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סוּפָה

𐤎𐤅𐤐𐤄

Sufah

H5492 noun

SILEX Entry

Root סוף to end, cease, sweep away, destroy

Definition

A violent windstorm, whirlwind, or tempest; used in reference to a destructive atmospheric phenomenon characterized by rapid, rotating motion and intense wind. In rare instances, by metonymy, may denote a place associated with such storms, but not a specific geographic body such as the 'Red Sea.'

Semantic Range

whirlwind, tempest, violent storm, hurricane, destructive storm, by metonymy: calamity or destruction wrought by such a storm

Root / Etymology

Root: סוף (s-w-p). The verb סוף primarily means 'to come to an end, cease, perish' or may connote 'to sweep away, destroy.' The noun סוּפָה is a derived feminine form, often interpreted as 'whirlwind' or 'storm,' possibly from the idea of 'sweeping away' or 'coming to an end' through violent, destructive wind. The etymology is not linked to the homographic noun סוף (sûph), 'reed,' which gives rise to the toponym Yam Sûph ('Sea of Reeds').

Historical & Contextual Notes

In Biblical usage, סוּפָה refers to natural phenomena of violent storms or whirlwinds (e.g. Job 21:18, Proverbs 1:27), highlighting their destructive capacity. It is distinct from other Hebrew terms for wind or storm, such as סַעַר (sa'ar, 'gale, storm') and סְעָרָה (se‘arah, 'tempest'). Unlike the noun סוף (sûph, 'reed'), which is used in the phrase Yam Sûph to denote what is often translated as the 'Red Sea,' סוּפָה does not denote a body of water and should not be confused with the place name. Some traditional translations have at times conflated סוּפָה with סוף in contexts like Exodus, but this is a mistranslation based on a confusion of roots. Over time, the term remained specialized for storms and whirlwinds, retaining a focus on destructive wind phenomena rather than general wind or water bodies.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from סוּף; a hurricane; Red Sea, storm, tempest, whirlwind, Red sea.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

סוף (s-w-p) — end, cease, sweep away, destroy

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H5486 סוּף I will bring to an end
H5487 סוּף she came to an end
H5488 סוּף in the reed
H5489 סוּף marsh-reed
H5490 סוֹף in the end of

Word Forms

8 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5492-05 סוּפָֽה sufah HNcfsa whirlwind sweeping storm 7
H5492-07 וְ/כַ/סּוּפָ֖ה vekhasufah HC/Rd/Ncfsa and like a whirlwind and like a sweeping whirlwind 2
H5492-01 בְּ/סוּפָ֔ה besufah HR/Np in whirlwind in a sweeping storm 2
H5492-03 כְּ/סוּפָ֣ה kesufah HR/Ncfsa like a whirlwind like a sweeping storm 1
H5492-08 וְ/סוּפָ֣תָ/ה vesufatah HC/Ncfsa/Sh whirlwind-its and a sweeping whirlwind 1
H5492-02 כַּ/סּוּפָֽה kasufah HRd/Ncfsa like a whirlwind sweeping storm 1
H5492-06 וּ/בְ/סוּפָתְ/ךָ֥ uvesufatekha HC/R/Ncfsc/Sp2ms and-in-your-tempest and in your sweeping storm 1
H5492-04 כְּ/סוּפ֤וֹת kesufot HR/Ncfpa As whirlwinds destructive windstorms 1

Occurrences in Scripture

16 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5492-01 Numbers 21:14 בְּ/סוּפָ֔ה besufah HR/Np in Suphah in a sweeping storm
H5492-02 Isaiah 5:28 כַּ/סּוּפָֽה kasufah HRd/Ncfsa like a whirlwind sweeping storm
H5492-05 Isaiah 17:13 סוּפָֽה sufah HNcfsa the whirlwind sweeping storm
H5492-04 Isaiah 21:1 כְּ/סוּפ֤וֹת kesufot HR/Ncfpa As whirlwinds destructive windstorms
H5492-05 Isaiah 29:6 סוּפָה֙ sufah HNcfsa whirlwind sweeping storm
H5492-07 Isaiah 66:15 וְ/כַ/סּוּפָ֖ה vekhasufah HC/Rd/Ncfsa and like a whirlwind and like a sweeping whirlwind
H5492-07 Jeremiah 4:13 וְ/כַ/סּוּפָה֙ vekhasufah HC/Rd/Ncfsa and like the whirlwind and like a sweeping whirlwind
H5492-08 Hosea 8:7 וְ/סוּפָ֣תָ/ה vesufatah HC/Ncfsa/Sh whirlwind-its and a sweeping whirlwind
H5492-05 Amos 1:14 סוּפָֽה sufah HNcfsa whirlwind sweeping storm
H5492-01 Nahum 1:3 בְּ/סוּפָ֤ה besufah HR/Ncfsa in whirlwind in a sweeping storm
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