ὄμβρος
ómbros
G3655 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Rainfall, especially in the form of a heavy rain or shower; in some contexts, a rainstorm or deluge. The word refers primarily to a significant downpour (as opposed to a light rain), often with implications of intensity or suddenness.
Semantic Range
heavy rain, shower, rainstorm, deluge, figurative storm (rare)
Root / Etymology
etymology uncertain. Possibly pre-Greek or of Indo-European origin, but unattested in major derivational chains within Greek.
Historical & Contextual Notes
ὄμβρος appears in classical Greek (Homeric through Hellenistic periods) as a term for 'rain, shower,' particularly a heavy or driving rain, sometimes accompanied by wind or thunderstorms. In Homer and later poets, it often connotes violent weather or even metaphorical storms. The term is rare in the New Testament but more common in broader Hellenistic literature and the Septuagint, consistently denoting literal, heavy rainfall rather than light or misting precipitation. English translations often render it as 'rain,' 'shower,' or 'storm,' but these sometimes understate the force implied by the term. Earlier Greek distinguished ὄμβρος from βροχή (general rain). βροχή may denote rain generically, while ὄμβρος has a narrower sense as a forceful, sometimes sudden, downpour.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of uncertain affinity; a thunder storm:--shower.
Root Family
ὄμβρος (ombros) — rain, heavy shower, downpour
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3655-01 |
ὄμβρος | ombros | N NOM M SG |
shower | heavy downpour | heavy downpour | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3655-01 |
Luke 12:54 | ὄμβρος | ombros | N NOM M SG |
shower | heavy downpour | heavy downpour |