The Power of the Flood
The Hebrew term for the famous biblical story of the flood is mabul. This word appears only twice in the Bible: in Genesis, where the humankind is sanctioned because of its transgressions and its disobedience; and in the book of Psalms 29:10, in a poetic and elevated description of the force of God observed in this massive natural phenomena. The scarce usage of this biblical word makes us wonder: what is the real meaning of "the flood"?
The Meaning of the Flood
Interestingly, in Akkadian, the meaning of the terms biblu and abubu is destructive rain. The Hebrew word mabul derives from a mutual Hebraic and Akkadian root, I.B.L, which stands for driving and transporting. The same Hebrew root is connected to the Hebrew verb "to lead" – lehovil. Thus, the word that describes the event of the flood contains within itself the entire story of the flood. The word mabul alone tells us the story of Noah's leadership in the times of destructive rain.
Dive into the Hebrew word
The Bible is an enormous sea of spiritual wealth. Dive into the biblical knowledge that is discovered by exploring the ancient Hebraic word. Enroll today in the best online Biblical Hebrew course at the Israel Institute of Biblical Studies and begin this fascinating journey.
