Lexical Summary próimos: Early Original Word: πρόιμος Strong's Exhaustive Concordance early rain, early crops. From proi; dawning, i.e. (by analogy) autumnal (showering, the first of the rainy season) -- early. see GREEK proi NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originvariant reading for proimos, q.v. Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4406: πρόϊμοςπρόϊμος, see πρώϊμος. STRONGS NT 4406: πρώϊμοςπρώϊμος (for the more common πρώιος; cf. Lob. ad Phryn., p. 52), T Tr WH πρόϊμος (so also the Sinaiticus manuscript; (see WH's Appendix, p. 152)), πρωιμη, πρώϊμον (πρωι<), early: ὑετός, the early rain (Hebrew יורֶה, Deuteronomy 11:14; Jeremiah 5:24), which fell from October on ((cf. B. D. under the word In the Mediterranean climate of ancient Israel two primary rainy seasons framed every agricultural year. The early, or autumn, rain softened hardened ground after the long dry summer, enabling farmers to plough and sow their grain. The latter, or spring, rain swelled the maturing heads and insured a full harvest. Without the first downpour sowing was pointless; without the second, reaping would be meagre. The term found in James 5:7 points specifically to that indispensable autumn shower. Rain as Covenant Blessing Moses linked these seasonal showers to covenant fidelity: “then I will give rain for your land in its season—the early and late rains—so that you may gather your grain, new wine, and oil” (Deuteronomy 11:14). Prophets reclaimed the motif to summon repentance and highlight divine faithfulness (Jeremiah 5:24; Hosea 6:3; Joel 2:23; Zechariah 10:1). Thus the early rain became shorthand for God’s timely, reliable provision—both material and spiritual. Single New Testament Occurrence: James 5:7 James exhorts persecuted believers: “Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and late rains”. By naming the first rain, he evokes an agrarian rhythm every Jewish and Gentile reader in the eastern Mediterranean understood. Patience is not passive resignation but confident expectancy rooted in God’s proven pattern: He supplies what the field requires exactly when it is needed. Eschatological and Pastoral Implications 1. Certainty of the Parousia. Just as autumn rain always arrives, so the Lord’s return is assured. Historical Reception within the Church Early commentators such as John Chrysostom treated the image as a call to perseverance under trial. Augustine stressed that patience, like rain, descends from above, not from human resolve. Reformers echoed the same, applying James 5:7 to congregations waiting for reformation outcomes. Puritan preachers frequently paired the verse with Galatians 6:9 to urge unwavering endurance in ministry. Typology and the Work of the Holy Spirit Many teachers have read the early rain as emblematic of Pentecost, the Spirit’s initial outpouring that germinated gospel seed, while the latter rain foreshadows an eschatological effusion preceding Christ’s return. Joel 2:23 undergirds this pattern. Though interpretations vary, the principle stands: divine empowerment initiates and consummates God’s redemptive purposes. Practical Ministry Applications • Preaching: Use the rain motif to illustrate faith waiting for unseen outcomes. Conclusion The single New Testament use of the term, set against a rich Old Testament backdrop, weaves agricultural realism with theological assurance. Like the farmer whose labors depend on the promised early rain, the Church lives and serves in settled confidence that the God who has already sent indispensable showers will complete His harvest at the appointed hour. |
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