Stream is the rendering in the A.V. of the following words in the original. SEE TOPOGRAPHICAL TERMS.
1. אָפַיק, aphik (Job 6:15; Ps 126:4; "brook," 42:1 [2]; "channel," 2Sa 22:16; Ps 18:15 [16]; Isa 8:7; elsewhere "river"), properly denotes a violent torrent, sweeping through a mountain gorge, like a pipe. It occurs only in the poetical books, and is derived from a root aphak, signifying " to be strong." SEE CHANNEL.
2. אֵשֵׁד, eshed (Nu 21:15), literally an outpouring, is a place where the torrents from the mountains flow down into the valleys and plains, i.e. a ravine. SEE VALLEY.
3. יאוֹר, yeor (Isa 33:21; "brook," 19:6, 7, 8; 23:3, 10; "flood," Jer 46:28; Am 8:8-9; elsewhere "river"), is an Egyptian word, generally applied to the Nile, or to the canals by which Egypt was watered. The only exceptions to this usage are found in Da 12:5-7. SEE NILE.
4. יָבָל, yabal (Isa 30:25; "course," 44:4), denotes strictly a deluging rain; hence an overflowing river. SEE FLOOD.
5. נֹזֵל, nozel (Ps 78:16; Song 4:15; "flood," Ex 15:8; Ps 78:44; Isa 44:3; elsewhere "running" or "flowing" water), signifies a trickling rill, and is hardly a denominative at all.
6. נִחִל, nachal (Ps 78:20; Isa 11:15; Isa 27:12; Isa 30:28,33; Isa 34:9; Isa 35:6; Isa 37:6; Isa 66:12; Am 5:24; elsewhere "river," "brook," or "valley," occasionally "flood"), is a term applied both to the dry torrent bed (Nu 21:12; Jg 16:4) and to the torrent itself (1Ki 17:3). It corresponds with the Arabic wady, the Greekχειμάῤῥους, the Italian fiumara, and the Indian nullah. SEE VALLEY.
7. נִחלָה, nachlah (only found in Ps 124:4), is merely the fem. of the preceding. SEE BROOK.
8. פֶּלֶג, peleg (Ps 46:4 [5]; elsewhere "river"), denotes an artificial rivulet or channel for watering land. SEE IRRIGATION.
9. Chald. נהִר, nehar (Da 7:10; elsewhere "river"), corresponds to the Heb. נָהָר, nahar, which designates a perennial current of water, and is the most regular term. SEE RIVER.
10. Ποταμός (Lu 6:48-49; elsewhere usually "river," sometimes "flood" or "water") is the proper Greek word for a river of any kind. SEE WATER.
The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature was edited by John McClintock and James Strong. It contains nearly 50,000 articles pertaining to Biblical and other religious literature, people, creeds, etc. It is a fantastic research tool for broad Christian study.
John McClintock was born October 27, 1814 in Philadelphia to Irish immigrants, John and Martha McClintock. He began as a clerk in his father's store, and then became a bookkeeper in the Methodist Book Concern in New York. Here he converted to Methodism and considered joining the ministry. McClintock entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1832 and graduated with high honors three years later. Subsequently, he was awarded a doctorate of divinity degree from the same institution in 1848.WikipediaRead More