Hebrews 6:7

Hebrews 6:7

For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:

a. NLT: When the ground soaks up the falling rain and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has God’s blessing.

b. NIV: Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God.

c. YLT: For earth, that is drinking in the rain many times coming upon it, and is bringing forth herbs fit for those because of whom also it is dressed, doth partake of blessing from God,

d. Amplified Bible:  For the soil which has drunk the rain that repeatedly falls upon it and produces vegetation useful to those for whose benefit it is cultivated partakes of a blessing from God.

e. Worrell Translation: For the land which drank in the rain that often comes upon it, and brings forth an herb fit for those whose sake also it is cultivated, receives blessing from God;

1. “For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it…”

a. for [1063 * gar] [Strong: a primary particle; properly, assigning a reason (used in argument, explanation or intensification; often with other particles):--and, as, because (that), but, even, for, indeed, no doubt, seeing, then, therefore, verily, what, why, yet.]

b. the earth [1093 * ge] [Strong: contracted from a primary word; soil; by extension a region, or the solid part or the whole of the terrene globe (including the occupants in each application):--country, earth(-ly), ground, land, world.]

c. which [3588 * ho] [Strong: including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.]

d. drinketh in [4095 * pino] [Strong:  a prolonged form of pio pee'-o, which (together with another form) poo po'-o occurs only as an alternate in certain tenses; to imbibe (literally or figuratively):--drink.]

e. the rain [5205 * huetos] [Strong: from a primary huo (to rain); rain, especially a shower:--rain.]

f. that cometh [2064 * erchomai] [Strong: middle voice of a primary verb (used only in the present and imperfect tenses, the others being supplied by a kindred (middle voice) eleuthomai el-yoo'-thom-ahee, or (active) eltho el'-tho, which do not otherwise occur) to come or go (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively):--accompany, appear, bring, come, enter, fall out, go, grow, X light, X next, pass, resort, be set.]

g. oft [4178 * pollakis] [Strong: multiplicative adverb from 4183; many times, i.e. frequently:--oft(-en, -entimes, -times).]

h. upon [1909 * epi] [Strong: a primary preposition; properly, meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etc.), as a relation of distribution (with the genitive case), i.e. over, upon, etc.; of rest (with the dative case) at, on, etc.; of direction (with the accusative case) towards, upon, etc.:--about (the times), above, after, against, among, as long as (touching), at, beside, X have charge of, (be-, (where-))fore, in (a place, as much as, the time of, -to), (because) of, (up-)on (behalf of), over, (by, for) the space of, through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), with. In compounds it retains essentially the same import, at, upon, etc. (literally or figuratively).]

i. it [846 * autos] [Strong: from the particle au (perhaps akin to the base of 109 through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative 1438) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons:--her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which.]

1). The word picture given here is to illustrate the effect of the Word of God upon the human heart. One only need to see the parable of the sower in three of the gospels to see the similarity. We are literally called God’s garden in the epistle to the Corinthians. What must be kept in mind is we as free moral agents determine what kind of ground we will be, good ground or bad ground.

a). 1 Corinthians 3:9 [NASB] For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s *field, God’s building.

2). Two witnesses to verify the rain is the Word of God are both in the Old Testament. We are to drink in the word of God and bring forth fruit.

a). Deuteronomy 32:1, 2 Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.

32:2 My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass:

b). Isaiah 55:10, 11 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

2. “…and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed,

a. and [2532 * kai] [Strong: apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

b. bringeth forth [5088 * tikto] [Strong: a strengthened form of a primary teko tek'-o (which is used only as alternate in certain tenses); to produce (from seed, as a mother, a plant, the earth, etc.), literally or figuratively:--bear, be born, bring forth, be delivered, be in travail.]

c. herbs [1008 * botane][Thayer: an herb fit for fodder, green herb, growing plant.] [Strong: from 1006; herbage (as if for grazing):--herb.]

1). It is fitting herbs would be the word choice in this illustration for Jesus compared the kingdom of God to an herb.

a). Mark 4:30-32 And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?

It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:

But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.

2). On another occasion Jesus compared faith to a mustard seed which of course is an herb.

a). Matthew 17:20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

d. meet [2111 * euthetos] [Strong: from 2095 and a derivative of 5087; well placed, i.e. (figuratively) appropriate:--fit, meet.]

e. for them [1565 & 2532] [1565 * ekeinos] [Strong: from 1563; that one (or (neuter) thing); often intensified by the article prefixed:--he, it, the other (same), selfsame, that (same, very), X their, X them, they, this, those.]  [2532 * kai] [Strong: apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

f. by [1223 * dia] [Strong: a primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through (in very wide applications, local, causal, or occasional):--after, always, among, at, to avoid, because of (that), briefly, by, for (cause) ... fore, from, in, by occasion of, of, by reason of, for sake, that, thereby, therefore, X though, through(-out), to, wherefore, with (-in). In composition it retains the same general importance.]

g. whom [3739 * hos] [Strong: including feminine he hay, and neuter ho ho probably a primary word (or perhaps a form of the article 3588); the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, that:--one, (an-, the) other, some, that, what, which, who(-m, -se), etc.]

h. it is dressed [1090 * georgeo] [Strong: from 1092; to till (the soil):--dress.]

1). The kingdom of God, faith, these are some of the things that should be growing in the soil of our heart. What is the soil of our heart growing? The Amplified translation brings that point clearly.

a). Hebrews 6:7 b.[Amplified Bible] “…and produces vegetation useful to those for whose benefit it is cultivated partakes of a blessing from God.”

2). Soil must be tended to, it must be cultivated, it must be “dressed” in order to bring forth good produce. Again, we determine the kind of soil we are. If we tend to the soil in obedience to God there will be a blessing.

3. “…receiveth blessing from God:”

a. receiveth [3335 * metalambano] [Strong: from 3326 and 2983; to participate; genitive case, to accept (and use):--eat, have, be partaker, receive, take.]

b. blessing [2129 * eulogia] [Strong: from the same as 2127; fine speaking, i.e. elegance of language; commendation ("eulogy"), i.e. (reverentially) adoration; religiously, benediction; by implication, consecration; by extension, benefit or largess:--blessing (a matter of) bounty (X -tifully), fair speech.]

c. from [575 * apo] [Strong: a primary particle; "off," i.e. away (from something near), in various senses (of place, time, or relation; literal or figurative):--(X here-)after, ago, at, because of, before, by (the space of), for(-th), from, in, (out) of, off, (up-)on(-ce), since, with. In composition (as a prefix) it usually denotes separation, departure, cessation, completion, reversal, etc.]

d. God [2316 * theos] [Strong: of uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with 3588) the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very:--X exceeding, God, god(-ly, -ward).]