English · KJV
H4305

מָטַר

mâṭar /maw-tar'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root
Meaningto rain
KJV usage(cause to) rain (upon).

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of mâṭar — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word mâṭar, represented by H4305, is a primitive root meaning to rain or to cause to rain (upon). It appears 17 times across 14 unique verses in the Bible. The word is used to describe not only literal precipitation but also the act of God supernaturally sending down objects from heaven, whether for judgment or for provision.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H4305 is used to illustrate God's direct and sovereign action. Before life grew on the earth, the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth Genesis 2:5. It is frequently a tool of divine judgment, as when the LORD rained brimstone H1614 and fire H784 on Sodom and Gomorrah Genesis 19:24, or when He rained hail H1259 upon Egypt Exodus 9:23. Conversely, it signifies God's miraculous provision, such as His promise to rain bread H3899 from heaven for the Israelites Exodus 16:4. This power is also shown as a targeted act, as when God caused it to rain on one city but not another Amos 4:7.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words expand upon the concept of things being sent from above:

  • H4306 mâṭar (rain): This is the noun form directly related to the verb. God commands the clouds H5645 that they rain H4305 no rain H4306 upon a desolate vineyard Isaiah 5:6.
  • H1259 bârâd (hail): This is frequently what God "rains" down in judgment. During the plagues, the LORD rained H4305 hail upon the land of Egypt Exodus 9:23.
  • H3899 lechem (bread): This highlights the use of H4305 for provision. God promised Moses, "Behold, I will rain H4305 bread from heaven for you" Exodus 16:4.
  • H1614 gophrîyth (brimstone): Paired with fire, this is another substance "rained" down as a sign of catastrophic judgment upon the wicked H7563 Psalms 11:6.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H4305 is significant and often demonstrates God's direct intervention.

  • Divine Judgment: H4305 is often a verb of divine retribution. God "rains" not just water but also instruments of destruction like snares H6341, fire H784, brimstone H1614, and hail H1259 upon the wicked (Psalms 11:6, Genesis 19:24, Exodus 9:23).
  • Miraculous Provision: The word also describes God's power to provide supernaturally. He rained down manna H4478 upon the Israelites to eat Psalms 78:24, and also rained flesh H7607 upon them like dust H6083 Psalms 78:27.
  • Sovereign Control: The act of causing to rain demonstrates God's absolute authority over creation and circumstance. He can command clouds not to rain Isaiah 5:6, send rain on a specific piece of land while withholding it from another Amos 4:7, and even cause it to rain on the wilderness where no person is Job 38:26.

Summary

In summary, H4305 is far more than a simple meteorological term. It is a powerful verb that scripture uses to depict God's direct intervention in the world. Whether providing bread H3899 from heaven or unleashing judgment with fire H784 and hail H1259, this term consistently portrays a God who actively and sovereignly controls the forces of nature and the fate of humanity.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 17 occurrences, inflected in 9 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • יַּמְטֵר
  • מַמְטִיר
  • אַמְטִיר
  • יַמְטֵר
  • הַמְטִיר
  • הִמְטִיר
  • הִמְטַרְתִּי
  • תַמְטִיר
  • תִּמָּטֵר

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H1614 גׇּפְרִית probably feminine of גֹּפֶר; properly, cypress-resin; by analogy, sulphur (as equally inflammable); brimstone. H784 אֵשׁ a primitive word; fire (literally or figuratively); burning, fiery, fire, flaming, hot. H1259 בָּרָד from בָּרַד; hail; hail(stones). H3899 לֶחֶם from לָחַם; See also בֵּית לְעַפְרָה; food (for man or beast), especially bread, or grain (for making it); (shew-) bread H4306 מָטַר from מָטַר; rain; rain. H5645 עָב (masculine and feminine); from עוּב; properly, an envelope, i.e. darkness (or density, 2 Chronicles 4:17); specifically,

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 14 verses across 7 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Genesis, Exodus, and Psalms (3 verses each); never once in the other 32.

3
Genesis
3
Exodus
2
Job
3
Psalms
1
Isaiah
1
Ezekiel
1
Amos

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.