Deuteronomy 11:14 · Bible study
Deuteronomy 11:14 Commentary: Early and Latter Rain
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Discover the meaning of the early and latter rain in Deuteronomy 11:14, their agricultural importance in Canaan, and their role in the covenant of blessing.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God promises seasonal autumn and spring rains to obedient Israel, enabling harvest of grain, wine, and oil.
- Key words: יוֹרֶה (early/autumn rain), מַלְקוֹשׁ (latter/spring rain); both specific agricultural terms for the two rainy periods in Palestine.
- Main debate: A textual variant: the Samaritan, LXX, and Vulgate read “he will give” instead of “I will give,” connecting the promise to the preceding description of God’s care (v.12).
- Theological theme: God’s direct provision for his people and the covenant link between loyalty and blessing.
- Best use: Teaching dependence on God and the rhythm of trust between promise and fulfillment.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
then I will provide rain for your land in season, the autumn and spring rains, that you may gather your grain, new wine, and oil.
WEB World English Bible 2000
that I will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil.
KJV King James Version 1769
That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
that I will give the rain of your land in its season, the former rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy grain, and thy new wine, and thine oil.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
that I have given the rain of your land in its season--sprinkling and gathered--and thou hast gathered thy corn, and thy new wine, and thine oil,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
that I will give rain to your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain; and thou shalt gather in thy corn, and thy new wine, and thine oil;
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
He will give to your land the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your corn, and your wine, and your oil,
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Yo daré la lluvia de vuestra tierra en su tiempo, la temprana y la tardía; y cogerás tu grano, y tu vino, y tu aceite.
Eu darei a chuva de vossa terra em seu tempo, a inicial e a tardia; e colherás teu grão, e teu vinho, e teu azeite.
je donnerai à votre pays la pluie en son temps, la pluie de la première et de l’arrière-saison, et tu recueilleras ton blé, ton moût et ton huile;
so will ich eurem Land Regen geben zu seiner Zeit, Frühregen und Spätregen, daß du einsammelst dein Getreide, deinen Most und dein Öl,
Zo zal Ik den regen uws lands geven te Zijner tijd, vroegen regen en spaden regen, opdat gij uw koren, en uw most, en uw olie inzamelt.
avverrà ch’io darò al vostro paese la pioggia a suo tempo: la pioggia d’autunno e di primavera, perché tu possa raccogliere il tuo grano, il tuo vino e il tuo olio;
Tedy dam deszcz ziemi waszej czasu swego, ranny i późny, i będziesz zbierał zboża twoje, i wino twoje, i oliwę twoję.
то дам земле вашей дождь в свое время, ранний и поздний; и ты соберешь хлеб твой и вино твое и елей твой;
他（原文是我）必按時 降 秋雨 春雨 在你們的地上，使你們可以收藏 五穀、新酒，和油，
Then I will send rain on your land at the right time, the early rains and the late rains, so that you may get in your grain and your wine and your oil.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Deuteronomy 11:14
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that the early rain (י9וֹרֶה, yoreh) fell in autumn, around October, November, and the latter rain (מַלְקוֹשׁ, malqosh) in spring, around March, April. Adam Clarke describes the early rain as preparing the ground for sowing and the latter rain as filling the ears of grain for harvest. Barnes, Gill, and the Cambridge Bible concur, noting that between these two rainy periods the summer months were nearly rainless. The promise is conditional: God gives these rains when Israel obeys his commandments (v.13). The text presents God as the direct giver of rain, not a remote cause, Clarke emphasizes that rain falls by particular direction, not merely general providence. The three gathered products, grain, new wine, oil, represent the staples of life, and they depend on timely rain.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The early and latter rains are well-defined seasonal rains essential for agriculture in Canaan, and God promises them as a blessing linked to Israel's covenant obedience.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Conditionality of the rain promise | All traditions read verse 14 as conditional on Israel's obedience expressed in verse 13. | Some traditions (e.g., Reformed) emphasize that this condition is part of the Mosaic covenant specific to Israel's national life, while others (e.g., some Pentecostal streams) apply it more directly to individual believers today. |
| Textual reading: 'I will give' vs. 'He will give' | The Masoretic Text reads 'I will give' (first person God speaking). | The Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, and Vulgate read 'He will give' (third person), which some argue connects better with verse 12. This does not change the meaning but affects how the speech flows. |
| Significance of the two rains | The early rain refers to autumn showers and the latter to spring rains; both were critical for agriculture. | Some commentators (e.g., Adam Clarke) stress that rain fell 'by particular direction' as a special providence, while others see it as natural cycles that God uses. This is a nuance in understanding divine sovereignty. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Deuteronomy 11:14 appears in the middle of Moses’ second address to Israel, as they stand on the plains of Moab ready to enter Canaan. The immediately preceding verses highlight a sharp contrast with Egypt. In Egypt crops were irrigated by foot, likely by channeling the Nile’s water through ditches. But Canaan is a land of hills and valleys that drinks water from the rain of the sky, a land the Lord cares for directly (vv.10-12). This sets the stage for the promise of verse 14: the God who watches over the land also sends the rain.
The agricultural calendar in ancient Palestine had two main wet periods. The early rain, about October to December, softened the sun-baked soil so farmers could plow and sow. The latter rain, about March to April, provided the last moisture before the long dry summer, maturing the grain, filling the olive and wine presses. The Cambridge Bible notes that the annual rainfall in Jerusalem averages about 25 inches, similar to London, but it falls almost exclusively in these periods. That is why the Bible often mentions only these two rains, they were the crucial ones.
This agricultural dependence made the covenant condition vivid. If Israel obeyed, God would send these rains in due season. If they turned to other gods, he could shut the sky and the land would yield no fruit (v.17). The promise is thus woven into the entire covenant framework of blessing and curse, a theme later echoed in Deuteronomy 28 and Leviticus 26.
Textual Notes
The Hebrew text (Masoretic) reads “I will give” (וְנָתַתִּי), with God speaking in the first person. The Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, and Vulgate read “he will give” (the third person, referring to God from the narrator’s voice). The Cambridge Bible notes that the original reading likely connected verse 14 directly to verse 12, describing God’s care, with verse 13 being a later insertion. This textual variation does not change the essential meaning, God is the giver, but it affects the flow of the passage. No other significant variants are noted in the consulted sources.
Reception History
Deuteronomy 11:14 has been a key text for teaching the covenant connection between obedience and material blessing. Early Jewish and Christian interpreters saw the early and latter rains as literal promises that underpinned the agricultural year in the Promised Land. Later, these rains became symbols of spiritual refreshment, the early rain of conversion and the latter rain of revival. Joel 2:23 and James 5:7 echo this language, applying it to both literal and spiritual harvests. The verse has been sung in hymns of trust, reminding believers that the same God who regulates the clouds also regulates their daily provision.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God gives what we cannot produce. Canaan’s farmers could not manufacture rain; they depended wholly on heaven. The early and latter rains remind us that our daily bread (grain, wine, oil) comes from God’s hand, not our ingenuity.
- Obedience opens the channel of blessing. The rain is promised to a listening, loving, serving people (v.13). The covenant shapes every aspect of life, including the weather.
- Timing is part of the gift. Rain is promised “in its season.” God knows when the soil needs softening and when the grain needs ripening. His provision is not merely a quantity but a rhythm.
Five-point outline
- The land is different. Not Egypt, where you control the water. Canaan forces trust.
- The promise is specific. Two rains, each named and timed.
- The yield is comprehensive. Grain, wine, oil, the three pillars of subsistence.
- The condition is personal. Love and serve God with all your heart and soul.
- The alternative is sobering. Disobedience shuts the heavens (v.17).
Illustration hooks
- A farmer watching the sky after a long dry spell, knowing his family’s food for the year depends on whether heaven opens. That is the emotional weight behind “the early and latter rain.”
- A gardener who waters from a hose vs. one who trusts the natural rains, the second feels a dependence that the first may miss. Israel moved from hose to rain.
- The rhythm of waiting: between the early and latter rains, five months of uncertainty. Faith is stretched in the gap.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God still control the weather today? And if so, how do I make sense of drought or flooding?
- Is this promise for me, or only for Old Testament Israel in their land?
- If blessings come from obedience, what do I do when obedience does not bring visible reward?
Leading a Discussion
This week’s passage moves from command to promise. Israel is about to enter a land that depends entirely on rain, not irrigation. God ties the weather to their heart condition. As you discuss, notice both the specific agricultural details and the sweeping covenant logic.
Discussion questions
- Read verses 10-12. What made Canaan different from Egypt, according to Moses? How would that difference shape daily faith?
- What do we learn about God from the phrase “the eyes of the Lord your God are always on it” (v.12)?
- The promise in verse 14 is conditional. What is the condition stated in verse 13? How specific is it?
- Why do you think only the early and latter rains are mentioned when rain falls through the winter as well? What does that tell you about God’s provision?
- The verse names three products: grain, new wine, oil. Why these three? What do they represent?
- How does verse 17 show the other side of the covenant? What does it mean for God to “shut up the sky”?
- In what ways do we depend on God for things we cannot control? How does gratitude (or anxiety) flow from that dependence?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Leviticus 26:4 | then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. |
| Deuteronomy 28:12 | Yahweh will open to you his good treasure in the sky, to give the rain of your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You will lend to many nations, and you will not borrow. |
| Job 5:10 | who gives rain on the earth, and sends waters on the fields; |
| Job 5:11 | so that he sets up on high those who are low, those who mourn are exalted to safety. |
| Job 37:11 | Yes, he loads the thick cloud with moisture. He spreads abroad the cloud of his lightning. |
| Job 37:13 | whether it is for correction, or for his land, or for loving kindness, that he causes it to come. |
| Psalms 65:9 | You visit the earth, and water it. You greatly enrich it. The river of God is full of water. You provide them grain, for so you have ordained it. |
| Psalms 65:13 | The pastures are covered with flocks. The valleys also are clothed with grain. They shout for joy! They also sing. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke emphasizes that the former and latter rains in Judea were not merely natural events. They were regulated by God's special providence, granted for obedience and withheld for disobedience. This shows that rain itself fell by God's particular direction, not just by general laws of nature.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes identifies two specific rainy seasons in ancient Canaan: the former rain in autumn at sowing time and the latter rain in spring before harvest. He stresses that between these two periods there was little or no rain, making both essential for the agricultural cycle.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentator highlights the contrast between Canaan and rainless Egypt by explaining the agricultural year in Palestine. The early rain opens the plowing season in late October, while the far more critical latter rain arrives in spring to ripen the grain before the long summer drought.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
I also wil giue raine vnto your land in due time, the first raine and the latter, that thou maist gather in thy wheat, and thy wine, and thine oyle.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights the precise timing of the promised rains: the former rain falls soon after sowing to help the seed take root, and the latter rain arrives just before harvest to ripen the grain and swell the ears. This careful sequence directly enables the gathering of bread, wine, and oil, each supporting a different aspect of human life.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB explains that the early and latter rains were not merely seasonal but agriculturally essential in Palestine. The early rain softened sun-baked soil for planting after summer, while the latter rain revived crops just before harvest, making both critical for the farmer's hope.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange points out that the real difference between Canaan and Egypt is not their fertility but how each land is watered. Egypt's irrigation depends on human effort, while Canaan drinks rain from heaven, making Israel's constant dependence on God a visible, everyday reality. This geographical contrast serves as a foil for the true religion.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes how Moses keeps pressing the same point, reluctant to stop until he has won Israel's full agreement. For Henry, Canaan is a picture of eternal life, and Moses insists that keeping all the commandments and loving God with the whole heart is the only way to enter that good land and enjoy it.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley emphasizes that the judgment described targets something particular to that land—the regular rains that sustain the crops. Unlike Egypt, where rain is rare, this land depends on two distinct rains: one at sowing to germinate the seed, another before harvest to ripen the grain.