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מָטַר

𐤌𐤈𐤓

mâṭar

H4306 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

To rain, to cause rain, or to send down rain from the sky; to bestow or shower rain. Primarily refers to the act of precipitation as an atmospheric event, both literally and as a metaphor for abundant blessing or provision. The word can be used of both natural and divinely-induced rain.

Semantic Range

to rain, to cause to rain, to send rain, to bestow rain, to shower, to be rained upon

Root / Etymology

Root: מטר. The root carries the basic sense 'to rain' or 'to send rain.' The verb מָטַר (mâṭar) comes directly from this root with the meaning 'to cause rain to fall,' typically with God as the implied subject in the majority of occurrences.

Historical & Contextual Notes

מָטַר is used both as an active verb ('to rain' or 'to cause to rain') and in passive forms ('to be rained upon'). In the Hebrew Bible, rainfall is often depicted as a direct act of divine agency, especially in the context of covenantal blessing or judgment (e.g., Leviticus 26:4, 'I will give you rain'). The term functions both in descriptions of ordinary weather and as a literary or rhetorical device signifying abundance, favor, or lack thereof as a curse. The noun מָטָר ('rain') is distinct from גֶּשֶׁם (geshem), which can refer to heavy rain or general precipitation. Some Aramaic cognates exist, but the verbal root is distinctively West Semitic and regularly used with YHWH as the subject when referring to Israelite expectations of rainfall. In later post-biblical Hebrew, other terms such as גשם become more dominant, though מטר is still understood. Standard English translations often use simply 'rain,' but this may not always capture the nuance of divine sovereign action implicit in many biblical contexts.

Translation Consistency

primary "rain" 23 occurrences

'Rain' is the natural, common English verb that best matches the primary SILEX sense (precipitation and divinely sent provision). It covers intransitive use (it will rain), transitive/metaphorical uses (to rain blessings on), and is the most frequent rendering in the P2 data. More formal alternatives (e.g., 'shower' or 'bestow') are rarer or less natural in ordinary speech, so 'rain' provides clear, consistent, and idiomatic translation across all forms.

Alternatives (15 occurrences):
"rainfall" (15x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from מָטַר; rain; rain.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

מטר (Materi) — to rain, to send rain, to cause rain

Root מטר to rain, to cause to fall from the sky, to bestow by precipitation
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4305 מָטַר I will cause rain to fall
H4309 מַטְרִי the Matrite

Word Forms

14 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H4306-07 מָטָ֖ר matar HNcmsa rain rainfall rainfall 15
H4306-05 לַ/מָּטָר֙ lamatar HRd/Ncmsa for-the-rain for the rain for the rain 5
H4306-08 מְטַֽר metar HNcmsc rain rain of rain of 4
H4306-11 וּ/מָטָ֑ר umatar HC/Ncmsa and rain and rain and rain 4
H4306-01 הַ/מָּטָ֧ר hamatar HTd/Ncmsa the rain the rain the rain 1
H4306-02 כַּ/מָּטָר֙ kamatar HRd/Ncmsa as the rain like rain like rain 1
H4306-03 כְּ/מָטָ֣ר kematar HR/Ncmsa like rain like rain like rain 1
H4306-04 כַ/מָּטָ֣ר khamatar HRd/Ncmsa as for the rain like rain like rain 1
H4306-06 לִ/מְטַ֥ר limetar HR/Ncmsc for rain for rain of for rain 1
H4306-09 מִ/מָּטָ֖ר mimatar HR/Ncmsa from rain from rain from rain 1

Occurrences in Scripture

38 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H4306-11 Exodus 9:33 וּ/מָטָ֖ר umatar HC/Ncmsa and rain and rain and rain
H4306-01 Exodus 9:34 הַ/מָּטָ֧ר hamatar HTd/Ncmsa the rain the rain the rain
H4306-06 Deuteronomy 11:11 לִ/מְטַ֥ר limetar HR/Ncmsc for rain for rain of for rain
H4306-08 Deuteronomy 11:14 מְטַֽר metar HNcmsc rain rain of rain of
H4306-07 Deuteronomy 11:17 מָטָ֔ר matar HNcmsa rain rainfall rainfall
H4306-08 Deuteronomy 28:12 מְטַֽר metar HNcmsc rain rain of rain of
H4306-08 Deuteronomy 28:24 מְטַ֥ר metar HNcmsc rain rain of rain of
H4306-02 Deuteronomy 32:2 כַּ/מָּטָר֙ kamatar HRd/Ncmsa as the rain like rain like rain
H4306-11 1 Samuel 12:17 וּ/מָטָ֑ר umatar HC/Ncmsa and rain and rain and rain
H4306-11 1 Samuel 12:18 וּ/מָטָ֖ר umatar HC/Ncmsa and rain and rain and rain
H4306-07 2 Samuel 1:21 מָטָ֛ר matar HNcmsa rain rainfall rainfall
H4306-09 2 Samuel 23:4 מִ/מָּטָ֖ר mimatar HR/Ncmsa from rain from rain from rain
H4306-07 1 Kings 8:35 מָטָ֖ר matar HNcmsa rain rainfall rainfall
H4306-07 1 Kings 8:36 מָטָר֙ matar HNcmsa rain rainfall rainfall
H4306-11 1 Kings 17:1 וּ/מָטָ֑ר umatar HC/Ncmsa nor rain and rain and rain
H4306-07 1 Kings 18:1 מָטָ֖ר matar HNcmsa rain rainfall rainfall
H4306-13 Isaiah 4:6 וּ/מִ/מָּטָֽר umimatar HC/R/Ncmsa and from rain and from rain and from rain
H4306-07 Isaiah 5:6 מָטָֽר matar HNcmsa rain rainfall rainfall
H4306-08 Isaiah 30:23 מְטַ֨ר metar HNcmsc rain rain of rain
H4306-05 Jeremiah 10:13 לַ/מָּטָר֙ lamatar HRd/Ncmsa for-the-rain for the rain for the rain
H4306-05 Jeremiah 51:16 לַ/מָּטָר֙ lamatar HRd/Ncmsa for-the-rain for the rain for the rain
H4306-07 Zechariah 10:1 מָטָר֙ matar HNcmsa rain rainfall rainfall
H4306-12 Zechariah 10:1 וּ/מְטַר umetar HC/Ncmsc and-rain and rain of and rain
H4306-03 Psalms 72:6 כְּ/מָטָ֣ר kematar HR/Ncmsa like rain like rain like rain
H4306-05 Psalms 135:7 לַ/מָּטָ֣ר lamatar HRd/Ncmsa for-the-rain for the rain for the rain
H4306-07 Psalms 147:8 מָטָ֑ר matar HNcmsa rain rainfall rainfall
H4306-14 Proverbs 26:1 וְ/כַ/מָּטָ֥ר vekhamatar HC/Rd/Ncmsa and like rain and like rain and like rain
H4306-07 Proverbs 28:3 מָטָ֥ר matar HNcmsa rain rainfall rainfall
H4306-07 Job 5:10 מָ֭טָר matar HNcmsa rain rainfall rainfall
H4306-05 Job 28:26 לַ/מָּטָ֣ר lamatar HRd/Ncmsa for the rain for the rain for the rain
H4306-04 Job 29:23 כַ/מָּטָ֣ר khamatar HRd/Ncmsa as for the rain like rain like rain
H4306-07 Job 36:27 מָטָ֣ר matar HNcmsa rain rainfall rainfall
H4306-07 Job 37:6 מָטָ֑ר matar HNcmsa of rain rainfall rainfall
H4306-10 Job 37:6 מִטְר֥וֹת miterot HNcmpc of rains rains of rains of
H4306-05 Job 38:28 לַ/מָּטָ֥ר lamatar HRd/Ncmsa for the rain for the rain for the rain
H4306-07 2 Chronicles 6:26 מָטָ֖ר matar HNcmsa rain rainfall rainfall
H4306-07 2 Chronicles 6:27 מָטָר֙ matar HNcmsa rain rainfall rainfall
H4306-07 2 Chronicles 7:13 מָטָ֔ר matar HNcmsa rain rainfall rainfall
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