WG: Cloud¶
Overview¶
Hebrew Scripture uses three distinct words for "cloud," with two dominant terms (H6051, H5645) covering different semantic registers. All Hebrew cloud words map to the same two Greek equivalents in LXX and NT, meaning Greek collapses distinctions Hebrew maintains.
Word Group Members¶
| Strong's | Word | Transliteration | POS | Occurrences | Role in Concept | Library Entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| H6051 | עָנָן | ʻânân | masc. noun | 80 | Nimbus / divine-presence cloud; primary narrative term | H6051-anan.md |
| H5645 | עָב | ʻâb | masc. noun | 32 | Thick / dark / storm cloud; often poetic | TODO(need H5645 study) |
| A6050 | עֲנַן | ʻănan | masc. noun (Aramaic) | 1 | Aramaic cloud (hapax Dan 7:13); cognate of H6051 | A6050-anan.md |
| H6053 | עֲנָנָה | ʻănânâh | fem. noun | 1 | Cloudiness (hapax) | TODO(need H6053 study) |
| G3507 | νεφέλη | nephélē | fem. noun | 22 | NT/LXX cloud; primary Greek equivalent | TODO(need G3507 study) |
| G3509 | νέφος | néphos | neut. noun | 1 | Cloud mass (Heb 12:1 only) | TODO(need G3509 study) |
Relationships¶
Shared Roots¶
- H6051 (ʻânân) and H6053 (ʻănânâh) share the ʻânân root — the feminine abstract of the noun
- H6051 also cognate with H6049 (ʻânan, verb) — cloud-watching / divination
- G3507 (nephele) and G3509 (nephos) are related Greek words; nephele is the concrete individual cloud, nephos the cloud mass
Co-occurrence (Hebrew words in same verse)¶
| Word A | Word B | Shared Verses | Typical Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| H6051 ʻânân | H5645 ʻâb | 4x | Exo 19:9; Job 26:8–9; Job 37:11, 15 — thick cloud modifier context |
LXX Overlaps¶
| Hebrew Word | → Greek | Co-occ | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| H6051 ʻânân | G3507 νεφέλη | 70x | 32.23 |
| H5645 ʻâb | G3507 νεφέλη | 19x | 20.98 |
| H5645 ʻâb | G3509 νέφος | 11x | 20.59 |
| H6051 ʻânân | G3509 νέφος | 5x | 10.44 |
Both Hebrew words map primarily to νεφέλη — a Greek NT reader cannot distinguish ʻânân from ʻâb without the Hebrew.
Roles in the Concept¶
- Primary term (ʻânân H6051): The nimbus / thunder-cloud; the narrative term for God's presence-cloud in Exodus–Numbers and the judgment-cloud of the prophets. 44% of occurrences are in the wilderness narrative alone.
- Storm / dark cloud (ʻâb H5645): The thick, enveloping cloud. Favored in poetic/wisdom texts (Job, Psalms) and in contexts of concealment. Job 26:8 — "He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds."
- Cloudiness (ʻănânâh H6053): Abstract hapax — the state or condition of being cloudy.
- LXX/NT bridge (nephele G3507): The primary Greek equivalent. In NT, consistently the theophanic/eschatological cloud — transfiguration, ascension, second coming.
- Cloud mass (nephos G3509): Only once in NT (Heb 12:1 — "cloud of witnesses"); metaphorical, not physical.
Key Passages Where Hebrew Distinction Matters¶
- Isa 44:22 — "I have blotted out, as a thick cloud (ʻâb), thy transgressions, and, as a cloud (ʻânân), thy sins" — both words in one verse; ʻâb = the denser, ʻânân = the lighter morning-cloud image
- Exo 19:9 — "in a thick cloud (ʻânân)" — divine communication uses ʻânân, not ʻâb
- Job 26:8 — "He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds (ʻâb)" — meteorological / poetic register
Generated from: gather_word_group_data.py Last updated: 2026-04-02