νέφος
néphos
G3509 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A cloud, primarily referring to a visible mass of condensed water vapor in the sky. Metaphorically, the term may be used for a dense multitude or a mass resembling a cloud in its extent or appearance. Its primary lexical meaning is 'cloud,' but it can also denote an assemblage that is cloud-like in form or density.
Semantic Range
cloud (weather phenomenon), mass or assemblage resembling a cloud (literal or metaphorical), multitude (figurative)
Root / Etymology
Etymology uncertain. νέφος is an ancient Greek noun, with no clear Indo-European cognate attested, and is possibly pre-Greek in origin. Related words include νεφέλη (nephelē, 'cloud'), which may share a root.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, νέφος refers specifically to a natural cloud in the atmosphere and is used in both poetic and prose contexts. In the Septuagint (LXX), it usually translates Hebrew עָנָן (ʿānān, 'cloud') in references to weather phenomena or the cloud signifying divine presence. In the New Testament (e.g., Hebrews 12:1), νέφος is employed metaphorically: "a great cloud of witnesses" refers to a vast multitude, drawing on the imagery of thickly clustered clouds to depict an overwhelming or all-encompassing group. νέφος is distinct from νεφέλη, which is also translated as 'cloud,' but νεφέλη may more often appear in narrative or specific theophanic contexts (e.g., the cloud of transfiguration). Standard English translations render both νέφος and νεφέλη as 'cloud,' though they occasionally obscure the metaphorical extension found in Hellenistic and literary contexts. The use of νέφος for a crowd is not found outside of figurative or literary extension, but this metaphor builds naturally on classical Greek precedents of likening masses of people or things to clouds.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
apparently a primary word; a cloud:--cloud.
Root Family
νέφος (nephos) — cloud, mass
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3509-01 |
νέφος | nephos | N ACC N SG |
cloud | a cloud | a cloud | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3509-01 |
Hebrews 12:1 | νέφος | nephos | N ACC N SG |
cloud | a cloud | a cloud |