in God's covenant with Abram, where a "smoking furnace" passed between the pieces Genesis 15:17.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H6227 is demonstrated through its symbolic applications:

Divine Presence and Theophany: Smoke frequently signals the awesome and holy presence of God. It filled the house during Isaiah's commissioning Isaiah 6:4 and was part of the wonders God promised to show, including "pillars of smoke" Joel 2:30.
Judgment and Wrath: Smoke is a potent image of divine anger. God's indignation is described as "a smoke in my nose" Isaiah 65:5. The fate of the wicked is to "consume away" into smoke Psalms 37:20, and the smoke of lands under judgment ascends for ever Isaiah 34:10.
Transience and Impermanence: The fleeting nature of smoke is used as a metaphor for things that do not last. The psalmist laments that his days "are consumed like smoke" Psalms 102:3, and the wicked are driven away "as smoke is driven away" Psalms 68:2, contrasting with God's eternal salvation.

Summary

In summary, H6227 is far more than a simple descriptor for the byproduct of fire. It is a multifaceted biblical symbol, representing the terrifying glory of God's presence, the fierceness of His judgment against sin, and the ephemeral nature of all creation. From the covenant with Abraham to the prophecies of Isaiah, ʻâshân serves as a powerful visual aid to communicate profound theological truths.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 25 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

עָשָׁן
עֲשַׁן

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 24 verses across 13 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Isaiah (7 verses); never once in the other 26.

Genesis

Exodus

Joshua

Judges

2 Samuel

Job

Psalms

Proverbs

Song of Solomon

Isaiah

Hosea

Joel

Nahum

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.