Lexical Summary rheó: To flow, to run Original Word: ῥέω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance flow. A primary verb; for some tenses of which a prolonged form rheuo (hryoo'-o) is used to flow ("run"; as water) -- flow. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. verb Definition to flow NASB Translation flow (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4482: ῤέωῤέω: future ῥεύσω (in Greek writing more common ῤεύσομαι, see Winers Grammar, 89 (85); (Buttmann, 67 (59)); cf. Lob. ad Phryn., p. 739); ((Sanskritsru; cf. Latinfluo; English stream; Curtius, § 517)); from Homer down; the Sept. for זוּב; to flow: John 7:38. (Compare: παραρρέω.) Topical Lexicon Overview Strong’s Greek 4482 occurs once in the New Testament, at John 7:38, where Jesus promises that “streams of living water will flow from within” the believer. The verb evokes movement, abundance, and life-giving power, serving as a theological bridge between Old Testament promises of divine refreshment and the New Testament fulfillment in the Messiah and the Holy Spirit. Biblical Setting in John 7:38 • Spoken on “the last and greatest day of the feast” (John 7:37), a climactic moment of the Feast of Tabernacles when priests poured water at the altar to commemorate God’s provision in the wilderness. Old Testament Background • Exodus 17:6 and Numbers 20:11 portray water gushing from the rock—prefiguring Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4). These prophecies converge in John 7:38, identifying believers as the new locus from which divine life flows. Theological Significance 1. Christological: Jesus is the fountainhead (Jeremiah 2:13), mediating living water to all who come to Him (John 4:10). Patterns of Divine Provision • Abundance: The verb pictures an ongoing, unstinting flow, not a trickle (cf. Psalm 36:8-9). Historical Reception • Early Church Fathers (e.g., Irenaeus, Tertullian) linked John 7:38 to baptism and the Eucharist, emphasizing the Spirit’s ongoing distribution of grace. Ministry Applications • Preaching: Present Christ as the sole source of living water; invite hearers to drink by faith (Revelation 22:17). Worship and Prayer Believers may pray Psalm 42:1-2 alongside John 7:38, longing for deeper saturation by the Spirit, and sing hymns of living water (“There Is a Fountain,” “Like a River Glorious”) that celebrate perpetual divine refreshment. Practical Counsel 1. Receive: Trust in Jesus daily; the flow begins with faith (John 7:38a). Conclusion Strong’s 4482 encapsulates the dynamic, life-giving ministry of the Holy Spirit, sourced in Christ and expressed through believers. The solitary New Testament occurrence is therefore not marginal but pivotal, summarizing the gospel promise that God’s own life will eternally flow through His people to a thirsty world. Forms and Transliterations ερρύησαν ρέη ρείτω ρέον ρέουσα ρέουσαν ρεούσης ρευσάτωσαν ρευσουσιν ρεύσουσιν ῥεύσουσιν ρέων ρυήσεται ρυήσονται reusousin rheusousin rheúsousinLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |