BIBLE DICTIONARY + WORD STUDY

Rain

Original Hebrew / Aramaic / Greek connected to this term

How to read this: there is rarely one magic “true meaning” hidden behind an English word. A lexicon records a word’s semantic range. The intended meaning is narrowed by grammar, sentence, author, historical usage and context.

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H4306

מָטַר

ma.tar — rain

rain

36 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H1653

גֶּ֫שֶׁם

ge.shem — rain

rain, shower

27 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

GREEK · G5205

ὑετός

huetos — rain

ὑετός, -οῦ, ὁ (ὕω, to rain), [in LXX chiefly for ;] rain: Act.14:17 28:2, Heb.6:7, Jas.5:18, Rev.11:6; ὄψιμος (which see), sc. ὑ., Jas.5:7.† (AS)

5 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

GREEK · G1028

βροχή

brochē — rain

βροχή, -ῆς, ἡ (βρέχω), [in LXX: Psa.67 (68):9, 104 (105):32 (גֶּשֶׁם)* ;] 1. = βροχετός, a wetting (in π., of irrigation in Egypt; Deiss., LAE, 77). 2. As in MGr. (Kennedy, Sources, 153), = ὑετός, rain: Mat.7:25, 27. † (AS)

2 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H5464

סַגְרִיר

sag.rid — rain

steady or persistent rain

1 tagged verse occurrence · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H8164

שְׂעִירִים

sa.ir — rain

raindrops, rain showers

1 tagged verse occurrence · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H1656

גֹּ֫שֶׁם

go.shem — rain

v 1) (Pual) to be rained upon n m 2) rain

0 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H5927

עָלָה

a.lah — to ascend: rise

: rise/go 1) to go up, ascend, climb 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to go up, ascend 1a2) to meet, visit, follow, depart, withdraw, retreat 1a3) to go up, come up (of animals) 1a4) to spring up, grow, shoot forth (of vegetation) 1a5) to go up, go up over, rise (of natural phenomenon) 1a6) to come up (before God) 1a7) to go up, go up over, extend (of boundary) 1a8) to excel, be superior to 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be taken up, be brought up, be taken away 1b2) to take oneself away 1b3) to be exalted 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to bring up, cause to ascend or climb, cause to go up 1c2) to bring up, bring against, take away 1c3) to bring up, draw up, train 1c4) to cause to ascend 1c5) to rouse, stir up (mentally) 1c6) to offer, bring up (of gifts) 1c7) to exalt 1c8) to cause to ascend, offer 1d) (Hophal) 1d1) to be carried away, be led up 1d2) to be taken up into, be inserted in 1d3) to be offered 1e) (Hithpael) to lift oneself

773 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H8104

שָׁמַר

sha.mar — to keep: obey

: obey/observe 1) to keep, guard, observe, give heed 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to keep, have charge of 1a2) to keep, guard, keep watch and ward, protect, save life 1a2a) watch, watchman (participle) 1a3) to watch for, wait for 1a4) to watch, observe 1a5) to keep, retain, treasure up (in memory) 1a6) to keep (within bounds), restrain 1a7) to observe, celebrate, keep (sabbath or covenant or commands), perform (vow) 1a8) to keep, preserve, protect 1a9) to keep, reserve 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be on one's guard, take heed, take care, beware 1b2) to keep oneself, refrain, abstain 1b3) to be kept, be guarded 1c) (Piel) to keep, pay heed 1d) (Hithpael) to keep oneself from

420 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H3899

לֶ֫חֶם

le.chem — food

: food(eating) 1) bread, food, grain 1a) bread 1a1) bread 1a2) bread-corn 1b) food (in general)

258 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H4503

מִנְחָה

min.chah — offering

: offering/sacrifice 1) gift, tribute, offering, present, oblation, sacrifice, meat offering 1a) gift, present 1b) tribute 1c) offering (to God) 1d) grain offering

179 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H669

אֶפְרַ֫יִם

eph.ra.yim — Ephraim

A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.41.52; son of: Joseph (H3130) and Asenath (H0621); brother of: Manasseh (H4519); father of: Shuthelah (H7803), Becher (H1071H), Tahan (H8465), Ezer (H5827), Elead (H0496) and Beriah (H1283H); also called Ephrathite (NIV: Ephraimite) at 1Sa.1.1; Ephron (Qere, KJV: Ephrain) at 2Ch.13.19; § Ephraim = "double ash-heap: I shall be doubly fruitful" 1) second son of Joseph, blessed by him and given preference over first son, Manasseh 2) the tribe, Ephraim 3) the mountain country of Ephraim 4) sometimes used name for the northern kingdom (Hosea or Isaiah) 5) a city near Baal-hazor 6) a chief gate of Jerusalem

160 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H3925

לָמַד

la.mad — to learn: teach

: teach 1) to learn. teach, exercise in 1a) (Qal) to learn 1b) (Piel) to teach 1c) (Pual) to be taught, be trained Also means: la.mad (לָמַד ": learn" H3925H)

77 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H3384

יָרָא

ya.ra — to shoot

1) to shoot, pour 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to shoot arrows 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to shoot at 1b2) part. shooter, archer 1c) to throw water, rain

71 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H7198

קֶ֫שֶׁת

qe.shet — bow

1) bow 1a) bow (for hunting, battle) 1b) bowmen, archers 1c) bow (fig. of might) 1d) rainbow

71 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H214

אוֹצָר

o.tsar — treasure

1) treasure, storehouse 1a) treasure (gold, silver, etc) 1b) store, supplies of food or drink 1c) treasure-house, treasury 1c1) treasure-house 1c2) storehouse, magazine 1c3) treasury 1c4) magazine of weapons (fig. of God's armoury) 1c5) storehouses (of God for rain, snow, hail, wind, sea)

68 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

GREEK · G4095

πίνω

pinō — to drink

πίνω [in LXX chiefly for שָׁתָה ;] to drink: absol., Luk.2:19, Jhn.4:7, al.; with accusative of thing(s), Mat.6:26, 31 Mrk.14:25, al.; of habitual use, Luk.1:15, Rom.14:21, al.; by meton., τὸ ποτήριον, 1Co.10:21, al.; of the earth absorbing rain (Hdt., al.), Heb.6:7; spiritually, of the blood of Christ, Jhn.6:53-54, 56; before ἐκ (of the vessel), Mat.26:27, al.; id. (of the drink; Bl., § 36, 1), Mat.26:29, Jhn.4:13-14 Rev.14:10, al.; ἀπό, Luk.22:18 (cf. ἀπο-, συν-πίνω; on the form πίεσαι, Luk.17:8, see Bl., § 21, 8, and on the contr. aor. πεῖν, M, Pr., 44 f., Thackeray, Gr., 63 f.) (AS)

62 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H753

אֹ֫רֶךְ

o.rekh — length

1) length 1a) physical length 1b) of time 2) forbearance, self-restraint (of patience)

52 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H8255

שֶׁ֫קֶל

she.qel — shekel

1) shekel 1a) the chief unit of weight or measure 1a1) gold-1/10000 of a talent and equal to 220 grains 1a2) silver-1/3000 of a talent and equal to 132 grains 1a3) copper-1/1500 of a talent and equal to 528 grains Aramaic equivalent: te.qel (תְּקֵל "shekel" H8625B)

52 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H8641

תְּרוּמָה

te.ru.mah — contribution

1) contribution, offering 1a) a heave offering 1b) any offering 1c) an offering to God 1d) an offering (of grain, money, etc) 1e) contribution

49 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

GREEK · G2902

κρατέω

krateō — to grasp/seize

κρατέω, -ῶ (κράτος), [in LXX chiefly for חָזַק hi., also for אָחַז, etc. ;] 1. to be strong, mighty, hence, to rule, be master, prevail (so chiefly in cl.; in LXX: Est.1:1, I Est.4:38, Wis.14:19, al.). 2. to get possession of, obtain, take hold of (Hdt., Thuc., al.): with genitive of thing(s) (M, Pr., 65), Act.27:13; τ. χειρός, Mat.9:25, Mrk.1:31 5:41 9:27, Luk.8:54; with accusative of thing(s), Mat.12:11; with accusative of person(s), Mat.14:3 18:28 21:46 22:6 26:4, 48 ff., Mrk.3:21 6:17 12:12 14:1, 44 ff, Act.3:11 24:6, Rev.20:2 (cf. 2Ki.6:6). 3. to hold, hold fast (Æsch., Polyb., al.): with accusative of thing(s), ἐν τ. δεξιᾷ, Rev.2:1. Metaphorical: with accusative of person(s), pass., Act.2:24; with accusative of thing(s), Rev.2:13, 25 3:11; τ. κεφαλήν (i.e. Christ), Col.2:19; τ. παράδοσιν (-εις), λόγον, διδαχήν, Mrk.7:3-4, 8 9:10, 2Th.2:15, Rev.2:14-15; with genitive of thing(s), Heb.4:14 6:18; of sins, to retain, Jhn.20:23; of restraint, before ἵνα μή, Rev.7:1; pass., before τοῦ μή, Luk.24:16.† (AS)

46 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H6113

עָצַר

a.tsar — to restrain

1) to restrain, retain, close up, shut, withhold, refrain, stay, detain 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to restrain, halt, stop 1a2) to retain 1b) (Niphal) to be restrained, be stayed, be under restraint

46 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H8242

שַׂק

saq — sackcloth

1) mesh, sackcloth, sack, sacking 1a) sack (for grain) 1b) sackcloth 1b1) worn in mourning or humiliation 1b2) same material spread out to lie on

43 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H7503

רָפָה

ra.phah — to slacken

1) to sink, relax, sink down, let drop, be disheartened 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to sink down 1a2) to sink, drop 1a3) to sink, relax, abate 1a4) to relax, withdraw 1b) (Niphal) idle (participle) 1c) (Piel) to let drop 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to let drop, abandon, relax, refrain, forsake 1d2) to let go 1d3) to refrain, let alone 1d4) to be quiet 1e) (Hithpael) to show oneself slack

41 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

Historical dictionary entry

There are three Hebrew words used to denote the rains of different seasons, (1.) Yoreh (Hos. 6:3), or moreh (Joel 2:23), denoting the former or the early rain. (2.) Melqosh, the “latter rain” (Prov. 16:15). (3.) Geshem, the winter rain, “the rains.” The heavy winter rain is mentioned in Gen. 7:12; Ezra 10:9; Cant. 2:11. The “early” or “former” rains commence in autumn in the latter part of October or beginning of November (Deut. 11:14; Joel 2:23; comp. Jer. 3:3), and continue to fall heavily for two months. Then the heavy “winter rains” fall from the middle of December to March. There is no prolonged fair weather in Palestine between October and March. The “latter” or spring rains fall in March and April, and serve to swell the grain then coming to maturity (Deut. 11:14; Hos. 6:3). After this there is ordinarily no rain, the sky being bright and cloudless till October or November. Rain is referred to symbolically in Deut. 32:2; Ps. 72:6; Isa. 44:3, 4; Hos. 10:12.

Scripture references

Source: Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897). Historical dictionary wording reflects the scholarship and language of its era.

Compare other reference traditions

Look up Rain in Smith’s Bible Dictionary and ISBE →