Lexical Summary anemos: Wind Original Word: ἄνεμος Strong's Exhaustive Concordance wind. From the base of aer; wind; (plural) by implication, (the four) quarters (of the earth) -- wind. see GREEK aer HELPS Word-studies 417 ánemos – properly, a gust of air (wind); (figuratively) something with gusting, storm-like force, like someone bent in a particular direction (cf. Eph 4:14; Rev 7:1). (Mk 6:48) Ironically, obedience to the Lord sometimes does bring us into storms! Here God meets (transforms) us in ways that could never happen otherwise. Praise the Lord! Mk 6:45,48: "45Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side to Bethsaida, while He Himself was sending the crowd away. . . . 48Seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind (417 /ánemos) was against them, at about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them" (NASU). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom a prim. root ane- (to blow, breathe) Definition wind NASB Translation wind (20), winds (11). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 417: ἄνεμοςἄνεμος, ἀνέμου, ὁ (ἄω, ἄημι, to breathe, blow, (but etymologists connect ἄω with Sanskritva, Greek ἀήρ, Latinventus, English wind, and ἄνεμος with Sanskritan, to breathe, etc.; cf. Curtius, §§ 419, 587; Vanicek, p. 28)) (from Homer down), wind, a violent agitation and stream of air (cf. (Trench, § lxxiii.) πνεῦμα, 1 at the end): Matthew 11:7; Matthew 14:24; James 3:4, etc.; of a very strong and tempestuous wind: Matthew 7:25; Mark 4:39; Luke 8:24, etc. οἱ τέσσαρες ἄνεμοι, the four principal or cardinal winds (Jeremiah 25:15 Topical Lexicon Scope of Usage in the New Testament The term translated “wind” appears thirty-one times in the Greek New Testament, spanning the Synoptic Gospels, John, Acts, Ephesians, James, Jude, and Revelation. Most occurrences are literal references to atmospheric movement, yet several are figurative, portraying doctrinal instability or divine judgment. The contexts range from violent storms on the Sea of Galilee to cosmic scenes in Revelation, underscoring both the immediacy of daily life and the sweep of redemptive history. Wind as an Instrument of Divine Power The Gospels repeatedly depict wind as subject to the direct authority of Jesus Christ. During the tempest on Galilee, “He rebuked the wind and the raging waters, and they subsided, and all was calm” (Luke 8:24; cf. Mark 4:39). The disciples’ astonishment—“Even the winds and the sea obey Him!” (Matthew 8:27)—highlights His divine prerogative over creation, echoing Old Testament imagery of the LORD who “makes the winds His messengers” (Psalm 104:4). Christ’s Lordship in Discipleship Contexts Matthew records another dramatic encounter when Peter walks toward Jesus on the stormy sea. Seeing “the wind,” Peter falters (Matthew 14:30), illustrating how fear arises when eyes shift from Christ to circumstances. The narrative concludes with the wind ceasing once Jesus enters the boat (Matthew 14:32), reinforcing that spiritual stability depends on His presence. Maritime Hardship and Apostolic Mission Luke’s account of Paul’s voyage to Rome (Acts 27) uses the word multiple times to describe shifting and contrary winds (Acts 27:4, 7, 14, 15). The episode demonstrates God’s sovereign guidance amid natural forces; despite hurricane-like violence, Paul assures, “Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head” (Acts 27:34). The safe deliverance after fourteen days of battering winds attests to providential oversight of gospel advance. Metaphorical Uses: Doctrinal and Moral Instability Ephesians 4:14 warns believers not to be “tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching.” Wind here symbolizes the shifting, forceful nature of false doctrines that threaten congregational maturity. James 3:4 uses the same imagery to picture how a small rudder directs a great ship against “strong winds,” emphasizing the tongue’s steering power over life. Jude 1:12 describes false teachers as “clouds without water, carried along by winds,” portraying fruitlessness and inconsistency. Eschatological and Apocalyptic Associations Revelation employs wind in cosmic scenes. Four angels stand “holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the land or on the sea or on any tree” (Revelation 7:1). The restraint of wind depicts God’s temporary withholding of judgment, demonstrating that even natural forces await His command. Earlier, falling stars are “swept to the earth like a fig tree drops its unripe figs when shaken by a strong wind” (Revelation 6:13), a graphic picture of upheaval preceding the Day of the Lord. Wind and Angelic Activity Jesus foretells the gathering of the elect “from the four winds” (Matthew 24:31; Mark 13:27). The phrase evokes worldwide scope, tying angelic ministry to cosmological authority. The “four winds” idiom, rooted in Ezekiel 37:9 and Daniel 7:2, reinforces the universal reach of divine redemption and judgment. Old Testament Background and Continuity From the Exodus crossing where the LORD drove back the sea “with a strong east wind” (Exodus 14:21) to Elijah hearing “a gentle whisper” after a wind that tore the mountains (1 Kings 19:11-12), wind consistently serves as a sign of God’s active presence. The New Testament continues this motif, showing that the same Creator now revealed in Christ commands the elements for salvation and instruction. Pastoral and Homiletical Applications • Spiritual steadiness comes from anchoring in Christ’s word; otherwise believers are vulnerable to every “wind of teaching.” Conclusion Throughout Scripture, wind functions as a vivid testament to God’s sovereignty, Christ’s authority, and the Spirit’s unseen yet powerful work. Whether calming storms, steering apostolic journeys, exposing falsehood, or heralding final judgment, the biblical portrayal of wind calls believers to reverent trust and steadfast obedience. Forms and Transliterations ανεμοι άνεμοι ἄνεμοι ανεμοις ανέμοις ἀνέμοις ανεμον ανέμον άνεμον ἄνεμον ανεμος άνεμος ἄνεμος ανεμου ανέμου ἀνέμου ανεμους ανεμούς ανέμους ἀνέμους ανεμόφθορα ανεμοφθορία ανεμόφθοροι ανεμοφθόρον ανεμόφθορος ανεμω ανέμω ἀνέμῳ ανεμων ανέμων ἀνέμων anemo anemō anemoi anémoi anémōi ánemoi anemois anémois anemon anemōn anémon anémōn ánemon anemos ánemos anemou anémou anemous anémousLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 7:25 N-NMPGRK: ἔπνευσαν οἱ ἄνεμοι καὶ προσέπεσαν NAS: came, and the winds blew KJV: came, and the winds blew, and INT: blew the winds and fell Matthew 7:27 N-NMP Matthew 8:26 N-DMP Matthew 8:27 N-NMP Matthew 11:7 N-GMS Matthew 14:24 N-NMS Matthew 14:30 N-AMS Matthew 14:32 N-NMS Matthew 24:31 N-GMP Mark 4:37 N-GMS Mark 4:39 N-DMS Mark 4:39 N-NMS Mark 4:41 N-NMS Mark 6:48 N-NMS Mark 6:51 N-NMS Mark 13:27 N-GMP Luke 7:24 N-GMS Luke 8:23 N-GMS Luke 8:24 N-DMS Luke 8:25 N-DMP John 6:18 N-GMS Acts 27:4 N-AMP Acts 27:7 N-GMS Acts 27:14 N-NMS Acts 27:15 N-DMS Strong's Greek 417 |
    |