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south: (1) × ×’×‘, neghebh, according BDB from root × ×’×‘, naÌ„ghabh, meaning “to be dry,†the word most often used, in the Revised Version (British and American) capitalized (South) in those places where it seems to denote a particular region, i.e. to the South of Judah. (2) ימין, yaÌ„mı̄n, “right hand,†“right.†The derived meaning, “south,†seems to imply an eastern posture in prayer in which the right hand is toward the South; compare Arabic yamı̂n, “right,†and yemen, “Yemen,†a region in Southwestern Arabia. (3) תּימן, teÌ„maÌ„n, from the same root as (2) is often used for the south; also for the south wind (; ). (4) ×™×, yaÌ„m, literally, “sea†(). (5) דּרו×, daÌ„roÌ„m, etymology doubtful (; ). (6) מדבּר, midhbaÌ„r, literally, “desert†(, reading doubtful).
(7) λιÌψ, lıÌps, “south west wind†(). (8) μεσημβÏιÌα, meseÌ„mbrıÌa, literally, “mid-dayâ€; “south†(); “noon†(). (9) νοÌτος, noÌtos, “south wind†(; ; ); “south†(1 Macc 3:57; ; ; ; ).
The south wind is often referred to: see ; (compare ); (of ); .
Of the passages where South (neghebh) clearly refers to a particular region between Palestine and Sinai see: “And Abraham journeyed, going on still toward the South†(neghbāh) (; ; ). We read of “the South of the Jerahmeelites,†“the South of the Kenites†(); “the South of the Cherethites,†“the South of Caleb†(); “the South of Judah†(); “Ramoth of the South†().
In , “Turn again our captivity, O Yahweh, as the streams in the South,†we have a figurative reference to the fact that, after a long period of drought, the dry watercourses are finally filled with rushing streams. The reference in f to “the forest of the South†is to a condition of things very different from that which exists today, though the region is not incapable of supporting trees if they are only planted and protected.