SOUTH (νότος).—
1. The locality indicated.—The southern direction was called by the Hebrews Têman (Jeremiah 49:20), that is, the country ‘on the right side’ to one facing eastwards in Palestine. In the same way their kinsmen and successors, the Moslem Arabs, called the southern part of their empire Yemen, the ‘right hand’ country, and designated Syria and Palestine to the North as al-Shâm, the ‘left’ region. The queen of Sheba was referred to as the queen of the South (Matthew 12:42). In a more limited and special sense the Hebrews gave the name ‘South Country’ to the wilderness of Judaea and the region lying beyond it (Joshua 12:8, Acts 8:26).
2. Character of south wind.—Passing over an area with little or no vegetation, it was both hot (Luke 12:55) and lacking in vitalizing power. The rarefaction produced by the sun’s rays on the bare desert gave rise to whirlwinds, which gathered up the dust in tall swaying columns that moved like evil genii over the land until they suddenly broke and dispersed (Job 37:9, Zechariah 9:14). It was essentially a transition current, being the dry east wind shifting round towards the humid west. It thus partook of the nature of both, and resembled the close steamy air of a palm-house. The allusion in Job 37:17 is either to the lethargy induced by its enervating influence, or to the cool refreshment of the showers that usually follow it.
G. M. Mackie.