Lexical Summary goshem: Rain, shower Original Word: גּשֶׁם Strong's Exhaustive Concordance rained upon From gasham; equivalent to geshem -- rained upon. see HEBREW gasham see HEBREW geshem NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originanother reading for gasham, q.v. Gashmu Definition see NH1654. Brown-Driver-Briggs [גּ֫שֶׁם] noun [masculine] גֻּשְֿׁמָהּ Ezekiel 22:24 (or גִּשְׁמָהּ from גֶּשֶׁם ?) according to punctuation; but compare below גשׁם verb Topical Lexicon Meaning and Essence גּשֶׁם describes a heavy, tangible rainstorm or downpour. Whereas other Hebrew terms may speak of mist, dew, or the ordinary cycles of early and latter rains, this word evokes the full‐bodied, soaking precipitation that soaks the soil and shapes the landscape. Because of that intensity, it easily becomes a metaphor—either for the lavish favor of God or, when withheld, for His displeasure. Singular Old Testament Usage Ezekiel 22:24 is the sole occurrence: “Son of man, say to her, ‘You are a land that has not been cleansed or rained on in the day of indignation’”. The prophet addresses Jerusalem during its moral collapse prior to the Babylonian exile. The withholding of גּשֶׁם serves as a covenant lawsuit: the land is denied the cleansing downpour that would normally wash away impurity and sustain life. Covenantal Significance Rain was a covenant barometer. Blessing included ample showers (Leviticus 26:4; Deuteronomy 11:13-15), while disobedience resulted in drought (Deuteronomy 28:23-24). By invoking גּשֶׁם, Ezekiel reminds the exiles that their physical climate mirrors their spiritual climate. A land without rain is a people without repentance. Prophetic and Historical Context Ezekiel prophesied from Babylon between 593 and 571 BC. His oracles often expose hidden sin within Jerusalem and explain the justice of its impending fall. In chapter 22 he arraigns princes, priests, prophets, and people alike. The absence of גּשֶׁם underscores that no societal stratum escapes judgment; cleansing must come from God, not from civic reform alone. Symbolic Range Across Scripture Though this particular form appears only once, Scripture repeatedly uses storm rain to picture: Thus גּשֶׁם in Ezekiel 22:24 simultaneously threatens wrath and invites hope—if the people will turn, the same force that now withholds blessing can release it beyond measure. Ministry and Devotional Implications 1. Discern God’s Warnings. Spiritual dryness may indicate issues that require repentance rather than mere motivational inspiration. Related New Testament Echoes Hebrews 6:7-8 describes land that drinks the rain and produces a useful crop versus land that yields thorns. The concept mirrors Ezekiel’s warning: the same rain that blesses can, when absent, expose sterility. James 5:7 calls believers to patient endurance, likening spiritual expectation to a farmer awaiting precious rain. Summary גּשֶׁם in Ezekiel 22:24 is far more than meteorology; it is covenant vocabulary. Its absence signposts divine indignation, yet its very mention invites readers to long for the gracious downpour that God delights to send when His people humble themselves, pray, and turn from their wicked ways. Forms and Transliterations גֻשְׁמָ֖הּ גשמה ḡuš·māh gushMah ḡušmāhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ezekiel 22:24 HEB: הִ֑יא לֹ֥א גֻשְׁמָ֖הּ בְּי֥וֹם זָֽעַם׃ KJV: that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day INT: he nor rained the day of indignation 1 Occurrence |
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