H1653 H1653
Rain, rainfall — the general Hebrew term for rain; once an intense downpour
The standard Hebrew noun for rain in all its ordinary manifestations — from the rains of Noah's flood (Gen 7:12) to the seasonal showers promised for covenant obedience (Lev 26:4) to the prophetic imagery of God's word descending like rain (Isa 55:10). It appears in construct chains ('rain of the LORD', Job 37:6), with possessive suffixes ('your rains', Lev 26:4), and in the dramatic narrative of Elijah on Carmel ('the sound of abundance of rain', 1 Kgs 18:41). One occurrence in Zechariah 10:1 carries intensified force — Spanish 'aguacero' and English 'downpour' distinguish it from ordinary lluvia/rain.
1. rain, precipitation — Rain or precipitation in general — the ordinary, unmarked term for rainfall in Hebrew, covering light showers, seasonal rains, and sustained downpour alike. Used across narrative (Gen 7:12; 8:2), law (Lev 26:4), prophecy (Hos 6:3; Joel 2:23), wisdom (Prov 25:14, 23), and poetry (Song 2:11). All major translations use their basic rain word (spa 'lluvia', fra 'pluie', deu 'Regen', eng 'rain') with no differentiation across the 34 occurrences. 34×
AR["ال-مَطَرُ", "ال-مَطَرِ", "الـ-مَطَرِ", "المَطَرَ", "الْ-مَطَرُ", "الْمَطَرُ", "الْمَطَرُ.", "جِشِم", "مَطَرًا", "مَطَرٌ", "هَ-جَشِم", "هَ-جِشِم", "ٱلْمَطَرَ"]·ben["-বৃষ্টি", "-বৃষ্টির", "বৃষ্টি", "বৃষ্টি-", "বৃষ্টি।", "বৃষ্টিতে", "বৃষ্টির", "বৃষ্টির।", "সেই-বৃষ্টি"]·DE["Geschem", "Regen", "[גשם]", "[הגשם]", "der-Geschem", "der-Regen"]·EN["of-rain", "rain", "the-rain"]·FR["[גשם]", "[הגשם]", "la-pluie", "le-pluie", "pluie"]·heb["גשם", "ה-גשם"]·HI["ते-वर्षा", "बारिश", "वरशा", "वर्षा", "वर्षा-ה", "वर्षा-के"]·ID["hujan"]·IT["[גשם]", "[הגשם]", "di-pioggia", "il-il-pioggia", "il-pioggia", "pioggia"]·jav["ing-jawah", "jawah", "jawah-punika", "taksih", "udan"]·KO["그-비", "그-비-가", "그-비가", "그-비를", "그-비의", "비", "비-그", "비-를", "비가", "비를"]·PT["a-chuva", "chuva", "de-chuva"]·RU["дождь", "дождя", "дождя.", "дождём,"]·ES["la-lluvia", "lluvia"]·SW["mvua"]·TR["-yağmur", "günde", "sel", "yagmur", "yagmurun", "yağmur", "yağmuru", "yağmurun"]·urd["-بارش-کو", "بارش", "بارش-سے", "بارش-کے", "ہ-بارش", "ہ-بارش-کا"]
Gen 7:12, Gen 8:2, Lev 26:4, 1 Kgs 17:7, 1 Kgs 17:14, 1 Kgs 18:41, 1 Kgs 18:44, 1 Kgs 18:45, 2 Kgs 3:17, Ezra 10:9, Ezra 10:13, Job 37:6 (+22 more)
▼ 1 more sense(s) below
Senses
2. downpour, heavy rain — Downpour, heavy or intense rain — a marked intensification beyond ordinary rainfall. Attested at Zech 10:1 ('Ask the LORD for rain in the season of the latter rain'), where the multilingual evidence splits sharply from sense 1: English uses 'downpour' rather than 'rain', Spanish 'aguacero' rather than 'lluvia', and Hindi 'menh' rather than 'varsha', indicating translators perceived an unusually forceful rainfall event. 1×
AR["غَيْثٍ"]·ben["জলের"]·DE["Geschem"]·EN["downpour"]·FR["pluie"]·heb["גשם"]·HI["मेंह"]·ID["lebat"]·IT["pioggia"]·jav["deras"]·KO["소나기를"]·PT["aguaceiro"]·RU["ливень"]·ES["aguacero"]·SW["mvua"]·TR["sağanak"]·urd["مینھ-کی"]
Related Senses
H4325 1. water, waters (582×)H6965b 1. Qal: to rise, arise, get up (432×)H2091 1. gold (the metal) (389×)H0068 1. stone, rock (material/object) (267×)H5178a 1. bronze/copper as metal (131×)H6083 1. dust, dry earth, soil (108×)H8313 1. burn, set fire to (94×)H2734 1. anger was kindled (82×)G5204 1. water (80×)H2822 1. darkness, absence of light (80×)G5457 1. light (illumination) (71×)G0450 1. rise, stand up (physical) (69×)H6965b 2. Qal: to stand firm, endure, be valid (50×)H6999a 2. burn sacrifice on altar (Hifil) (45×)H5553 1. rock, cliff (physical feature) (43×)H6965b 4. Hifil: to establish, confirm (covenant/kingdom/word) (40×)H1197a 1. burn, be on fire (39×)H4306 1. rain, showers (38×)G4655 1. darkness (30×)H1259 1. hail (weather phenomenon) (29×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† II. גֶּ֫שֶׁם n.m. Gn 7:12 rain, shower (NH id., conn. wi. above √ dub.)—abs. ג׳ Gn 7:12 +; גָּ֑שֶׁם 1 K 18:41 +; cstr. גֶּשֶׁם Jb 37:6(×2) +; pl. גְּשָׁמִים Ezr 10:9, 13; cstr. גִּשְׁמֵי Ez 34:26; sf. גִּשְׁמֵיכֶם Lv 26:4; גִּשְׁמֵיהֶם ψ 105:32;—rain, shower Gn 7:12; 8:2 (both J) Lv 26:4 (H) Ho 6:3 Am 4:7; Je 5:24; 14:4; Is 44:14; 55:10; Ez 1:28 Jo 2:23 (‖ מוֹרֶה, מַלְקוֹשׁ); 1 K 17:7, 14;…