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.’

JAS 5:17 · JAS 5:17 · REV 11:6

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.

MAT 5:45 · LUK 17:29

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.

LUK 7:38 · LUK 7:44