Lexical Summary brechó: To rain, to wet, to moisten Original Word: βρέχω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance send rain, wash. A primary verb; to moisten (especially by a shower) -- (send) rain, wash. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. word Definition to send rain, to rain NASB Translation fall (1), rain (2), rained (1), sends rain (1), wet (2). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1026: βρέχωβρέχω; 1 aorist ἐβρεξα; from Pindar and Herodotus down; 1. to moisten, wet, water: Luke 7:38 (τούς πόδας ... δάκρυσιν, cf. Psalm 6:7),44. 2. in later writings (cf. Lob. ad Phryn., p. 291 (Winers Grammar, 23)) to water with rain (Polybius 16, 12, 3), to cause to rain, to pour the rain, spoken of God: ἐπί τινα, Matthew 5:45; to send down like rain: κύριος ἔβρεξε θεῖον καί πῦρ, Genesis 19:24; χάλαζαν, Exodus 9:23; (μάννα, Psalm 77:24 The verb occurs seven times across the Gospels, an epistle, and Revelation, always describing the act of raining or the act of wetting. It can denote literal precipitation from the heavens or the moistening of something nearer at hand, conveying both blessing and judgment, tenderness and awe. Provision and Common Grace Matthew 5:45 anchors the word in the gracious, impartial provision of God: “He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous”. Here βρέχω underscores the Creator’s daily benevolence. The image of falling rain evokes life-giving sustenance for crops, an ancient agrarian reminder that every harvest ultimately rests in the Father’s open hand. The verb therefore becomes a vivid illustration of common grace in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, reinforcing the call for disciples to imitate the Father’s generosity toward friend and foe alike. Judgment, Warning, and Prophetic Authority 1. Luke 17:29 recalls the cataclysm upon Sodom: “fire and sulfur rained down from heaven.” The same verb that signals blessing in Matthew now depicts destructive judgment, revealing two sides of divine sovereignty. Repentant Devotion and Personal Encounter In Luke 7 βρέχω shifts from meteorological to personal: “She began to wet His feet with her tears” (Luke 7:38); “She has wet My feet with her tears” (Luke 7:44). The verb tenderly captures the woman’s brokenness and gratitude toward Jesus, contrasting Simon’s neglect with her lavish devotion. What rain is to parched soil, her tears are to the feet of the Savior—an embodied plea for forgiveness and an act of heartfelt worship. Intertextual Echoes • Genesis 19:24; Exodus 9:23; 2 Chronicles 6:26-27; Psalm 72:6; Jeremiah 5:24; Amos 4:7 all provide Old Testament soil in which the New Testament uses of βρέχω grow. Theological Observations 1. Sovereignty: Rain falls—or is withheld—only at divine command. Pastoral and Homiletical Applications • Encourage believers to view ordinary rainfall as a call to gratitude and a reminder of God’s daily kindness (Acts 14:17). Summary Strong’s Greek 1026 paints a multi-hued portrait of divine activity: nourishing fields, judging wickedness, validating prophetic witness, and receiving penitent worship. Whether falling from the sky or flowing from human eyes, the “rain” of βρέχω ultimately directs attention to the Lord who rules the heavens and searches the heart. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 5:45 V-PIA-3SGRK: ἀγαθοὺς καὶ βρέχει ἐπὶ δικαίους NAS: and [the] good, and sends rain on [the] righteous KJV: and sendeth rain on INT: good and sends rain on righteous Luke 7:38 V-PNA Luke 7:44 V-AIA-3S Luke 17:29 V-AIA-3S James 5:17 V-ANA James 5:17 V-AIA-3S Revelation 11:6 V-PSA-3S Strong's Greek 1026 |
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