Hello, ma teacher!
I don't get the usage of "in" in this phrase: sweep in from the desert
I read this in Bible and this is the full text: Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house.
What I want to know is ... how can I understand this expression: sweep in from
I know why "from" is used. It means "from the desert."
Is "sweep in" kind of idiom?
The reason why I am curious is that I think "in" looks unnecessary.
Please let me know how I should understand this![]()
It means to come in(side) swiftly, strongly; e.g., the wind came in(side) swiftly.
I feel that it means 'towards' (the location we know about) rather than 'inside'.
Context is always important; labelling is rarely important.
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NOT A TEACHER
(1) May I add a few words to the key member's and the moderator's excellent answers.
(2) I found three examples (Google books) that may help you to better
understand that "sweep in" means something like "come in":
(a) Rain swept in from the mountains.
(b) The cold breeze swept in from the bay.
(c) A hundred angry letters swept in from across the nation.
(3) As you know. many times we use "sweep" without "in":
I sweep the kitchen every day.
(4) I do not think that "sweep in" is considered an idiom. I think that it is considered
a phrasal verb. When you get time, you may wish to research the topic "phrasal
verbs" by checking your books, this website's "search" box, or the Web.