Tempest

Tempest - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

TEM'PEST, n. [L. tempestas; tempus, time, season. The primary sense of tempus, time, is a falling, or that which falls, comes or happens, from some verb which signifies to fall or come suddenly, or rather to drive, to rush. Time is properly a coming, a season, that which presents itself, or is present. The sense of tempest, is from the sense of rushing or driving. See Temerity and Temerarious.

1. An extensive current of wind, rushing with great velocity and violence; a storm of extreme violence. We usually apply the word to a steady wind of long continuance; but we say also of a tornado, it blew a tempest. The currents of wind are named, according to their respective degrees of force or rapidity, a breeze, a gale, a storm, a tempest; but gale is also used as synonymous with storm, and storm with tempest. Gust is usually applied to a sudden blast of short duration. A tempest may or may not be attended with rain, snow or hail.

We, caught in a fiery tempest,shall be hurl'd

Each on his rock transfix'd--

2. A violent tumult or commotion; as a popular or political tempest; the tempest of war.

3. Perturbation; violent agitation; as a tempest of the

passions.

TEM'PEST, v.t. To disturb as by a tempest of the passions. [Little used.]

tem'-pest (ce`-arah, or se`-arah, "a whirlwind," zerem, "overflowing rain"; cheimon, thuella): Heavy storms of wind and rain are common in Palestine and the Mediterranean. The storms particularly mentioned in the Bible are:

(1) the 40 days' rain of ~the great flood of Noah (Ge 7:4);

(2) hail and rain as a plague in Egypt (Ex 9:18);

(3) the great rain after the drought and the contest of Elijah on Carmel (1Ki 18:45);

(4) the tempest on the sea in the story of Jonah (1:4);

(5) the storm on the Lake of Galilee when Jesus was awakened to calm the waves (Mt 8:24; Mr 4:37; Lu 8:23);

(6) the storm causing the shipwreck of Paul at Melita (Ac 27:18).

Frequent references are found to God's power over storm and use of the tempest in His anger: "He maketh the storm a calm" (Ps 107:29); He sends the "tempest of hail, a destroying storm" (Isa 28:2). See also Job 9:17; 21:18; Isa 30:30. Yahweh overwhelms His enemies as with a storm: "She shall be visited of Yahweh of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with whirlwind and tempest" (Isa 29:6). Yahweh is a "refuge from the storm" (Isa 25:4; 4:6).

Alfred H. Joy