H7491 H7491
to drip, trickle — of rain, dew, or heavenly blessing falling gently from above
A poetic verb evoking the gentle, steady descent of moisture from sky to earth. Clouds drip rain upon people (Job 36:28), the heavens let fall dew (Prov 3:20), and God's wagon-tracks overflow with fatness as the pastures of the wilderness drip (Ps 65:11-12). Isaiah 45:8 transforms the physical image into prophetic command: 'Drip down, O heavens, from above!' — where rain becomes a metaphor for righteousness. Spanish captures both literal ('gotean,' 'destilan') and imperative ('Destilad') registers, while the synonymy with nazal and 'araph confirms this as a precipitation word with strong figurative potential.
Senses
1. sense 1 — To drip, trickle, or distill — describing the gentle, sustained descent of moisture (rain, dew, fatness) from clouds or heavens to earth. Job 36:28 uses it of clouds dripping rain, Proverbs 3:20 of skies dropping dew, and Psalm 65:11-12 of God's paths overflowing with abundance as wilderness pastures drip with moisture. Isaiah 45:8 elevates the image to prophetic metaphor, commanding the heavens to 'drip down' righteousness. Spanish 'destilan' and 'gotean' capture the slow, continuous quality, while the Hiphil imperative in Isaiah intensifies the causative sense. 5×
AR["أَمْطِرِي", "تَقْطُرُ", "تَقْطُرُ-", "يَقطُرونَ"]·ben["ঝরাও", "ঝরায়-", "ঝরে-পড়ে", "তারা-বর্ষায়"]·DE["[הרעיפו]", "[ירעפו]", "drip", "drip-mit"]·EN["Drip", "drip", "drip-down", "drip-with", "they-drip"]·FR["[הרעיפו]", "distiller", "ירעפו"]·heb["הרעיפו", "ירעפו", "ירעפון"]·HI["टपकते-हैं", "टपकते-हैं-", "टपकाओ"]·ID["Meneteskan", "Teteskanlah", "meneteskan", "meneteskan-", "mereka meneteskan"]·IT["[הרעיפו]", "distillo'", "drip-giù", "essi-drip"]·jav["Mugi-ngetesaken", "Netesakén", "netes", "netesakén"]·KO["떨어뜨려라", "떨어뜨린다", "떨어지도다"]·PT["Gotejam", "destilam", "gotejam"]·RU["капайте", "каплют", "каплют-"]·ES["Destilad", "Gotean", "destilan", "gotean"]·SW["Nyesheni", "Zinadondosha", "yananyesha", "zinadondosha"]·TR["Damlatsin", "damlarlar", "damlatır-", "damlatıyor"]·urd["برستے ہیں", "ٹپکاؤ", "ٹپکائیں", "چوتے-ہیں"]
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
† [רָעַף] vb. trickle, drip, synon. of נזל, II. ערף (cf. Arabic رَعَفَ flow (of blood), bleed (of the nose));— Qal Impf. 3 mpl. יִרְעֲפוּ, of clouds Jb 36:28 (c. עֲלֵי pers.; ‖ יִזְּלוּ), c. acc. mat. טַל Pr 3:20; fig. מַעְגָּלֶיךָ יִרְעֲפוּן דָּ֑שֶׁן ψ 65:12 (i.e. fertilizing rain); subj. of moistened ground, נְאוֹת מִדְבָּר, v 13. Hiph. Imv. mpl. הַרְעִיפוּ Is 45:8 trickle, O heavens, from above (fig.: ‖ יִזְּלוּ צֶדֶק).