tem´pest ( סערה , ṣe‛ārāh , or שׂערה , se‛ārāh , "a whirlwind," זרם , zerem , "overflowing rain"; χειμών , cheimṓn , θύελλα , thúella ): Heavy storms of wind and rain are common in Palestine and the Mediterranean. The storms particularly mentioned in the Bible are: (1) the 40 days' rain of the great flood of Noah ( Genesis 7:4 ); (2) hail and rain as a plague in Egypt (Exodus 9:18 ); (3) the great rain after the drought and the contest of Elijah on Carmel (1 Kings 18:45 ); (4) the tempest on the sea in the story of Jonah (Jonah 1:4 ); (5) the storm on the Lake of Galilee when Jesus was awakened to calm the waves (Matthew 8:24; Mark 4:37; Luke 8:23 ); (6) the storm causing the shipwreck of Paul at Melita (Acts 27:18 ). Frequent references are found to God's power over storm and use of the tempest in His anger: "He maketh the storm a calm" (Psalm 107:29 ); He sends the "tempest of hail, a destroying storm" (Isaiah 28:2 ). See also Job 9:17; Job 21:18; Isaiah 30:30 . Yahweh overwhelms His enemies as with a storm: "She shall be visited of Yahweh of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with whirlwind and tempest" (Isaiah 29:6 ). Yahweh is a "refuge from the storm" (Isaiah 25:4; Isaiah 4:6 ).
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) was edited by James Orr, John Nuelsen, Edgar Mullins, Morris Evans, and Melvin Grove Kyle and was published complete in 1939. This web site includes the complete text.
WikipediaThe ISBE is a classic Bible reference compiled from nearly 10,000 entries written by over 200 different Bible scholars and teachers. In addition to the encyclopedia articles, all of the major words of the Bible are represented and defined.
The historical, cultural, and linguistic information in the ISBE can be of great value in Bible study and research.
But as with any writings of men, the careful student of the Bible must always compare them with Scripture. As you use this helpful study resource, remember that only God's word is pure.
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