Winds
Fausset's Bible Dictionary [1]
The four represent the four quarters ( Ezekiel 37:9; Daniel 8:8; Matthew 24:31; Jeremiah 49:36). The N. wind was coldest ( Song of Solomon 4:16). The N. wind "awakes," i.e. arises strongly; the Holy Spirit as the Reprover of sin ( John 16:8-11). The S. wind "comes" gently; the Comforter ( John 14:16). The W. wind brings rain from the sea ( 1 Kings 18:44-45); its precursor is cloud ( Luke 12:54), prevailing in Palestine from November to February. The E. wind is tempestuous ( Job 27:21) and, withering ( Genesis 41:23). The N. wind is first invoked ( Song of Solomon 4:16) to clear the air ( Job 37:22); then the warm S. wind ( Job 37:17; Luke 12:55); so the Holy Spirit first clears away mists of gloom, error, unbelief, and sin, which intercept the light of the Sun of righteousness, then infuses warmth ( 2 Corinthians 4:6), causing the graces to exhale their odor.
In Proverbs 25:23 "the N. wind driveth away (literally, causeth to grieve, so puts to flight) rain," so a frowning countenance drives away a backbiting tongue. So Vulgate, Chald., and Syriac less appropriately "bringeth forth rain." The N. wind prevails from June to the equinox, the N.W. wind thence to November. The E. wind, "the wind of the wilderness" ( Job 1:19; Job 27:21; Jeremiah 13:24). It is parching and penetrating, like the sirocco ( Jonah 4:8). The E. wind blowing from across the Red Sea, just at the Passover time of year, was the natural agency employed by divine interposition to part the waters of the Red Sea S. of Suez ( Exodus 14:21). The E. wind meant in Genesis 41:6; Genesis 41:23 is probably the S.E. wind blowing from the Arabian desert, called the chamsin , so parching as to wither up all grass; during it there is an entire absence of ozone in the air.
The samoom blows from the S.S.E.; blowing over the Arabian peninsula, it is parching when it reaches Palestine. Lake squalls (lailaps ) are noticed Mark 4:37; Luke 8:23. The Greek (lips ) name for S.W. wind, and the Latin (cores ) N.W. wind, and the violent Εuraquilon (not Euroclydon), E.N.E. wind, are noticed Acts 27:12; Acts 27:14. (See Euroclydon .) The E. wind symbolizes empty violence ( Job 15:2; Hosea 12:1; Israel "followeth after" not only vain but pernicious things) and destruction ( Jeremiah 18:17; Isaiah 27:8). Wind indicates speed ( Psalms 104:4; Hebrews 1:7), transitoriness ( Job 7:7; Psalms 78:39), the Holy Spirit ( John 3:8; Acts 2:2; Genesis 3:8 margin).
American Tract Society Bible Dictionary [2]
Matthew 24:31 . The winds which most commonly prevail in Palestine are from the western quarter, more usually perhaps from the southwest, Luke 12:54 . Not infrequently a north wind arises, Job 37:9 , which, as in ancient days, is till the sure harbinger of fair weather; illustrating the truth of the observation in Proverbs 25:23 , "The north wind driveth away rain." For the tempestuous wind called Euroclydon , see that article.
But the wind most frequently mentioned in the Bible is the "cast wind," which is represented as blasting and drying up the fruits, Genesis 41:6 Ezekiel 17:10 19:12 , and also as blowing with great violence, Psalm 48:7 Ezekiel 27:26 Jonah 4:8 . It is also the "horrible tempest" literally the glow-wind, of Psalm 11:6 . This is a sultry and oppressive wind blowing from the south-east, and prevailing only in the hot and dry months of summer. Coming thus from the vast Arabian desert, it seems to increase the heat and drought of the season, and produces universal languor and debility. Rev. Dr. Eli Smith, who experienced it effects during the summer, at Beyrout, describes it as possessing the same qualities and characteristics as the Sirocco, which he had felt at Malta, and which also prevails in Sicily and Italy; except that the Sirocco, in passing over the sea, acquires great dampness.
This wind is called by the Arabs the Simoom, by the Turks the Samuel; and by the Egyptians the Camsin; and has long been regarded as a pestilential wind, suddenly overtaking travelers and caravans in the deserts, and almost instantly destroying them by its poisonous and suffocating death. But late and judicious travelers find no evidence that this wind is laden with any poisonous influence. It is indeed oppressively hot and dry, rapidly evaporating the water in the ordinary skin bottles, stopping the perspiration of travelers, drying up the palate and the air passages, and producing great restlessness and exhaustion. As it often blows with a terrible roaring and violence, it carries dust and fine sand high up into the air, so that the whole atmosphere is lurid, and seems in a state of combustion, and the sun is shorn of his beams, and looks like a globe of dull smoldering fire. Both men and animals are greatly annoyed by the dust, and seek any practicable shelter or covering. The camels turn their backs, and hide their heads from it in the ground. It is often accompanied by local whirlwinds, which form pillars of sand and dust, rising high above the ground and moving with swiftness over the plain. Such a tempest may have suggested some features in the prophetic descriptions of the day of God's power: "wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood and fire and pillars of smoke: the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood," Joel 2:30,31 Acts 2:19,20 .
Dr. Thomson describes another variety of hot winds or siroccos, often more overwhelming than those just mentioned. The sky is covered with clouds, and pale lightning play through the air; but there is no rain, thunder, or wind. The heat, however, is intolerable; every traveler seeks a refuge, the birds hide themselves in the thickest shades, the fowls pant under the walls with open mouths, and no living thing is in motion.
Smith's Bible Dictionary [3]
Winds. That the Hebrews recognized the existence of four prevailing winds as issuing, broadly speaking, from the four cardinal points, north, south, east and west, may be inferred from their custom of using the expression "four winds" as equivalent to the "four quarters" of the hemisphere. Ezekiel 37:9; Daniel 8:8; Zechariah 2:6; Matthew 24:31.
The north wind, or, as it was usually called "the north," was naturally the coldest of the four, Sirach 43:20, and its presence is hence invoked as favorable to vegetation in Song of Solomon 4:16. It is described in Proverbs 25:23 as bringing rain; in this case, we must understand the northwest wind.
The northwest wind prevails from the autumnal equinox to the beginning of November, and the north wind from June to the equinox.
The east wind crosses the sandy wastes of Arabia Deserts before reaching Palestine and was hence termed "the wind of the wilderness." Job 1:19; Jeremiah 13:14. It blows with violence, and is hence supposed to be used generally for any violent wind. Job 27:21; Job 38:24; Psalms 48:7; Isaiah 27:8; Ezekiel 27:26. In Palestine, the east wind prevails from February to June.
The south wind, which traverses the Arabian peninsula before reaching Palestine, must necessarily be extremely hot. Job 37:17; Luke 12:55.
The west and southwest winds reach Palestine loaded with moisture gathered from the Mediterranean, and are hence expressly termed by the Arabs "the fathers of the rain." Westerly winds prevail in Palestine from November to February.
In addition to the four regular winds, we have notice in the Bible of the local squalls, Mark 4:37; Luke 8:23, to which the Sea of Gennesareth was liable. In the narrative of St. Paul's voyage, we meet with the Greek term Lips to describe the southwest wind; the Latin Carus or Caurus , the northwest wind Acts 27:12 and Euroclydon , a wind of a very violent character coming from east-northeast. Acts 27:14.
Easton's Bible Dictionary [4]
Jeremiah 49:36 Ezekiel 37:9 Daniel 8:8 Zechariah 2:6 Ezekiel 17:10 19:12 Job 27:21 Isaiah 27:8 Luke 12:54 Job 37:17 Luke 12:55 Isaiah 21:1 Daniel 7:2 Psalm 18:10 135:7
