Quick Definition
βρέχω v. I moisten, rain, send rain
Strong's Definition
to moisten (especially by a shower)
Derivation: a primary verb;
KJV Usage: (send) rain, wash
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
verb | βροχή
14.10 · Physical Events and States · Rain
rain, to rain rain, whether light or torrential Though most languages have a general term for rain, the event of raining is more frequently referred to by a verb rather than by a noun, since rain is something which takes place and is not regarded as a thing or mass, unless, of course, one is referring to the water which comes down as rain, that is to say, ‘rain water’ (see 2.10). In some languages the event of raining is generally expressed idiomatically as ‘God is urinating.’ This might appear unduly crude and anthropomorphic, but to the speakers of such a language the expression is often quite acceptable and has no undesirable connotations.
Though in English one may use an impersonal subject with the verb ‘to rain,’ for example, ‘it is raining,’ many languages require some kind of personal agent, for example, ‘God is raining,’ or an impersonal agent such as ‘the sky is raining’ or ‘the clouds are raining.’
14.11 · Physical Events and States · Rain
to send rain, to cause it to rain to cause rain to fall In a number of languages one cannot say literally ‘to send rain,’ for this would seem to imply that someone was carrying the rain to some destination. It may be more appropriate, therefore, to speak of ‘causing rain to fall’ or ‘causing rain to come down.’ It may be necessary, however, in some languages to indicate whether the occurrence of rain is for the detriment or the benefit of persons involved, and therefore it may be necessary to say in some instances ‘to cause rain to come down upon for the benefit of’; otherwise the reader might infer that the rain was some kind of punishment.
79.79 · Features of Objects · Wet, Dry
to wet, to make wet, to moisten to make something wet or moist In a number of languages a clear distinction is made in the use of terms which imply different quantities of moisture, and one must make certain that the choice of a term in LUK 7:38 is in keeping with this context of crying and moistening by means of tears.
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
βρέχω brechō 7x
to wet, moisten, Lk. 7:38; to rain, cause or send rain, Mt. 5:45; Lk. 17:29
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
βρέχω,
[in LXX chiefly for מטר;]
to wet: Lk 7:38, 44.
In late Gk. writers and vernac. = ὕειν, to send rain, to rain (Kennedy, Sources, 39, 155): Mt 5:45; trop., β. πῦρ κ. θεῖον, Lk 17:29; impers., βρέχει, it rains: Ja 5:17; with ὐετός as subj., Re 11:6.†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
βρέχω (brechō) — to rain down. βρέχω, future -ξω[LXX+2nd c.AD+]: aorist ἔβρεξα [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—passive, future βρᾰχήσομαι [LXX]: aorist ἐβρέχθην [Refs 5th c.BC+]aorist 2 ἐβράχην [ᾰ] [Refs 5th c.BC+]: perfect βέβρεγμαι [Refs 5th c.BC+] 47:—wet, of persons walking through water, τὸ γόνυ [Refs 5th c.BC+]; steep in water, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; β. χρυσέαις νιφάδεσσι πόλιν shower wealth upon it, [LXX+5th c.BC+]:—passive, get wet, βρεχόμενοι πρὸς τὸν ὀμφαλόν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; βρέχεσθαι ἐν ὕδατι to be bathed in sweat or drench themselves, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; βεβρεγμένος filled with water, opposed to διερός, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; of sponges, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; to be rained upon, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; especially in Egypt of the inundation of the Nile, τὰ βρεχέντα πεδία [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; ἡ βεβρεγμένη (i.e. γῆ) [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; γῆ οὐ βρεχομένη [LXX]:—but also intransitive in active, to be inundated, [Refs 3rd c.BC+] steeped, bathed in light, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of hard drinkers, μέθῃ βρεχθείς [Refs 5th c.BC+]; βεβρεγμένος tipsy, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
II. rain, send rain, [NT]; Ζεὺς ἔβρεχε [Refs 2nd c.AD+]: with accusative, ἔβρεξε Κύριος χάλαζαν [LXX]; θεῖον[LXX+NT]; ἄρτους [LXX]
II.2. impersonal, βρέχει it rains, [NT+5th c.BC+]