14 That I will give H5414 you the rain H4306 of your land H776 in his due season, H6256 the first rain H3138 and the latter rain, H4456 that thou mayest gather H622 in thy corn, H1715 and thy wine, H8492 and thine oil. H3323
Be patient G3114 therefore, G3767 brethren, G80 unto G2193 the coming G3952 of the Lord. G2962 Behold, G2400 the husbandman G1092 waiteth G1551 for the precious G5093 fruit G2590 of the earth, G1093 and hath long patience G3114 for G1909 it, G846 until G2193 G302 he receive G2983 the early G4406 and G2532 latter G3797 rain. G5205
Then I will give H5414 you rain H1653 in due season, H6256 and the land H776 shall yield H5414 her increase, H2981 and the trees H6086 of the field H7704 shall yield H5414 their fruit. H6529
The LORD H3068 shall open H6605 unto thee his good H2896 treasure, H214 the heaven H8064 to give H5414 the rain H4306 unto thy land H776 in his season, H6256 and to bless H1288 all the work H4639 of thine hand: H3027 and thou shalt lend H3867 unto many H7227 nations, H1471 and thou shalt not borrow. H3867
Be not afraid, H3372 ye beasts H929 of the field: H7704 for the pastures H4999 of the wilderness H4057 do spring, H1876 for the tree H6086 beareth H5375 her fruit, H6529 the fig tree H8384 and the vine H1612 do yield H5414 their strength. H2428 Be glad H1523 then, ye children H1121 of Zion, H6726 and rejoice H8055 in the LORD H3068 your God: H430 for he hath given H5414 you the former rain H4175 moderately, H6666 and he will cause to come down H3381 for you the rain, H1653 the former rain, H4175 and the latter rain H4456 in the first H7223 month.
Who giveth H5414 rain H4306 upon H6440 the earth, H776 and sendeth H7971 waters H4325 upon H6440 the fields: H2351 To set up H7760 on high H4791 those that be low; H8217 that those which mourn H6937 may be exalted H7682 to safety. H3468
Also by watering H7377 he wearieth H2959 the thick cloud: H5645 he scattereth H6327 his bright H216 cloud: H6051 And it is turned H2015 round about H4524 by his counsels: H8458 that they may do H6467 whatsoever he commandeth H6680 them upon the face H6440 of the world H8398 in the earth. H776 He causeth it to come, H4672 whether for correction, H7626 or for his land, H776 or for mercy. H2617
Are there H3426 any among the vanities H1892 of the Gentiles H1471 that can cause rain? H1652 or can the heavens H8064 give H5414 showers? H7241 art not thou he, O LORD H3068 our God? H430 therefore we will wait H6960 upon thee: for thou hast made H6213 all these things.
And I will make H5414 them and the places round about H5439 my hill H1389 a blessing; H1293 and I will cause the shower H1653 to come down H3381 in his season; H6256 there shall be showers H1653 of blessing. H1293
Thou visitest H6485 the earth, H776 and waterest H7783 it: thou greatly H7227 enrichest H6238 it with the river H6388 of God, H430 which is full H4390 of water: H4325 thou preparest H3559 them corn, H1715 when thou hast so provided H3559 for it. Thou waterest H7301 the ridges H8525 thereof abundantly: H7301 thou settlest H5181 the furrows H1417 H1418 thereof: thou makest it soft H4127 with showers: H7241 thou blessest H1288 the springing H6780 thereof. Thou crownest H5849 the year H8141 with thy goodness; H2896 and thy paths H4570 drop H7491 fatness. H1880 They drop H7491 upon the pastures H4999 of the wilderness: H4057 and the little hills H1389 rejoice H1524 on every side. H2296 The pastures H3733 are clothed H3847 with flocks; H6629 the valleys H6010 also are covered over H5848 with corn; H1250 they shout for joy, H7321 they also sing. H7891
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Deuteronomy 11
Commentary on Deuteronomy 11 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 11
De 11:1-32. An Exhortation to Obedience.
1. Therefore thou shalt love the Lord thy God, and keep his charge—The reason for the frequent repetition of the same or similar counsels is to be traced to the infantine character and state of the church, which required line upon line and precept upon precept. Besides, the Israelites were a headstrong and perverse people, impatient of control, prone to rebellion, and, from their long stay in Egypt, so violently addicted to idolatry, that they ran imminent risk of being seduced by the religion of the country to which they were going, which, in its characteristic features, bore a strong resemblance to that of the country they had left.
2-9. I speak not with your children which have not known … But your eyes have seen all the great acts of the Lord which he did—Moses is here giving a brief summary of the marvels and miracles of awful judgment which God had wrought in effecting their release from the tyranny of Pharaoh, as well as those which had taken place in the wilderness. He knew that he might dwell upon these, for he was addressing many who had been witnesses of those appalling incidents. For it will be remembered that the divine threatening that they should die in the wilderness, and its execution, extended only to males from twenty years and upward, who were able to go forth to war. No males under twenty years of age, no females, and none of the tribe of Levi, were objects of the denunciation (see Nu 14:28-30; 16:49). There might, therefore, have been many thousands of the Israelites at that time of whom Moses could say, "Your eyes have seen all the great acts which He did"; and with regard to those the historic review of Moses was well calculated to stir up their minds to the duty and advantages of obedience.
10-12. For the land, whither thou goest in to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out—The physical features of Palestine present a striking contrast to those of the land of bondage. A widely extending plain forms the cultivated portion of Egypt, and on the greater part of this low and level country rain never falls. This natural want is supplied by the annual overflow of the Nile, and by artificial means from the same source when the river has receded within its customary channel. Close by the bank the process of irrigation is very simple. The cultivator opens a small sluice on the edge of the square bed in which seed has been sown, making drill after drill; and when a sufficient quantity of water has poured in, he shuts it up with his foot. Where the bank is high, the water is drawn up by hydraulic engines, of which there are three kinds used, of different power, according to the subsidence of the stream. The water is distributed in small channels or earthen conduits, simple in construction, worked by the foot, and formed with a mattock by the gardener who directs their course, and which are banked up or opened, as occasion may require, by pressing in the soil with the foot. Thus was the land watered in which the Israelites had dwelt so long. Such vigilance and laborious industry would not be needed in the promised land. Instead of being visited with moisture only at one brief season and left during the rest of the year under a withering blight, every season it would enjoy the benign influences of a genial climate. The hills would attract the frequent clouds, and in the refreshing showers the blessing of God would especially rest upon the land.
12. A land which the Lord thy God careth for—that is, watering it, as it were, with His own hands, without human aid or mechanical means.
14. the first rain and the latter rain—The early rain commenced in autumn, that is, chiefly during the months of September and October, while the latter rain fell in the spring of the year, that is, during the months of March and April. It is true that occasional showers fell all the winter; but, at the autumnal and vernal seasons, they were more frequent, copious, and important; for the early rain was necessary, after a hot and protracted summer, to prepare the soil for receiving the seed; and the latter rain, which shortly preceded the harvest, was of the greatest use in invigorating the languishing powers of vegetation (Jer 5:24; Joe 2:23; Am 4:7; Jas 5:7).
15-17. I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle—Undoubtedly the special blessing of the former and the latter rain [De 11:14] was one principal cause of the extraordinary fertility of Canaan in ancient times. That blessing was promised to the Israelites as a temporal reward for their fidelity to the national covenant [De 11:13]. It was threatened to be withdrawn on their disobedience or apostasy; and most signally is the execution of that threatening seen in the present sterility of Palestine. MR. LowthIAN, an English farmer, who was struck during his journey from Joppa to Jerusalem by not seeing a blade of grass, where even in the poorest localities of Britain some wild vegetation is found, directed his attention particularly to the subject, and pursued the inquiry during a month's residence in Jerusalem, where he learned that a miserably small quantity of milk is daily sold to the inhabitants at a dear rate, and that chiefly asses' milk. "Most clearly," says he, "did I perceive that the barrenness of large portions of the country was owing to the cessation of the early and latter rain, and that the absence of grass and flowers made it no longer the land (De 11:9) flowing with milk and honey."
18-25. lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them—(See on De 6:1).
24. Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours—not as if the Jews should be lords of the world, but of every place within the promised land. It should be granted to them and possessed by them, on conditions of obedience:
from the wilderness—the Arabah on the south;
Lebanon—the northern limit;
Euphrates—their boundary on the east. Their grant of dominion extended so far, and the right was fulfilled to Solomon.
even unto the uttermost sea—the Mediterranean.
26-32. Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse—(See on De 27:11).