Original Word: זֶרֶם
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: zerem
Pronunciation: ZE-rem
Phonetic Spelling: (zeh'-rem)
KJV: flood, overflowing, shower, storm, tempest
NASB: storm, downpour, rains
Word Origin: [from H2229 (זָרַם - away like)]

1. a gush of water

flood, overflowing, shower, storm, tempest

From zaram; a gush of water -- flood, overflowing, shower, storm, tempest.

see HEBREW zaram

Word Origin
from zaram
Definition
a flood of rain, rainstorm, downpour
NASB Translation
downpour (2), rains (1), storm (6).

זֶ֫רֶם noun masculine^{Habakkuk 3:10} flood of rain, rain-storm, downpour (Aramaic זַרְמִית id.) — absolute ׳ז Isaiah 4:6 2t.; זָ֑רֶם Isaiah 32:2; construct זֶרֶם Job 24:8 4t.; Isaiah 4:6 ("" מָטָר)); מַיִם ׳ז Isaiah 28:2; Habakkuk 3:10; הָרִים ׳ז Job 24:8, i.e. such as falls among mountains compare Di; בָּרָד ׳ז Isaiah 28:2; מַחְסֶה מִזֶּרֶם Isaiah 25:4, זֶרֶם קִיר Isaiah 25:4 i.e. such as dashes against a wall, Isaiah 32:2 ("" רוּחַ), נֶפֶץ וָזֶרֶם וְאֶבֶן בָּרָד Isaiah 30:30.

Semantic Range and Imagery

זֶרֶם paints the picture of a pounding, driving torrent—rain unleashed with such force that it scours the ground and strips away what cannot stand. In Scripture this storm-language is always more than meteorology; it serves as a living parable of divine intervention, either in judgment that overwhelms or in protection that shelters.

Occurrences in Scripture

• Job 24:8 – The dispossessed “are drenched by mountain showers” and hug the rocks, exposing human vulnerability when no shelter is found.
• Isaiah 4:6 – The coming messianic canopy “will be … a refuge and hiding place from the storm and the rain,” promising safety amid eschatological upheaval.
• Isaiah 25:4 – Twice in one verse the prophet contrasts the LORD’s refuge with “the storm,” underscoring His role as both shelter and sovereign over the tempest: “For You have been … a refuge from the storm… the breath of the ruthless is like a storm against a wall.”
• Isaiah 28:2 – Assyria (and, ultimately, the LORD Himself) is likened to “a hailstorm and a destructive tempest, like driving rain and flooding downpour,” an irresistible agent of discipline.
• Isaiah 30:30 – The divine voice is revealed “in cloudburst, downpour, and hailstones,” a theophany that leaves no doubt about heavenly authority.
• Isaiah 32:2 – Under a righteous king, “each one will be like … a refuge from the rain,” portraying leaders who replicate God’s protective character.
• Habakkuk 3:10 – In a vision of the final theophany “a downpour of water swept by,” creation itself convulsing before the Creator.

Theological Themes

1. Judgment that Purifies: זֶרֶם frequently signals the Lord’s cleansing discipline. The unstoppable deluge of Isaiah 28:2 prefigures the fall of Samaria and warns every complacent nation that sin invites a storm no human wall can deflect.
2. Refuge that Protects: Isaiah counters judgment imagery with promises of safety for the faithful. The same word that threatens the proud comforts the humble who find shelter “from the storm.” This dual usage upholds both God’s holiness and His covenant mercy without tension.
3. Revelation of Divine Majesty: Habakkuk 3:10 and Isaiah 30:30 use זֶרֶם in visionary contexts where nature becomes a stage for the Lord’s self-disclosure. The storm is not random; it is choreographed to proclaim His glory.

Historical and Cultural Context

In the Ancient Near East, sudden winter cloudbursts could transform wadis into raging rivers in minutes. Such floods destroyed crops, houses, and armies (compare Judges 5:21). Prophets therefore employed זֶרֶם to evoke scenes their audiences had witnessed. The memory of the Noahic deluge also lingered, reminding Israel that God can both unleash and restrain the waters (Genesis 9:11).

Prophetic and Eschatological Dimensions

Isaiah 4:6 situates the final storm-shelter in Zion, anticipating the millennial reign when Messiah’s presence renders external threats powerless. Habakkuk envisions a global theophany where torrents accompany the Lord’s march, echoing the eschatological language of Matthew 24:27–30 and Revelation 16:18–21. Thus זֶרֶם becomes a precursor to the New Testament portrayal of cosmic upheaval preceding Christ’s return.

Practical Ministry Applications

• Preaching: Contrast human attempts at self-made shelter with the sure refuge God provides (Isaiah 25:4).
• Pastoral Care: For believers weathering personal “storms,” these texts assure that destructive forces remain under God’s command and timing.
• Discipleship: Isaiah 32:2 calls leaders to embody sheltering qualities, challenging elders, parents, and civil authorities to mirror God’s protective character.
• Evangelism: Judgment imagery soberly warns the unconverted, while the promise of refuge offers gospel hope.

Christological Reflections

The One who will reign in Isaiah 32:2 later stands in a Galilean boat and “rebuked the wind and the raging waters” (Luke 8:24). By stilling a literal tempest, Jesus demonstrates sovereignty over the very phenomenon that symbolized divine judgment, thereby identifying Himself with the Lord of Isaiah and Habakkuk. At the cross He absorbs the storm of God’s wrath (Psalm 69:1–2; Isaiah 53:4–6), so that all who hide in Him find everlasting refuge.

Summary

זֶרֶם threads through Scripture as both threat and promise: a torrent that sweeps away pride and a backdrop against which God erects an unshakable shelter. Whether admonishing ancient Israel, comforting suffering saints, or foreshadowing the final day, each usage underscores the same truth—every storm is subject to the sovereign LORD, and for those who trust Him, no deluge can destroy.

וָזֶ֖רֶם וזרם זֶ֥רֶם זָ֑רֶם זרם כְּ֠זֶרֶם כְּזֶ֥רֶם כזרם מִזֶּ֖רֶם מִזֶּ֙רֶם֙ מִזֶּ֣רֶם מזרם kə·ze·rem keZerem kəzerem miz·ze·rem mizzerem vaZerem wā·ze·rem wāzerem zā·rem Zarem zārem ze·rem zeremInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts