Lexical Summary saar: Storm, tempest, whirlwind, to storm, to rage Original Word: סָעַר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance be toss with tempestuous, be sore, troubled, scatter with a whirlwind A primitive root; to rush upon; by implication, to toss (transitive or intransitive, literal or figurative) -- be (toss with) tempest(-uous), be sore, troubled, come out as a (drive with the, scatter with a) whirlwind. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to storm, rage NASB Translation blown away (1), enraged (1), scattered them with a storm wind (1), storm-tossed (1), stormed (1), stormier (1), stormy (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [סָעַר] verb storm, rage (Ecclus. סער Hiph`il Ecclesiasticus 47:17; move tempestuously; סְעָרָה storm-wind Ecclesiasticus 43:17; Ecclesiasticus 48:9; Late Hebrew Pi`el stir up, blow, סְעָרָה storm-wind; = II. שָׂעַר, but relation obscure; Assyrian šâru, wind, favours originality of ׳שׂ, but this only late in Hebrew, and for ׳ס Frä189 compare Arabic  kindle fire, excite, inflame, be vehemently hungry and thirsty, be mad, insane, etc. Lane1363); — Qal Imperfect3masculine plural figurative, יִסְעֲרוּ Habakkuk 3:14 they [my foes] storm along to scatter me; Participle active סֹעֵר Jonah 1:11 the sea was growing more and more stormy, so Jonah 1:13 (+ עֲלֵיהֶם); feminine סֹעֲרָה Isaiah 54:11 storm-tossed (figurative of Jerusalem). Niph`al Imperfect3masculine singular וַיִּסָּעֵר 2 Kings 6:11 and the heart of the king . . . was enraged because of (עַלֿ) this thing. Pi`el Imperfect1singular suffix וְאֵסָֽעֲרֵם עַלֿ Zechariah 7:14 (on form see Ges§§ 23h, 52n) and storm them away (hurl them by a storm-wind) upon the nations. Po. Imperfect3masculine singular כְּמֹץ יְסֹעֵר Hosea 13:3 shall be like chaff (which) is storm-driven from a threshing-floor. Topical Lexicon OverviewThe verb סָעַר (saʿar) paints a vivid picture of violent motion—whether in nature, nations, or the human heart. It is used seven times, each occurrence displaying the turbulence that precedes or accompanies divine intervention. In Scripture a storm is never random; it is an instrument through which God tests, chastens, delivers, or unveils His power. Semantic Range and Imagery 1. Physical Tempest: literal raging of wind and sea (Jonah 1:11, 13). Across these settings the storm symbolizes both the danger of rebellion and the security found only under Yahweh’s sovereign hand. Occurrences in Canonical Context • 2 Kings 6:11 – The Aramean king’s “storming heart” contrasts with Elisha’s calm reliance on unseen angelic hosts, highlighting how faith steadies the soul when political powers rage. • Isaiah 54:11 – After the exile, Jerusalem is told, “O afflicted city, storm-tossed and unconsoled, I will set your stones in antimony,” promising beauty and permanence to the very people battered by divine discipline. • Hosea 13:3 – Northern Israel’s idolatry renders the nation “like chaff swirling from a threshing floor,” showing that sin makes life weightless and easily scattered. • Jonah 1:11, 13 – The sea “grew more and more tempestuous.” The storm exposes Jonah’s flight, drives pagan sailors to prayer, and ultimately redirects the prophet to obedience. • Habakkuk 3:14 – The prophet envisions invaders who “storm in to scatter us,” only to be pierced by the Lord’s own arrows, assuring the faithful that evil’s fury is bounded by divine justice. • Zechariah 7:14 – The post-exilic remnant is reminded that their fathers were “scattered with a whirlwind among all the nations,” a solemn warning against repeating covenant infidelity. Theological Significance 1. Divine Sovereignty: Every storm arises and subsides at God’s command (Jonah 1:4, 15). סָעַר underscores that creation’s most chaotic forces remain servants, not rivals, of the Creator. 2. Judgment and Mercy: The same tempest that terrifies may also cleanse. Isaiah 54:11 turns the metaphor of storm-tossed affliction into a promise of rebuilt foundations, anticipating the “new Jerusalem” whose security is unassailable. 3. Revelation of Hidden Sin: Storms uncover what is concealed—Jonah’s disobedience, Israel’s idolatry, worldly confidence of the Aramean king—calling sinners to repentance before ruin becomes final. 4. Eschatological Expectation: Prophetic whirlwinds prefigure the final shaking of the heavens and earth (compare Haggai 2:6). God’s people are thus trained to look beyond present tumults to the kingdom that cannot be moved. Christological and Redemptive Foreshadowing Jesus’ stilling of the Galilean storm (Mark 4:39) echoes the Jonah narrative, revealing Him as the greater Prophet who speaks peace to wind and wave. In His death He “absorbed” the storm of divine wrath, providing the only safe harbor from the final judgment symbolized by every biblical tempest. Pastoral and Devotional Applications • Steadfastness in Trial: Believers may be “storm-tossed” yet are assured of God’s eventual restoration (Isaiah 54:11). Summary סָעַר captures the Bible’s multifaceted portrayal of storms—natural, emotional, and geopolitical. Each occurrence reminds readers that human power is fragile, sin is destabilizing, and God alone commands the elements. The faithful therefore find peace not in the absence of storms but in the presence of the One who rules them. Forms and Transliterations וְאֵ֣סָעֲרֵ֗ם וְסֹעֵ֖ר וְסֹעֵֽר׃ וַיִּסָּעֵר֙ ואסערם ויסער וסער וסער׃ יְסֹעֵ֣ר יִסְעֲר֖וּ יסער יסערו סֹעֲרָ֖ה סערה sō‘ărāh sō·‘ă·rāh soaRah vaiyissaEr veEsaaRem vesoEr way·yis·sā·‘êr wayyissā‘êr wə’êsā‘ărêm wə·’ê·sā·‘ă·rêm wə·sō·‘êr wəsō‘êr yə·sō·‘êr yəsō‘êr yesoEr yis‘ărū yis·‘ă·rū yisaRuLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 2 Kings 6:11 HEB: וַיִּסָּעֵר֙ לֵ֣ב מֶֽלֶךְ־ NAS: of Aram was enraged over KJV: of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; INT: was enraged now the heart of the king Isaiah 54:11 Hosea 13:3 Jonah 1:11 Jonah 1:13 Habakkuk 3:14 Zechariah 7:14 7 Occurrences |
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