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יוֹרֶה

𐤉𐤅𐤓𐤄

yôwreh

H3138 noun

SILEX Entry

Root ירה to throw, cast, shoot, rain down

Definition

A term denoting the early seasonal rain, specifically the autumnal rainfall marking the beginning of the agricultural year in ancient Israel. In biblical contexts, יוֹרֶה refers to the initial rainfalls after the long dry season, which prepare the soil for plowing and sowing. The word can carry physical, agricultural, and at times metaphorical connotations depending on the context.

Semantic Range

initial rainfall, autumn rain, first rain of the year, precipitation that initiates the agricultural season, figurative blessing or renewal

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root יָרָה (ירה), which primarily means 'to throw, cast, shoot' and, by extension, 'to rain, pour'. The participial form יוֹרֶה signifies 'that which shoots forth' or 'that which is poured out,' metaphorically describing the first rain that falls with force at the start of the rainy season.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In ancient Israel, agricultural cycles depended heavily on two key seasonal rains: the 'early' or 'first' rain (יוֹרֶה, yôreh) in the autumn, and the 'late' or 'latter' rain (מַלְקוֹשׁ, malqosh) in the spring. The yôreh was essential for softening parched soil so that crops such as barley and wheat could be planted after the dry summer. Scripture often couples יוֹרֶה with מַלְקוֹשׁ to represent the fullness of divine provision (e.g., Deuteronomy 11:14, Joel 2:23). English translations typically render יוֹרֶה as 'former rain,' 'early rain,' or 'autumn rain,' but nuances are sometimes lost—especially the connection to the broader agricultural cycle and the metaphorical use to indicate blessing or restoration (notably in prophetic and wisdom literature). Notably, while later English Bible traditions sometimes gloss the term with implicit religious or eschatological undertones, the original Hebrew context is grounded in annual agricultural expectation.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

active participle of יָרָה; sprinkling; hence, a sprinkling (or autumnal showers); first rain, former (rain).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

ירה (y-r-h) — to throw, cast, shoot, rain down

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3139 יוֹרָה Autumn-Rain
H3140 יוֹרַי Rain-Causer
H3384 יָרָה the shooters
H3385 יְרוּאֵל El-Founded Place
H3400 יְרִיאֵל and El-teaches

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3138-02 יוֹרֶ֣ה yoreh HNcmsa early rain early outpoured rain 2
H3138-01 ו/ירה vyrh HC/Ncmsa and-early-rain his early rain 1

Occurrences in Scripture

3 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3138-02 Deuteronomy 11:14 יוֹרֶ֣ה yoreh HNcmsa early rain early outpoured rain
H3138-01 Jeremiah 5:24 ו/ירה vyrh HC/Ncmsa and-early-rain his early rain
H3138-02 Jeremiah 5:24 יוֹרֶ֥ה yoreh HNcmsa early-rain early outpoured rain
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