H4305 H4305
To send rain or cause it to rain; to rain down destructive judgment from heaven; to be rained upon
The Hebrew verb matar in the Hiphil stem captures God's sovereign command over precipitation — both as blessing and as wrath. In its most common use, it describes the LORD sending rain upon the earth, as when Genesis records that 'the LORD God had not caused it to rain' (Gen 2:5) and Amos three times invokes God withholding or sending rain (Amos 4:7). Yet the same verb takes on terrifying force when God rains down fire and brimstone on Sodom (Gen 19:24) or snares and burning coals on the wicked (Ps 11:6). Spanish llover and hacer llover, French pleuvoir, and German regnen lassen all preserve this dual register. The rare Niphal passive in Amos 4:7 completes the picture: one field 'was rained upon' while another was left dry.
Senses
1. cause rain to fall (Hifil) — The causative meteorological sense (Hiphil): to cause rain, send rain, make it rain — with God as the implicit or explicit subject controlling literal weather. Genesis 2:5 and 7:4 set the pattern in the primeval narrative, while Amos 4:7 repeats the image three times as the prophet describes God's selective rainfall. Exodus 9:18 and 16:4 extend it to manna and hail alike. Spanish hacer llover and French faire pleuvoir both mirror the causative construction. Job 38:26 places this power squarely in the divine whirlwind speeches. 11×
AR["أَلَّا-تُمطِرَ", "أُمْطِرُ", "أُمْطِرْ", "لِيُمْطِرَ", "مُمْطِرٌ", "وَ-أَمْطَرْتُ", "وَ-يُمْطِرُ", "يُمْطِرُ", "يُمْطِرْ"]·ben["-বর্ষণ-করতে", "-বৃষ্টি-দিতে", "এবং-তিনি-বর্ষণ-করবেন", "এবং-বৃষ্টি-দিয়েছি", "তিনি-বর্ষিত-করবেন", "বর্ষণ-করছি", "বর্ষণ-করব", "বর্ষণ-করাচ্ছি", "বৃষ্টি-দিয়েছিলেন", "বৃষ্টি-দেব"]·DE["[אמטיר]", "[והמטרתי]", "[וימטר]", "[להמטיר]", "[מהמטיר]", "er-rains", "hatte-regnen-lassen", "raining", "regnen-lassen"]·EN["I-caused-to-rain", "I-will-rain-down", "and-I-caused-to-rain", "and-rains-down", "causing-to-rain", "from-raining", "had-caused-rain", "he-rains", "raining", "to-cause-rain"]·FR["[מהמטיר]", "avait-caused-pluie", "causing-à-pluie", "et-pleuvoir", "et-וימטר", "pleuvoir", "raining", "à-להמטיר"]·heb["אמטיר", "המטיר", "ו-המטרתי", "ו-ימטר", "ימטיר", "ל-המטיר", "מ-המטיר", "ממטיר"]·HI["और-बरसाया-मैंने", "और-वह-बरसाएगा", "बरसाऊनगा", "बरसाता-हूं", "बरसाने-को", "बरसाया", "बरसाया-था", "मैं-बरसाऊंगा", "मैं-बरसाता-हूँ", "वर्षा-बरसाने-से", "वह-बरसाएगा"]·ID["Aku-akan-menurunkan", "Aku-menurunkan-hujan", "Ia-menurunkan", "Untuk-menurunkan hujan", "akan-menurunkan-hujan", "dan-Aku-menurunkan-hujan", "dan-Dia-menurunkan-hujan", "menurunkan-hujan", "untuk-tidak-menurunkan"]·IT["[אמטיר]", "[והמטרתי]", "[מהמטיר]", "aveva-caused-pioggia", "causing-a-pioggia", "e-e-rains-giù", "fece-piovere", "per-a-cause-pioggia", "raining"]·jav["Ingsun-ngudanaken", "Kanggé-ngesokaken-jawah", "Nurunaken-udan", "lan-Kawula-nurunaken-jawah", "lan-dipunudhunaken", "maringi-jawah", "ngawahaken", "ngesunaken", "ngudanaken", "saking-nurunaken-udan", "setunggal"]·KO["그리고-비를-내리게-하였느니라", "그리고-비를-내리시리라", "내가-내리게-한다", "내가-비같이-내리리라", "비-내렸다", "비-내리겠다", "비-내리시리로다", "비-를-내리기-위하여", "비를-내리지", "비를-내리지-않게", "비오게하겠다"]·PT["Choverá", "Para-chover", "de-chover", "e-fará-chover", "e-fiz-chover", "farei-chover", "fazendo-chover", "faço-chover", "fiz-chover", "tinha-feito-chover"]·RU["и-изольёт-дождём", "и-послал-дождь", "изливающий-дождём", "не-изливать", "послал-дождь", "посылал-дождь", "пошлю-дождь", "прольет-дождем", "пролью", "чтобы-лился-дождь"]·ES["Hará-llover", "Para-hacer-llover", "de-no-llover", "había-hecho-llover", "haciendo-llover", "hago-llover", "haré-llover", "hice-llover", "y-hará-llover", "y-hice-llover"]·SW["Atanyesha", "amenyesha", "kunyesha", "kuunyeshea", "na-atanyesha", "na-nilinyeshea", "ninanyesha", "nitanyesha"]·TR["Yağdırmak-için", "ve-yağdırdım", "ve-yağdırır", "yagdirmaktan", "yağdıracağım", "yağdıran", "yağdırmıştı", "yağdırır", "yağdırırım", "yağdırıyorum"]·urd["اور-برسائے", "اور-برسایا", "برساؤں-گا-میں", "برساتا-تھا", "برساتا-ہوں", "برسانے کے لیے", "برسانے-والا-ہوں", "برسایا-تھا", "نہ-برسانے", "وہ-برسائے-گا"]
2. rain down judgment (Hifil) — The divine-judgment sense (Hiphil): to rain down destructive substances — fire, brimstone, snares, burning coals — from heaven as an act of catastrophic punishment. The paradigmatic text is Genesis 19:24, where the LORD rains sulfur and fire upon Sodom and Gomorrah. Psalm 11:6 extends the imagery to snares, fire, and a scorching wind rained upon the wicked, and Psalm 78:24-27 recounts manna and quail rained down from heaven. German liess regnen and Spanish hizo llover preserve the Hiphil causative, while the objects shift from water to destruction. 4×
AR["أَمْطَرَ", "فَأَمْطَرَ", "وَأَمْطَرَ"]·ben["এবং-তিনি-বর্ষণ-করেছিলেন", "এবং-বর্ষণ-করলেন", "বর্ষণ-করলেন"]·DE["ließ-regnen", "und-er-rained-hinab", "und-rained"]·EN["and-he-rained-down", "and-rained", "rained"]·FR["et-pleuvoir", "et-rained", "rained"]·heb["המטיר", "ו-המטיר", "ו-ימטר"]·HI["और-बरसाया", "वरसय"]·ID["Dan-Dia-menghujani", "dan-menurunkan-hujan", "menurunkan-hujan"]·IT["e-fece-piovere", "e-rained", "rained"]·jav["Saha-Panjenengan-sampun-nujahaken", "lan-ngudanaken", "ndamel-jawah"]·KO["그리고-내리셨다", "비-내리셨나이다", "비를-내렸다"]·PT["E-fez-chover", "e-fez-chover", "fez-chover"]·RU["и-одождил-Он", "и-пролил", "пролил-дождём"]·ES["E-hizo-llover", "e-hizo-llover", "hizo-llover"]·SW["Na-akanyesha", "akaanguka", "na-akanyesha"]·TR["ve-yağdırdı", "yağdırdı"]·urd["اور-برسایا", "برسایا"]
3. be rained upon (Nifal) — The passive sense (Niphal): to be rained upon, to receive rain — describing a land or region that experiences or fails to experience rainfall. Both occurrences appear in Amos 4:7 in a striking contrast: one portion of land 'was rained upon' while another withered for lack. Spanish recibia lluvia captures the passive reception, while the German and French traditions leave the form unglossed. This stem completes the verbal paradigm, shifting focus from the divine sender to the human recipient of weather. 2×
AR["تُمْطَرُ", "تُمْطِرُ"]·ben["বৃষ্টি-পাবে"]·DE["[תמטיר]", "[תמטר]"]·EN["was-rained-upon"]·FR["pleuvoir"]·heb["תימָּטר", "תמטיר"]·HI["बरसा", "भीगा"]·ID["dihujani"]·IT["[תמטיר]", "[תמטר]"]·jav["garing", "ingkang"]·KO["비가-내리지", "비를-받으나"]·PT["chovia"]·RU["орошалось"]·ES["recibía-lluvia"]·SW["kilinyeshewa", "kuunyeshea"]·TR["yağmur-alır"]·urd["برستی-تھی"]
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×)H1653 1. rain, precipitation (34×)G4655 1. darkness (30×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [מָטַר] vb. denom. (cf. GerberVerb. denom. 106) [rain] (Arabic مَطَرَ; Syriac ܡܛܰܪ; 𝔗 Aph. אַמְטַר);— Niph. Impf. be rained upon חֶלְקָה אַחַת תִּמָּטֵר Am 4:7. Hiph. Pf. הִמְטִיר Gn 2:5; 19:24; וְהִמְטַרְתִּ֫י Am 4:7; Impf. יַמְטֵר ψ 11:6 Jb 20:23; וַיַּמְטֵר Ex 9:3 + 2 times; 3 fs. תַּמְטִיר Am 4:7 (but read אַמְטִיר 𝔊 𝔙); 1 s. אַמְטִיר Am 4:7 + v 7 (for תַּמְטִיר), Ez 38:22; Inf. cstr.…