96. egel

Lexical Summary

egel: Calf

Original Word: אֶגֶל
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: egel
Pronunciation: ay'-ghel
Phonetic Spelling: (eh'-ghel)
KJV: drop
NASB: drops
Word Origin: [from an unused root (meaning to flow down or together as drops)]

1. a reservoir

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

drop

From an unused root (meaning to flow down or together as drops); a reservoir -- drop.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from an unused word
Definition
a drop
NASB Translation
drops (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

אֵ֫גֶל noun [masculine] usually transitive drop, אֶגְלֵיטָֿ֑ל dew-drops Job 38:28 ("" מָטָר) so Vrss De Di; Hoffm 'Rückstände,' 'Ansammlungen,' i.e. collections, stores, reserve-supply.

Topical Lexicon

Scriptural Context

Job 38:28 records the only occurrence of אֶגֶל (Strong’s H96): “Does the rain have a father? Who has begotten the drops of dew?” (Berean Standard Bible). Spoken by the LORD out of the whirlwind, the verse forms part of an extended interrogation designed to humble Job and to display God’s unrivaled dominion over every element of the created order. The word depicts the minute, countless beads that appear with the dawn—testifying that even the smallest details of nature originate in God’s purposeful activity.

Theological Significance

1. Divine Paternity. By asking who has “begotten” these drops, God presents Himself as the sole Father of all nature, reinforcing the doctrine that creation is neither random nor self-originating (cf. Isaiah 40:26).
2. Providence in the Ordinary. Dew is commonplace and silent, yet Scripture treats it as a direct gift from God (Psalm 147:8). Job 38:28 reminds readers that God’s care extends to what the human eye easily overlooks.
3. Grace and Renewal. Dew forms overnight without human effort, providing moisture to otherwise parched landscapes. The scene therefore illustrates God’s gracious provision apart from human merit (Hosea 14:5).

Symbolism in the Wider Canon

• Blessing and Abundance: “May God give you the dew of heaven” (Genesis 27:28). Dew images covenantal prosperity promised to Isaac’s line.
• Instruction and Revelation: “May my teaching fall like rain, my words descend like dew” (Deuteronomy 32:2). The silent settling of dew parallels the gentle, pervasive spread of divine truth.
• Divine Presence and Victory: “Your young men come to you like dew from the womb of the dawn” (Psalm 110:3), portraying messianic troops as fresh, vigorous, and divinely supplied.
• Resurrection Hope: “Your dead will live… the earth will give birth to her dead. For your dew is like the dew of the dawn” (Isaiah 26:19). Dew becomes a metaphor for the life-giving power that will raise the faithful.
• Messianic Outreach: “Then the remnant of Jacob will be among many peoples like dew from the LORD” (Micah 5:7), highlighting the quiet yet pervasive spread of gospel influence.

Historical and Cultural Background

Ancient Near Eastern agriculture relied heavily on nightly dew, especially in the hot, rain-scarce summer. Farmers viewed it as heaven-sent irrigation that preserved vines, grains, and pastures when rainfall halted (Proverbs 19:12). Dew was therefore both a practical necessity and a recognized sign of divine favor. Gideon’s fleece test (Judges 6:36-40) exploited this agricultural reality: only the true sovereign of creation could command where dew would or would not fall.

Practical Ministry Application

1. Encouraging Trust. The same God who fathers each imperceptible droplet oversees every aspect of a believer’s life (Matthew 6:30-32).
2. Cultivating Humility. Job’s encounter teaches that human perspective is limited; acknowledging God’s oversight of dew invites repentance from self-reliance.
3. Inspiring Worship. Observing morning dew can become a devotional exercise, turning an ordinary scene into a reminder of God’s daily mercies (Lamentations 3:22-23).
4. Preaching Renewal. Like dew that refreshes scorched ground, the Word and Spirit revive weary souls; ministry can employ this imagery to call hearers to spiritual renewal (Titus 3:5).

Related Concepts

Rain (Job 38:26), Mist (Genesis 2:6), Springs (Psalm 104:10), Water of Life (Revelation 22:17).

Forms and Transliterations

אֶגְלֵי־ אגלי־ ’eḡ·lê- ’eḡlê- eglei

Englishman's Concordance

Job 38:28
HEB: מִי־ ה֝וֹלִ֗יד אֶגְלֵי־ טָֽל׃
NAS: who has begotten the drops of dew?
KJV: or who hath begotten the drops of dew?
INT: who has begotten the drops dew

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 96
1 Occurrence

’eḡ·lê- — 1 Occ.