5868. ayam

Lexical Summary

ayam: Eye, spring, fountain

Original Word: עֲיָם
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: `ayam
Pronunciation: ah-yahm
Phonetic Spelling: (ah-yawm')
KJV: mighty
NASB: scorching
Word Origin: [of doubtful origin and authenticity]

1. probably meaning strength

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

mighty

Of doubtful origin and authenticity; probably meaning strength -- mighty.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
perhaps a glow
NASB Translation
scorching (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

[עֲיָם] noun [masculine] dubious, possibly glow (Arabic , to thirst, thirst, internal heat), si vera lectio (so Du; on form compare Nö^{ZMG xxxvii (1883), 526}); — construct בֵּעְיָם רוּחוֺ Isaiah 11:15, read perhaps בְּעֹצֶם (so apparently Vrss) Thes Luzz Krochm Che Gu^Kau Gr Perles^{Anal. 52}.

Topical Lexicon

Meaning and Scope

עֲיָם (Strong’s H5868) pictures an overwhelming, searing force—like the blast of a desert wind—that God unleashes in judgment. The term is rare, appearing only twice, both times in prophetic contexts where the Lord manifests His power to purge and to restore.

Biblical Occurrences

• Isaiah 11:15 – The prophet announces that the LORD will “wave His hand over the River with His scorching wind”, drying it up so His people can cross. עֲיָם highlights the consuming breath that subdues geographical barriers and hostile powers alike.
• Hosea 10:10 – The LORD declares, “When I please, I will punish them”. Here עֲיָם underscores the divine resolve that gathers nations against Israel’s double guilt. What looks like foreign aggression is, in fact, the directed heat of God’s holiness purifying His covenant people.

Theological Significance

1. Instrument of Judgment. In both texts the word stands for the active agency of God’s wrath. It reminds readers that natural forces and international events are ultimately subject to the LORD’s will (Psalm 148:8; Nahum 1:3).
2. Pathway to Redemption. Isaiah pairs divine heat with the promise of a new exodus (Isaiah 11:11-16). The same fierce breath that dries up water also opens a roadway for the redeemed. Judgment and salvation therefore converge in one act.
3. Covenant Accountability. Hosea’s use ties עֲיָם to “double transgression,” exposing accumulated sin that demanded decisive intervention. The prophet’s language refutes any notion that God overlooks ongoing rebellion (Leviticus 26:14-33).

Historical Background

Isaiah ministered during Assyria’s dominance; Hosea proclaimed God’s word as the Northern Kingdom declined. In both settings political churn tempted Judah and Israel to seek security through alliances. By invoking עֲיָם, the prophets revealed that true security lies not in diplomacy but in submission to the God who commands creation itself.

Ministry Applications

• Proclamation: Preaching can employ עֲיָם to stress that divine judgment is neither arbitrary nor avoidable. Christ’s atonement satisfies this scorching holiness (Romans 3:25-26).
• Discipleship: The word encourages believers to embrace God’s refining work. His “scorching wind” may come through hardship, yet its goal is purification (Hebrews 12:5-11).
• Counseling: When people feel overwhelmed by circumstances, remind them that the very power that seems destructive is also able to clear new paths for deliverance (2 Corinthians 1:9-10).

Related Themes and Texts

Exodus 14:21 – East wind dries the Red Sea, foreshadowing Isaiah 11.

Psalm 18:15 – “The blast of Your breath” scatters waters, echoing עֲיָם imagery.

Acts 2:2-4 – The rushing, Spirit-filled wind at Pentecost signals that God’s fiery presence now empowers rather than destroys those reconciled through Christ.

In sum, עֲיָם confronts readers with the blazing holiness of God—unyielding against sin yet graciously carving out a path for the obedient.

Forms and Transliterations

בַּעְיָ֣ם בעים עֹונֹתָֽם׃ עונתם׃ ‘ō·w·nō·ṯām ‘ōwnōṯām ba‘·yām ba‘yām baYam onoTam

Englishman's Concordance

Isaiah 11:15
HEB: עַל־ הַנָּהָ֖ר בַּעְיָ֣ם רוּח֑וֹ וְהִכָּ֙הוּ֙
NAS: the River With His scorching wind;
KJV: sea; and with his mighty wind
INT: over the River his scorching wind will strike

Hosea 10:10
HEB: [עֵינֹתָם כ] (עֹונֹתָֽם׃ ק)
INT: are bound their double mighty

2 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 5868
2 Occurrences

ba‘·yām — 1 Occ.
‘ō·w·nō·ṯām — 1 Occ.