מָטַר
to rain
Definition
The Hebrew verb מָטַר (mâṭar) means 'to rain' or 'to cause to rain.' It describes the physical act of precipitation, as in God causing rain to fall upon the earth (Genesis 2:5). It can also signify rain as a divine instrument, whether for provision, as with the manna in Exodus 16:4, or for judgment, such as the fire and brimstone rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:24). In poetic contexts like Job, it portrays God's sovereign control over nature, sending rain on lands where no human dwells (Job 38:26).
Biblical Usage
מָטַר is used 14 times in the Old Testament, primarily in narrative and poetic books. It appears in key historical accounts of divine action: the Flood narrative (Genesis 7:4), the Egyptian plagues (Exodus 9:18, 23), and the destruction of Sodom. It is also used in God's speeches in Job to illustrate His providence and power. The verb is almost exclusively used with God as the explicit or implied subject, emphasizing His direct agency over meteorological phenomena.
Etymology
מָטַר is a primitive root. It is directly related to the noun מָטָר (māṭār, H4306), meaning 'rain.' Cognates exist in other Semitic languages, such as Ugaritic (mṭr) and Arabic (maṭara), all with the core meaning 'to rain.' The verb form is foundational, giving rise to the noun, and its meaning remained stable throughout biblical Hebrew.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it consistently portrays rain as a direct act of God, not an impersonal natural process. It underscores God's sovereignty in both blessing (providing food) and judgment (executing punishment). Understanding מָטַר enriches reading by highlighting the biblical worldview where God is intimately involved in creation, using rain as a key instrument in His covenant relationship, promises, and warnings to humanity.
In the arid climate of the ancient Near East, rain was not taken for granted but was a vital sign of divine favor and provision essential for survival. The concept of God 'raining' fire and brimstone (Genesis 19:24) would have been understood as a supreme act of supernatural judgment, leveraging the cultural understanding of rain's life-giving power and turning it into its opposite.
יָרַד (yāraḏ, H3381) — a more general verb meaning 'to go down' or 'descend,' sometimes used for dew or rain descending. גֶּשֶׁם (geshem, H1653) — the primary noun for 'rain' or 'heavy rain,' focusing on the substance rather than the action.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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