Lexical Summary nephets: Fragment, shattering, breaking Original Word: נֶפֶץ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance scattering From naphats; a storm (as dispersing) -- scattering. see HEBREW naphats NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom naphats Definition a driving storm NASB Translation cloudburst (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs נֶ֫פֶץ noun [masculine] driving storm (literally bursting of clouds, CheComm.), וָזֶרֶם וְאֶבֶן בָּרָד ׳נ Isaiah 3:30 (theoph.). Topical Lexicon Biblical Context The single appearance of נֶפֶץ occurs in Isaiah 30:30, where the prophet announces that “the LORD will cause His majestic voice to be heard and show the descent of His arm, in raging anger and consuming fire, in cloudburst, downpour, and hailstones” (Berean Standard Bible). Here the word describes the overwhelming deluge that accompanies the public display of God’s wrath against the nations and against Judah’s misplaced trust in Egypt (Isaiah 30:1-5). The term stands among a cluster of images—thunder, earthquake, fire, hail—that together portray an irresistible divine intervention. Historical Background Isaiah prophesies during the Assyrian crisis of the late eighth century B.C. Judah’s leaders sought security through a political alliance with Egypt, dismissing prophetic warnings and refusing God’s covenantal call to repentance. The promised “cloudburst” signals that human schemes will be swept away when the LORD rises to defend His glory and His remnant. The imagery recalls previous episodes in Israel’s history—such as the plague of hail on Egypt (Exodus 9:22-26) and the storm that routed the Canaanite armies under Deborah (Judges 5:20-21)—reinforcing that the God who once judged Egypt can just as surely judge those who trust in Egypt. Literary Imagery Storm language in Scripture often conveys both judgment and salvation. For the unrepentant it is destructive; for the faithful it testifies to God’s sovereignty and covenant faithfulness. Isaiah threads this dual motif throughout chapters 28–35, alternating between oracles of woe and songs of deliverance. The “cloudburst” is therefore not random weather but a theophany—an audible and visible manifestation of the LORD’s royal power. The violent flood contrasts sharply with the “quiet resting places” promised to those who “wait for the LORD” (Isaiah 30:15). Theological Themes 1. Divine Sovereignty: God commands the forces of nature; creation itself becomes His instrument. Intertextual Echoes • Psalm 18:12-14—“Hailstones and coals of fire” accompany David’s deliverance. Applications for Worship and Ministry • Call to Repentance: The image of a divine cloudburst warns against self-reliance and political saviors. Pastoral Reflection Isaiah’s solitary use of נֶפֶץ distills a larger biblical principle: God’s interventions are decisive, timely, and morally charged. When communities today face political upheaval or are tempted to trust in human alliances, the prophet’s storm-image summons them back to covenant fidelity, humble dependence, and hopeful expectation of the ultimate Day when “every eye will see Him” (Revelation 1:7). Forms and Transliterations נֶ֥פֶץ נפץ ne·p̄eṣ Nefetz nep̄eṣLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 30:30 HEB: אֵ֣שׁ אוֹכֵלָ֑ה נֶ֥פֶץ וָזֶ֖רֶם וְאֶ֥בֶן NAS: fire In cloudburst, downpour KJV: fire, [with] scattering, and tempest, INT: fire of a consuming cloudburst downpour stones 1 Occurrence |
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