Bible Word Study
שׂוֹא
sôwʼ · a rising
שׂוֹא
a rising
Definition
The Hebrew noun שׂוֹא (sôwʼ) means 'a rising' or 'a swelling up,' specifically referring to the surging motion of the sea. In its sole biblical occurrence in Psalm 89:9, it describes God's sovereign control over the chaotic, rising waves of the ocean. The word conveys the image of powerful, tumultuous waters being subdued. It is closely related to the concept of the proud, arrogant swelling of the sea as a symbol of chaos, which God masters as Creator and King.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in a poetic context within the Psalms. It appears in Psalm 89:9 (verse 10 in Hebrew numbering) as part of a description of God's power over creation: 'You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise (שֹׁא), you still them.' Here, it is paired with the 'raging' (גֵּאוּת, ge'ut) of the sea, emphasizing God's authority to calm chaotic forces.
Etymology
Derived from an unused root meaning 'to rise' or 'to swell up,' it is cognate with the verb נָשָׂא (nasa', H5375), meaning 'to lift up, carry,' and shares a connection with שׁוֹא (shôw', H7722), meaning 'devastation' or 'ruin,' possibly through the shared idea of a tumultuous rising. This places it within a semantic field related to elevation, pride, and chaotic upheaval.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it portrays Yahweh's absolute sovereignty over chaos, a central theme in Ancient Near Eastern cosmology and Israelite faith. The 'rising' of the sea symbolizes primal disorder and opposition to God's order (cf. Job 38:8-11). By mastering the 'sôwʼ,' God demonstrates His role as the victorious Creator and King, a foundational doctrine for understanding His power in salvation and history. This enriches the reading of Psalms and prophetic literature where the sea is a metaphor for cosmic evil. In the ancient Israelite and broader Near Eastern worldview, the sea was often personified as a chaotic, rebellious force (e.g., the Canaanite god Yamm). A 'rising' of the sea was not merely a natural phenomenon but could symbolize threatening chaos and disorder. God's subduing of the 'sôwʼ' would have been understood as a definitive act of cosmic kingship and control over all hostile powers. גַּל (gal, H1530) — a wave, a rolling heap of water. גֵּאוּת (ge'ut, H1346) — majesty, pride, or raging (of the sea); often paired with שׂוֹא in context to describe the sea's arrogant swelling.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]