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“Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and
to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!”
Sometimes
represents the noise raised by an agitated crowd of people (a
“tumult”): “And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise
of this tumult [raised by the report that the battle was lost]?” (1 Sam. 4:14). In Isa. 13:4
the word represents the mighty sound of a gathering army rather than the confused outcry
of a mourning city: “The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people;
a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the Lord of hosts
mustereth the host of the battle.” A young lion eating his prey is not disturbed by the
noise of a band of shepherds trying to scare him off (Isa. 31:4). There are exceptions to
the rule that the word represents the sound of a large number of people. In 1 Kings 18:41
signifies the roar of a heavy downpour of rain (cf. Jer. 10:13), and in Jer. 47:3 it
represents the tumult of chariots.
B
sometimes means a “multitude or crowd” from which a tumult may arise.
Frequently the word represents a large army: “And I will draw unto thee, to the river
Kishon, Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude [
NASB
,
“many troops”] …” (Judg. 4:7; cf. 1 Sam. 14:16). Elsewhere
represents a whole
people: “And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel
…” (2 Sam. 6:19). Finally, any great throng, or a great number of people (Gen. 17:4—the
first occurrence) may be represented by this word.
A great number of things can be indicated by
“O Lord our God, all this store
that we have prepared to build thee a house for thine holy name …” (1 Chron. 29:16).
Abundance of possessions or wealth is indicated by
, as in: “A little that a
righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked” (Ps. 37:16; cf. Eccl. 5:10—
parallel to “silver” [money]; Isa. 60:5).
Finally,
refers to a group of people organized around a king, specifically, his
courtiers: “Son of man, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his multitude [his train
or royal retinue]; Whom art thou like in thy greatness?” (Ezek. 31:2). Thus in Ps. 42:4 the
word can represent a festival procession, a kind of train.
B. Verb.
(
, 1993), “to make a noise, be tumultuous, roar, groan, bark, sound,
moan.” This verb, which occurs 33 times in biblical Hebrew, has cognates in Aramaic
and Arabic. Psalm 83:2 contains one appearance: “For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult:
and they that hate thee have lifted up the head.”
N
NAKEDNESS
A. Nouns.