Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical literature, the term "billow" is often used to describe large waves or surging masses of water, typically in the context of the sea. The imagery of billows is frequently employed in Scripture to convey themes of chaos, divine power, and human vulnerability in the face of nature's might.
Biblical References:1.
Psalm 42:7 : "Deep calls to deep in the roar of Your waterfalls; all Your breakers and waves have rolled over me." In this verse, the psalmist uses the imagery of billows and waves to express a sense of being overwhelmed by life's challenges. The relentless crashing of waves symbolizes the psalmist's deep emotional turmoil and longing for God's presence.
2.
Jonah 2:3 : "For You cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the current swirled about me. All Your breakers and waves passed over me." Here, Jonah recounts his experience of being thrown into the sea, where he is engulfed by the billows. This serves as a metaphor for Jonah's distress and his recognition of God's sovereignty even in dire circumstances.
3.
Psalm 88:7 : "Your wrath lies heavily upon me; all Your waves have submerged me." The psalmist uses the imagery of waves and billows to describe the overwhelming nature of divine judgment. The relentless force of the waves is a powerful metaphor for the weight of God's displeasure.
Theological Significance:The use of billows in Scripture often highlights the majesty and power of God as Creator and Sustainer of the universe. The sea, with its vast and uncontrollable waves, serves as a reminder of human limitations and the need for divine intervention. In the biblical worldview, God is depicted as having authority over the natural world, including the tumultuous seas. This is evident in passages where God calms the storm or parts the waters, demonstrating His control over creation.
Symbolism and Imagery:Billows are symbolic of life's trials and the spiritual battles believers face. The imagery of being engulfed by waves is a vivid representation of feeling overwhelmed by circumstances beyond one's control. Yet, within this imagery lies a message of hope: just as God has authority over the seas, He also has the power to deliver and protect His people from the metaphorical billows of life.
Practical Application:For believers, the imagery of billows serves as a reminder to trust in God's sovereignty and faithfulness, even when faced with overwhelming challenges. It encourages a posture of humility and reliance on God's strength, recognizing that He is present and active in the midst of life's storms. The biblical portrayal of billows calls Christians to seek refuge in God, who alone can provide peace and stability in turbulent times.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) A great wave or surge of the sea or other water, caused usually by violent wind.
2. (n.) A great wave or flood of anything.
3. (v. i.) To surge; to rise and roll in waves or surges; to undulate.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
BILLOWbil'-o (gal, "a great rolling wave"): Figuratively, of trouble, "All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me" (Psalm 42:7; compare Jonah 2:3).
Greek
2830. kludon -- abillow (of water)... a
billow (of water). Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: kludon Phonetic
Spelling: (kloo'-dohn) Short Definition: rough water Definition: rough
...2949. kuma -- a wave
... a wave. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: kuma Phonetic Spelling:
(koo'-mah) Short Definition: a wave Definition: a wave, surge,billow....
4535. salos -- a tossing, spec. the swell (of the sea)
... the swell (of the sea) NASB Word Usage waves (1). wave. Probably from the base of
saino; a vibration, ie (specially),billow -- wave. see GREEK saino....
Strong's Hebrew
1530. gal -- a heap, wave,billow... 1529, 1530. gal. 1531 . a heap, wave,
billow. Transliteration: gal Phonetic
Spelling: (gal) Short Definition: waves.
...billow, heap, spring, wave.
...4867. mishbar -- a breaker (of the sea)
...billow, wave. From shabar; a breaker (of the sea) --billow, wave. see HEBREW
shabar. 4866, 4867. mishbar. 4868 . Strong's Numbers.
Library
Travelers by Sea and Land 416. Fierce was the WildBillow
... III. SACRAMENTS AND RITES Travelers by Sea and Land 416. Fierce was the wildbillow.
6.4.6.4.D.... Tr. Tr. John Mason Neale, 1862. Fierce was the wildbillow,....
Sailors' Hymns.
... "FIERCE WAS THE WILDBILLOW.". ([Greek: Zopheras trikumias]).... The "WildBillow"
song was the principle seaman's hymn of the early church....
Mr. Fearing Comforted
... blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven." He was
of faith so strong, that at Christ's command he could tread thebillow and find...
Exhortation to Abandon their Old Errors and Listen to the...
... "Urge the ship beyond that smoke andbillow." [1024]. Let us shun,
fellow-mariners, let us shun thisbillow; it vomits forth fire...
Twenty-Fourth Day. Firmness in Temptation.
... But the "prince of this world" came, and found "nothing in Him."Billow afterbillow
of Satanic violence spent their fury, in vain, on the Living Rock! Reader!...
Under the Apple Tree. "I Sat Down under his Shadow with Great...
... Others of you sought by various systems of thought to come to an anchorage; but,
tossed frombillow tobillow, you found no rest upon the seething sea of...
To Olympias. Do not be Anxious on My Behalf, nor Rack Yourself...
... he saw this great storm stirred up in a brief moment of time affecting his lands,
his house, his cattle, and his children, when he sawbillow followingbillow...
part i.
... torrent of self-gratification. There must be a counter-current;billow
must battle withbillow. The antagonist principle demanded...
Andromeda
... Hovering over the water he came, upon glittering pinions, Living, a wonder, outgrown
from the tight-laced gold of his sandals; Bounding frombillow tobillow...
Herodotus and Xenophon.
... and he rode so gracefully and gallantly on the lofty crest that mankind have given
him the credit of raising and sustaining the magnificentbillow on which he...
Thesaurus
Billow (1 Occurrence)... 3. (vi) To surge; to rise and roll in waves or surges; to undulate. Int. Standard
Bible Encyclopedia.
BILLOW.
... Multi-Version Concordance
Billow (1 Occurrence).
...Bill (9 Occurrences)
Euroclydon (1 Occurrence)
... South-eastbillow, the name of the wind which blew in the Adriatic Gulf, and which
struck the ship in which Paul was wrecked on the coast of Malta (Acts 27:14...
Dismay (16 Occurrences)
... Luke 21:25 And there shall be signs in sun, and moon, and stars, and on the land
'is' distress of nations with perplexity, sea andbillow roaring; (See NAS)....
Billowed (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (imp. & pp) ofBillow. Multi-Version Concordance
Billowed (1 Occurrence). Exodus 19:18 Mount Sinai, all...
Sea (4178 Occurrences)
... 4. (n.) The swell of the ocean or other body of water in a high wind; motion of
the water's surface; also, a single wave; abillow; as, there was a high sea...
Surge (6 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) A spring; a fountain. 2. (n.) A large wave or
billow; a great, rolling swell of water, produced generally by a high wind....
Swell (9 Occurrences)
... 23. (n.) A wave, orbillow; especially, a succession of large waves; the roll of
the sea after a storm; as, a heavy swell sets into the harbor. 24....
Resources
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