In biblical literature, the term "mist" is often used to describe a natural phenomenon that holds both literal and symbolic significance. The Hebrew word for mist, "אֵד" (ed), and the Greek word "ὁμίχλη" (homichlē) appear in various contexts throughout the Scriptures, illustrating God's creative power and the transient nature of life.

Creation and Provision

The first mention of mist in the Bible is found in the account of creation in Genesis. Genesis 2:6 states, "But springs welled up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground." Here, the mist is depicted as a divine provision for the earth, nurturing the land before the creation of rain. This underscores God's sovereignty and care in sustaining His creation, ensuring that the earth was fertile and ready for the habitation of man.

Symbol of Transience

Mist is also used metaphorically in Scripture to convey the fleeting nature of human life. James 4:14 poignantly states, "You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." This imagery serves as a humbling reminder of the brevity and uncertainty of life, urging believers to live with an eternal perspective and reliance on God's will.

Divine Presence and Revelation

In some instances, mist is associated with the presence and revelation of God. In Exodus 19:9 , the Lord says to Moses, "Behold, I will come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear when I speak with you and will always put their trust in you." While the term "mist" is not directly used here, the concept of a cloud or mist enveloping the divine presence is evident. This signifies God's holiness and the mystery surrounding His revelation to humanity.

Judgment and Obscurity

Mist can also symbolize judgment and obscurity. In 2 Peter 2:17 , false teachers are described as "springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them." This metaphor highlights the deceptive and unstable nature of false teachings, contrasting them with the clarity and truth found in God's Word.

Conclusion

Throughout the Bible, mist serves as a multifaceted symbol, representing God's provision, the ephemeral nature of life, His divine presence, and the obscurity of falsehood. These themes encourage believers to trust in God's eternal promises and to seek His truth amidst the uncertainties of life.1. (n.) Visible watery vapor suspended in the atmosphere, at or near the surface of the earth; fog.

2. (n.) Coarse, watery vapor, floating or falling in visible particles, approaching the form of rain; as, Scotch mist.

3. (n.) Hence, anything which dims or darkens, and obscures or intercepts vision.

4. (v. t.) To cloud; to cover with mist; to dim.

5. (v. i.) To rain in very fine drops; as, it mists.

MIST

('edh; achlus, homichie): Mist is caused by particles of water vapor filling the air until it is only partially transparent. Mist and haze produce much the same effect, the one being due to moisture in the atmosphere and the other to dust particles. Mist or fog is not common on the plains of Palestine and Syria at sea-level, but is of almost daily occurrence in the mountain valleys, coming up at night and disappearing with the morning sun (The Wisdom of Solomon 2:4). It is nothing else than a cloud touching the land. In the account of creation, "there went up a mist from the earth," giving a description of the warm humid atmosphere of the carboniferous ages which agrees remarkably with the teaching of modern science (Genesis 2:6). The word is used figuratively in Acts 13:11 to describe the shutting out of light. Those who bring confusion and uncertainty are compared to "mists driven by a storm" (2 Peter 2:17).

See VAPOR.

Alfred H. Joy

887. achlus -- a mist
... a mist. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: achlus Phonetic Spelling:
(akh-looce') Short Definition: a mist, dimness Definition: a mist, dimness ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/887.htm - 6k

3658. homichle -- a mist or fog
... a mist or fog. Transliteration: homichle Phonetic Spelling: (hom'-il-os) Short
Definition: mists. ... word Definition a mist or fog NASB Word Usage mists (1). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3658.htm - 6k

2217. zophos -- deep gloom
... blackness, darkness, mist. Akin to the base of nephos; gloom (as shrouding
like a cloud) -- blackness, darkness, mist. see GREEK nephos. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2217.htm - 7k

822. atmis -- vapor
... Word Origin of uncertain origin Definition vapor NASB Word Usage vapor (2). vapor.
From the same as aer; mist -- vapour. see GREEK aer. (atmida) -- 1 Occurrence ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/822.htm - 6k

108. ed -- a mist
... a mist. Transliteration: ed Phonetic Spelling: (ade) Short Definition: mist. Word
Origin from the same as ud Definition a mist NASB Word Usage mist (2). ...
/hebrew/108.htm - 6k

5387b. nasi -- rising mist, vapor
... rising mist, vapor. Transliteration: nasi Short Definition: clouds. Word Origin
from nasa Definition rising mist, vapor NASB Word Usage clouds (3), vapors (1). ...
/hebrew/5387b.htm - 5k

2919. tal -- night mist, dew
... 2918, 2919. tal. 2920 . night mist, dew. Transliteration: tal Phonetic
Spelling: (tal) Short Definition: dew. Word Origin from an ...
/hebrew/2919.htm - 5k

5387. nasiy' -- one lifted up, a chief, prince
... Or nasi' {naw-see'}; from nasa'; properly, an exalted one, ie A king or sheik; also
a rising mist -- captain, chief, cloud, governor, prince, ruler, vapour. ...
/hebrew/5387.htm - 5k

6051. anan -- a cloud mass, cloud
... Word Origin from an unused word Definition a cloud mass, cloud NASB Word Usage
cloud (78), clouds (7), cloudy (1), heavy mist (1). cloudy. ...
/hebrew/6051.htm - 6k

Writing Blotted Out and Mist Melted
... WRITING BLOTTED OUT AND MIST MELTED. ... 'I have blotted out as a cloud'"that is, the
thinning away of the mist. The blurred and stained page can be cancelled. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/writing blotted out and mist.htm

Christ among the Common Things of Life
... Not long ago, in the early morning, while all the world slept, I stood beside the
Sea of Tiberias, just as the morning mist lifted, and watched a single brown ...
/.../various/the worlds great sermons volume 10/dawson christ among the.htm

The Dew and the Plants
... You cannot call it rain, so gently does it diffuse itself; it is liker a mist,
but it brings life and freshness, and everything is changed. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/the dew and the plants.htm

Going Forth
... that point all was dark, except for the sparkle of the great hope that gleamed on
the horizon in front, as a sunlit summit rises above a sea of mist between it ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/going forth.htm

Let us See what My Adversary Himself Says on this Point in those ...
... addressed: "Ye are the light of the world." [2929] On the other hand, he should
exhibit everything involved in darkness and wrapped up in the mist of symbols ...
/.../2 let us see what.htm

October the Second Humbling Our Pride
... The mist is very close to our doors, and in a very few steps we are lost on
a trackless moor. ... But the mist remains, the home of blessing. ...
/.../my daily meditation for the circling year/october the second humbling our.htm

A Rough Voyage
... There was no moon, or stars, but a thick mist, so that I could see neither road
nor anything else; but I went as right as if it had been noon-day. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/wesley/the journal of john wesley/a rough voyage.htm

For These Reasons There was Plainly Wanting a Divine Revelation,
... But in like manner, as Homer relates, that Minerva took away the mist from before
Diomede's eyes, that he might be able to distinguish one person from another ...
/.../vii proposition vii for these.htm

Out of the Deep of Suffering and Sorrow.
... and the desire of his eyes is taken from him, and all his hopes and plans, all which
he intended to do or to enjoy, are hid with blinding mist, so that he ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/out of the deep/i out of the deep.htm

On Heavenly Objects
... feet. [Nah.1:3]. The mist is the working of the divine mysteries; in the
psalm: and the mist is beneath His feet. [Ps.17(18):10(11)]. ...
/.../eucherius/the formulae of st eucherius of lyons/ii on heavenly objects.htm

Mist (17 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) Coarse, watery vapor, floating or falling in visible particles, approaching
the form of rain; as, Scotch mist. ... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. MIST. ...
/m/mist.htm - 12k

Vapor (6 Occurrences)
... va'-per: (1) edh: "For he draweth up the drops of water, which distill in rain from
his vapor" (Job 36:27); "There went up a mist ['edh] from the earth, and ...
/v/vapor.htm - 11k

Dew (35 Occurrences)
... with moisture, are robbed of it as they pass over the land, the cold air condensing
it into drops of water, which fall in a gracious rain of mist on every ...
/d/dew.htm - 26k

Mistake (5 Occurrences)

/m/mistake.htm - 8k

Offenses (23 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 44:22 I have put your evil doings out of my mind like a thick cloud, and
your sins like a mist: come back to me; for I have taken up your cause. ...
/o/offenses.htm - 12k

Of (369523 Occurrences)
... 4. (prep.) Denoting the material of which anything is composed, or that which it
contains; as, a throne of gold; a sword of steel; a wreath of mist; a cup of ...
/o/of.htm - 8k

Josephus
... the Lake of Gennesaret, in May, 67 AD The Jews withstood the siege for 47 days with
splendid courage, till Titus, assaulting under cover of a mist, stormed the ...
/j/josephus.htm - 13k

Groped (1 Occurrence)
... Acts 13:11 Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is on you, and you will be blind, not
seeing the sun for a season!" Immediately a mist and darkness fell on him. ...
/g/groped.htm - 6k

Watered (28 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). Genesis 2:6 but a mist went up
from the earth, and watered the whole surface of the ground. ...
/w/watered.htm - 16k

Watering (21 Occurrences)
... to his own labour, (YLT). Genesis 2:6 But a mist went up from the earth,
watering all the face of the land. (BBE). Genesis 2:10 And ...
/w/watering.htm - 12k

What does it mean that life is a vapor? | GotQuestions.org

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Mist: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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