Bible Dictionary
Flood
The term may refer to Noah’s great deluge, the waters of the Red Sea, or various rivers and torrents such as the Euphrates and Jordan. Figuratively, floods can picture overwhelming danger, ungodliness, or destruction.
Definition
A flood may mean a great deluge, a river, a torrent, storm waters, or an overwhelming mass of water. Biblical usage includes Noah’s Flood, the Red Sea, the Euphrates, the Nile, and the Jordan.
Biblical Usage
Floods can describe literal waters and rivers, but they also picture overwhelming danger, ungodliness, destruction, and judgment. The great Flood of Noah is the principal biblical deluge.
Historical Background
Different Hebrew and Greek terms underlie the English word, and later versions sometimes translate them as river, stream, tempest, or torrent according to context.
Scripture References
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Easton's Bible Dictionary
An event recorded in Gen. 7 and 8. (See DELUGE.) In Josh. 24:2, 3, 14, 15, the word “flood” (R.V., “river”) means the river Euphrates. In Ps. 66:6, this word refers to the river Jordan.
Smith's Bible Dictionary
[Noah]
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>flud:</p><p>In the King James Version not less than 13 words are rendered "flood," though in the Revised Version (British and American) we find in some passages "river," "stream," "tempest," etc. The word is used for: the deluge of Noah, mabbul (Ge 6:17 ff); kataklusmos (Mt 24:38,39; Lu 17:27); the waters of the Red Sea, nazal (Ex 15:8); the Euphrates, nahar, "Your fathers dwelt of old time on the other side of the flood". (the Revised Version (British and American) "beyond the River" Jos 24:2): the Nile, ye'or, "the flood (the Revised Version (British and American) "River") of Egypt" (Am 8:8); the Jordan, nahar, "They went through the flood (the Revised Version (British and American) "river") on foot" (Ps 66:6); torrent, zerem, "as a flood (the Revised Version (British and American) "tempest") of mighty waters" (Isa 28:2); potamos, "The rain descended and the floods came" (Mt 7:25); plemmura, "When a flood arose, the stream brake against that house" (Lu 6:48).</p><p>Figurative: nachal, "The floods of ungodly men (the Revised Version (British and American) "ungodliness," the Revised Version, margin "Hebrew Belial") made me afraid" (2Sa 22:5; Ps 18:4); also 'or (Am 8:8 (the King James Version)); shibboleth (Ps 69:2); sheTeph (Da 11:22 (the King James Version)); sheTeph (Ps 32:6 (the King James Version)); potamophoretos (Re 12:15 (the King James Version)).</p><p>See DELUGE OF NOAH.</p><p>Alfred Ely Day</p>