Lexical Summary huetos: Rain Original Word: ὑετός Strong's Exhaustive Concordance rain. From a primary huo (to rain); rain, especially a shower -- rain. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom huó (to rain) Definition rain NASB Translation rain (4), rains (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 5205: ὑετόςὑετός, ὑετοῦ, ὁ (ὕω to rain), from Homer down, the Sept. for גֶּשֶׁם and מָטָר, rain: Acts 14:17; Acts 28:2; Hebrews 6:7; James 5:7 (where L T Tr WH omit ὑετόν; on this passive see ὄψιμος and πρώϊμος); ibid. 18; Revelation 11:6. Topical Lexicon Overview of New Testament Usage The noun occurs five times in the Greek New Testament, each time translated “rain” in the Berean Standard Bible. In narrative (Acts 14:17; Acts 28:2), exhortation (Hebrews 6:7; James 5:18), and prophecy (Revelation 11:6) it functions as a vivid marker of either divine favor or divine restraint. Rain as Sign of Divine Benevolence Acts 14:17 places “rain from heaven” at the center of Paul’s evangelistic appeal to Gentiles unfamiliar with Scripture: “Yet He has not left Himself without testimony; He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness.” The apostle treats regular rainfall as common-grace evidence of the Creator’s goodness, accessible to every culture and generation. In a missional context, the reliability of the seasons becomes an apologia for the living God, inviting hearers to move from gratitude for physical provision to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Hospitality Amid Storm and Shipwreck Luke records that the Maltese “showed us extraordinary kindness. They kindled a fire and welcomed all of us because it was raining and cold” (Acts 28:2). The notice of steady rain underscores both the severity of Paul’s ordeal and the compassion of otherwise pagan islanders. Their mercy anticipates the spiritual kindness they will later receive through Paul’s healing ministry (Acts 28:8–10), illustrating how physical circumstances often prepare the ground for gospel witness. Fruitfulness and the Warning against Apostasy Hebrews 6:7 employs agricultural imagery: “For land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and produces a crop useful to those for whom it is tended receives the blessing of God.” Persistent rainfall represents God’s sustaining grace poured on the covenant community. If such well-watered soil yields thorns instead of fruit, judgment follows (Hebrews 6:8). The picture reinforces a central theme of the epistle—privilege heightens responsibility. Regular exposure to Scripture and Christian fellowship, like frequent showers, must result in visible obedience or the professing believer faces the peril of rejection. Intercessory Prayer and Prophetic Power James 5:17–18 recalls Elijah, “a man like us,” who “prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth yielded its crops.” The return of rain validates persistent, righteous prayer and demonstrates that the God who controls the weather listens to His children. The passage encourages the church to practice corporate intercession, confident that material and spiritual droughts alike are subject to divine reversal. Withholding Rain in Eschatological Judgment Revelation 11:6 attributes to the two witnesses authority “to shut the sky so that no rain will fall during the days of their prophecy.” The cessation of rain functions as a covenant-curse motif, signaling hardened rebellion and impending judgment during the final tribulation. As in the ministry of Elijah, the suspended hydrological cycle dramatizes humanity’s dependence on God and invites repentance before the outpouring of ultimate wrath. Old Testament and Intertestamental Background Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures rain is repeatedly tied to covenant faithfulness (Deuteronomy 11:13–17), prophetic ministry (1 Kings 17–18), and eschatological blessing (Joel 2:23). The Septuagint frequently uses the same noun, thereby providing a conceptual bridge between Testaments. This continuity affirms the unity of divine revelation: whether in the Exodus generation, the days of Elijah, or the church age, rainfall remains a theological barometer of the relationship between heaven and earth. Implications for Christian Ministry 1. Apologetics: Like Paul, believers can point to the regularity of rainfall as evidence of a benevolent Creator, appealing to common experience. Doctrinal and Practical Applications • Providence: Regular rain testifies to God’s sustaining governance over creation. Rain, then, is far more than a meteorological event; in Scripture it is a multifaceted signpost pointing to the Creator’s generosity, the seriousness of covenant responsibility, the efficacy of prayer, and the certainty of coming judgment and renewal. Forms and Transliterations υετοί υετον υετόν ὑετόν ὑετὸν υετος υετός ὑετὸς υετού υετους υετούς ὑετοὺς υετώ hyeton hyetón hyetòn hyetos hyetòs hyetous hyetoùs ueton uetos uetousLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Acts 14:17 N-AMPGRK: οὐρανόθεν ὑμῖν ὑετοὺς διδοὺς καὶ NAS: and gave you rains from heaven KJV: and gave us rain from heaven, and INT: from heaven to us rains giving and Acts 28:2 N-AMS Hebrews 6:7 N-AMS James 5:18 N-AMS Revelation 11:6 N-NMS Strong's Greek 5205 |
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