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מָטַר

𐤌𐤈𐤓

mâṭar

H4306 noun

SILEX Entry

Root מטר to rain, to cause to fall from the sky, to bestow by precipitation

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.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from מָטַר; rain; rain.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

מטר (m-ṭ-r) — 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 Occurrences
H4306-07 מָטָ֔ר matar HNcmsa rain rainfall 15
H4306-05 לַ/מָּטָר֙ lamatar HRd/Ncmsa for-the-rain for the rain 5
H4306-11 וּ/מָטָ֖ר umatar HC/Ncmsa and rain and rain 4
H4306-08 מְטַֽר metar HNcmsc rain rain of 4
H4306-09 מִ/מָּטָ֖ר mimatar HR/Ncmsa from rain from rain 1
H4306-13 וּ/מִ/מָּטָֽר umimatar HC/R/Ncmsa and from rain and from rain 1
H4306-02 כַּ/מָּטָר֙ kamatar HRd/Ncmsa as the rain like rain 1
H4306-14 וְ/כַ/מָּטָ֥ר vekhamatar HC/Rd/Ncmsa and like rain and like rain 1
H4306-04 כַ/מָּטָ֣ר khamatar HRd/Ncmsa as for the rain like rain 1
H4306-12 וּ/מְטַר umetar HC/Ncmsc and-rain and rain of 1

Occurrences in Scripture

38 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H4306-11 Exodus 9:33 וּ/מָטָ֖ר umatar HC/Ncmsa and rain and rain
H4306-01 Exodus 9:34 הַ/מָּטָ֧ר hamatar HTd/Ncmsa the rain the rain
H4306-06 Deuteronomy 11:11 לִ/מְטַ֥ר limetar HR/Ncmsc for rain for rain of
H4306-08 Deuteronomy 11:14 מְטַֽר metar HNcmsc rain rain of
H4306-07 Deuteronomy 11:17 מָטָ֔ר matar HNcmsa rain rainfall
H4306-08 Deuteronomy 28:12 מְטַֽר metar HNcmsc rain rain of
H4306-08 Deuteronomy 28:24 מְטַ֥ר metar HNcmsc rain rain of
H4306-02 Deuteronomy 32:2 כַּ/מָּטָר֙ kamatar HRd/Ncmsa as the rain like rain
H4306-11 1 Samuel 12:17 וּ/מָטָ֑ר umatar HC/Ncmsa and rain and rain
H4306-11 1 Samuel 12:18 וּ/מָטָ֖ר umatar HC/Ncmsa and rain and rain
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