Lexical Summary ratob or rateb: Moist, fresh Original Word: רָטַב Strong's Exhaustive Concordance be wet A primitive root; to be moist -- be wet. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to be moist NASB Translation wet (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [רָטֵב, רָטֹב LagBN 31] verb be moist (Late Hebrew id.; Assyrian ra‰âbu, II. moisten; Arabic Qal Imperfect3masculine singular מִזֶּרֶם הָרִים יִרְטָ֑בוּ Job 24:8. Topical Lexicon Word and Context רָטַב appears only in Job 24:8, where Job laments that the destitute are “Drenched by the mountain rains, they huddle against the rocks for want of shelter”. The verb pictures a passive saturation, highlighting the sufferers’ vulnerability under forces they cannot control. Cultural and Climatic Background Ancient Israel’s climate oscillated between arid heat and sudden cloudbursts. Mountain rains could come with little warning, turning dry wadis into torrents. For those without homes or thick cloaks, being soaked in such storms meant danger from exposure, hypothermia, and disease. Job’s reference assumes the hearer’s familiarity with this harsh reality, making the plight of the poor visceral. Theological Themes 1. Social Justice: Job catalogues injustices the wicked commit, underscoring God’s concern for the defenseless. רָטַב becomes an emblem of systemic neglect. Intertextual Echoes Though רָטַב itself is unique to Job, the Bible repeatedly portrays exposure to storm as a metaphor for trial: These parallels reinforce the theme that genuine security rests in covenant relationship, not material assets. Ministry and Practical Application 1. Advocacy: The Church is called to shelter the vulnerable, embodying the compassion absent in Job 24:8 (James 1:27; 1 John 3:17). Christological Reflections Jesus identified with the homeless and exposed (“the Son of Man has no place to lay His head,” Matthew 8:20). On the cross He bore the storm of divine judgment without shelter (Psalm 22:15). His resurrection assures that those drenched by life’s tempests may find eternal refuge in Him (Hebrews 6:18-19). Pastoral Observations • Encourage sufferers: God sees every chilled, rain-soaked night; none of their tears are wasted (Psalm 56:8). Homiletical Suggestions A sermon might contrast the drenched poor of Job 24:8 with the protected sheep of Psalm 23, tracing how the Shepherd leads His flock through “valleys” into green pastures, charging listeners to become agents of that shepherding care today. Thus רָטַב, though a single, rare verb, opens a rich doorway into biblical compassion, divine justice, and the believer’s mandate to shelter those left out in the storm. Forms and Transliterations יִרְטָ֑בוּ ירטבו yir·ṭā·ḇū yirṭāḇū yirTavuLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Job 24:8 HEB: מִזֶּ֣רֶם הָרִ֣ים יִרְטָ֑בוּ וּֽמִבְּלִ֥י מַ֝חְסֶ֗ה NAS: They are wet with the mountain rains KJV: They are wet with the showers INT: rains the mountain are wet want of a shelter 1 Occurrence |
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, Ethiopic 
Aramaic רְטַב, 
, all be moist); —