What does גֶּשֶׁם (gešem) mean in the Bible?
גֶּשֶׁם (gešem): Rain as a divine gift—often withheld in judgment, granted in covenant blessing throughout OT narrative theology
Hebrew · H1653
גֶּשֶׁם
A shower
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גֶּשֶׁם H1653
Pronunciation gešem
What does גֶּשֶׁם (gešem) mean in the Bible?
גֶּשֶׁם (gešem): Rain as a divine gift—often withheld in judgment, granted in covenant blessing throughout OT narrative theology
Full entry for גֶּשֶׁם (H1653) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H1653?
The BSB source-word alignment has 35 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include rain (11), showers (4), And the rain (3), the rain (3), of rain (2).
Where does גֶּשֶׁם (gešem) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 7:12. Its strongest book concentrations include Ezekiel (6), 1 Kings (5), Ecclesiastes (2), Ezra (2).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It rain 11× 1 Kings 17:7, 1 Kings 17:14, 1 Kings 18:41, 1 Kings 18:45
showers 4× Ezekiel 34:26, Joel 2:23, Zechariah 10:1
And the rain 3× Genesis 7:12, Genesis 8:2, Isaiah 44:14
the rain 3× Ecclesiastes 12:2, Song Of Solomon 2:11, Amos 4:7
of rain 2× Ezekiel 13:13, Ezekiel 38:22
and because of the heavy rain 1× Ezra 10:9
and it is the rainy 1× Ezra 10:13
and to the gentle rain 1× Job 37:6
before the rain 1× 1 Kings 18:44
for rain 1× Psalms 105:32
like the rain 1× Hosea 6:3
on a rainy 1× Ezekiel 1:28
or rain 1× 2 Kings 3:17
Pour out 1× Job 37:6
the rains 1× Jeremiah 5:24
then the rain 1× Zechariah 14:17
you rains 1× Leviticus 26:4
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 7:12 הַגֶּ֖שֶׁם to And the rain Article | Noun - masculine singular Genesis 8:2 הַגֶּ֖שֶׁם to and the rain Article | Noun - masculine singular Leviticus 26:4 גִשְׁמֵיכֶ֖ם to you rains Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural 1 Kings 17:7 גֶ֖שֶׁם to rain Noun - masculine singular 1 Kings 17:14 גֶּ֖שֶׁם to rain Noun - masculine singular 1 Kings 18:41 הַגָּֽשֶׁם׃ to rain Article | Noun - masculine singular 1 Kings 18:44 הַגָּֽשֶׁם׃ to before the rain Article | Noun - masculine singular 1 Kings 18:45 גֶּ֣שֶׁם to rain Noun - masculine singular 2 Kings 3:17 גֶ֔שֶׁם to or rain Noun - masculine singular Ezra 10:9 וּמֵהַגְּשָׁמִֽים׃פ to and because of the heavy rain Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 7:12
Aligned rows 35
Books represented 17
Genesis 2 Leviticus 1 1 Kings 5 2 Kings 1 Ezra 2 Job 2 Psalms 2 Proverbs 2 Ecclesiastes 2 Song Of Solomon 1 Isaiah 2 Jeremiah 2 Ezekiel 6 Hosea 1 Joel 1 Amos 1 Zechariah 2
Source forms
הַגָּֽשֶׁם׃ 4x hag·gā·šem 1 Kings 18:41, 1 Kings 18:44, Ecclesiastes 12:2, Zechariah 14:17
גֶּ֣שֶׁם 3x ge·šem 1 Kings 18:45, Psalms 68:9, Ezekiel 13:11
גֶ֖שֶׁם 2x ḡe·šem 1 Kings 17:7, Jeremiah 14:4
גֶּ֙שֶׁם֙ 2x ge·šem Ecclesiastes 11:3, Zechariah 10:1
גֶּ֛שֶׁם 2x ge·šem Jeremiah 5:24, Joel 2:23
הַגֶּ֖שֶׁם 2x hag·ge·šem Genesis 7:12, Genesis 8:2
הַגֶּ֗שֶׁם 2x hag·ge·šem Ezekiel 1:28, Amos 4:7
וְגֶ֥שֶׁם 2x wə·ḡe·šem Job 37:6, Isaiah 44:14
Parsing patterns
Article | Noun - masculine singular 11x Genesis 7:12, Genesis 8:2, 1 Kings 18:41, 1 Kings 18:44
Noun - masculine singular 11x 1 Kings 17:7, 1 Kings 17:14, 1 Kings 18:45, 2 Kings 3:17
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular 4x Proverbs 25:14, Isaiah 44:14, Ezekiel 13:13, Ezekiel 38:22
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct 2x Job 37:6
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m, Article | Noun - masculine plural 1x Ezra 10:9
Noun - masculine plural 1x Ezra 10:13
Noun - masculine plural construct 1x Ezekiel 34:26
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural 1x Leviticus 26:4
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Rain as a divine gift—often withheld in judgment, granted in covenant blessing throughout OT narrative theology
Source Gloss
a shower
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Rain as a divine gift—often withheld in judgment, granted in covenant blessing throughout OT narrative theology
a shower BDB: rain Usage: rain, shower.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Word Origins
גֶּשֶׁם is built from this root:
גָּשַׁם H1652
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain