אֵד
𐤀𐤃
ʼêd
H108 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A visible mass of water droplets suspended near the ground; mist; specifically, the atmospheric condition of fine moisture or vapor. In biblical usage, refers especially to the primordial mist that arose from the earth prior to the creation of rain. The semantic range includes both naturally occurring mist or vapor and symbolic uses connoting indistinctness or covering.
Semantic Range
mist, vapor, light fog, atmospheric moisture, enveloping vapor
Root / Etymology
From the root אוּד (ʼûd), likely connected via the sense of enveloping, surrounding, or enveloping in moisture. The exact derivation is uncertain but suggests a phenomenon that covers or surrounds.
Historical & Contextual Notes
אֵד appears rarely in the Hebrew Bible and is most notably found in Genesis 2:6, describing a time before rain, when a mist would rise from the earth and water its surface. This suggests a distinct early Israelite understanding of how the land received moisture before the arrival of rain, different from later meteorological observations. The term is not used for heavy atmospheric phenomena like thick clouds nor for dew (טַל, tal), which is a separate concept in Hebrew. In later translations, such as the Septuagint, the term is rendered as πηγή ('spring, source, welling up'), showing interpretive flexibility. English translations vary, at times using 'mist,' 'flow,' or the more archaic 'flood,' but 'mist' best preserves the lexical force. The word's rarity means its meaning is more tied to the creation narrative's context than to general meteorological vocabulary. In Second Temple literature and later rabbinic discussion, אֵד is referenced when discussing primeval irrigation or environmental conditions of the Eden narrative.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from the same as אוּד (in the sense of enveloping); a fog; mist, vapor.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
אוד (ʾ-w-d) — to surround, to envelop, to wrap
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H181 | אוּד | the firebrands |
| H182 | אוֹדוֹת | matters concerning |
| H343 | אֵיד | in your disaster |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H108-01 |
לְ/אֵדֽ/וֹ | leedo | HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms |
from his mist | to his enveloping mist | 1 |
H108-02 |
וְ/אֵ֖ד | veed | HC/Ncmsa |
and a mist/spring | and mist | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H108-02 |
Genesis 2:6 | וְ/אֵ֖ד | veed | HC/Ncmsa |
and a mist/spring | and mist |
H108-01 |
Job 36:27 | לְ/אֵדֽ/וֹ | leedo | HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms |
from his mist | to his enveloping mist |