אָבַךְ
𐤀𐤁𐤊
ʼâbak
H55 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To cloud or thicken (of vapor, smoke, dust); to become dense or accumulate in the air. Refers primarily to the gathering, swirling, or billowing of obscuring substances—such as dust, smoke, or mist—that rise and spread, creating opacity or a covering effect.
Semantic Range
to become cloudy, to rise and thicken (of dust, smoke, or vapor), to accumulate in the air, to obscure or cover through atmospheric thickening
Root / Etymology
From the root אָבַךְ (אבך), which is relatively rare and is traditionally understood as referring to dense, rising forms (such as dust or smoke). The connection with other Semitic roots conveys the idea of swirling, thickening, or collecting in the air, though it is not widely attested outside Biblical Hebrew. The derivation primarily emphasizes the process of density or cloudiness forming in the atmosphere, rather than the act of coiling per se.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The verb occurs only in poetic or highly figurative contexts, notably in descriptions of divine appearances or theophanies, where the imagery of clouds, smoke, or dust represents obscurity, awe, or judgment (e.g., Nahum 1:3). The word is not commonly used in everyday vocabulary, and its nuance of covering or darkening is more vivid than general words for 'mounting up.' Unlike rooted terms such as עָנָן (cloud, cloud mass) or עָשָׁן (smoke), אָבַךְ emphasizes the process of thickening and swirling. Later translators sometimes rendered it as 'coiling up' or 'mounting up,' but these do not fully convey its sense of atmospheric density or obscuration.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; probably to coil upward; mount up.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
אבך (ʾ-b-k) — to cloud, to thicken, to swirl, to accumulate in the air
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H55-01 |
וַ/יִּֽתְאַבְּכ֖וּ | vayiteabekhu | HC/Vtw3mp |
and they are engulfed | and they thickened themselves | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H55-01 |
Isaiah 9:17 | וַ/יִּֽתְאַבְּכ֖וּ | vayiteabekhu | HC/Vtw3mp |
and they are engulfed | and they thickened themselves |