Jeremiah 14:22 · Bible study
Jeremiah 14:22 Commentary: Only Yahweh Gives Rain
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
A study on Jeremiah 14:22: idols and heavens cannot give rain; only Yahweh can. The verse as a model of confession, exclusive trust, and patient hope.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Only Yahweh, no idol, nor even the heavens themselves, can provide rain, so Israel waits for Him in repentance and hope.
- Key words: Vanities (H1892 hevel: breath/idols); send rain (H1652 Hiphil); heavens (H8064); wait for you (H6960, eager hope).
- Main debate: Whether “the heavens give showers” refers to a natural process that God still sovereignly controls, or a deistic impossibility. Commentators agree both idols and heavens are powerless without God.
- Theological theme: Divine sovereignty over creation and the exclusive trustworthiness of God as the only source of salvation.
- Best use: A model prayer for times of crisis: confess sin, renounce false refuges, and anchor hope in the Creator alone.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Can the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Do the skies alone send showers? Is this not by You, O LORD our God? So we put our hope in You, for You have done all these things.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Are there any among the vanities of the nations that can cause rain? Or can the sky give showers? Aren’t you he, Yahweh our God? Therefore we will wait for you; for you have made all these things.
KJV King James Version 1769
Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain? or can the heavens give showers? art not thou he, O Lord our God? therefore we will wait upon thee: for thou hast made all these things.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Are there any among the vanities of the nations that can cause rain? or can the heavens give showers? art not thou he, O Jehovah our God? therefore we will wait for thee; for thou hast made all these things.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Are there among the vanities of the nations any causing rain? And do the heavens give showers? Art not Thou He, O Jehovah our God? And we wait for thee, for Thou--Thou hast done all these!
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Are there any among the vanities of the nations that can cause rain? or can the heavens give showers? Art not thou HE, Jehovah, our God? And we wait upon thee; for thou hast made all these things.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Are there any among the graven things of the Gentiles that can send rain? or can the heavens give showers? art not thou the Lord our God, whom we have looked for? for thou hast made all these things.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
¿ Hay entre las vanidades de las gentes quien haga llover? ¿ y darán los cielos lluvias? ¿ No eres tú, Jehová, nuestro Dios? en ti pues esperamos; pues tú hiciste todas estas cosas.
Por acaso há entre as futilidades das nações alguém que faz chover? Ou podem os céus dar chuvas? Não és somente tu, SENHOR, nosso Deus? Por isso em ti esperamos, pois tu fazes todas estas coisas.
Parmi les idoles des nations, en est-il qui fassent pleuvoir?
Es ist doch ja unter der Heiden Götzen keiner, der Regen könnte geben; auch der Himmel kann nicht regnen. Du bist doch ja der HERR, unser Gott, auf den wir hoffen; denn du kannst solches alles tun.
Zijn er onder de ijdelheden der heidenen, die doen regenen, of kan de hemel druppelen geven? Zijt Gij die niet, o HEERE, onze God? Daarom zullen wij op U wachten, want Gij doet al die dingen.
Fra gl’idoli vani delle genti, ve n’ha egli che possan far piovere? O è forse il cielo che dà gli acquazzoni? Non sei tu, o Eterno, tu, l’Iddio nostro? Perciò noi speriamo in te, poiché tu hai fatto tutte queste cose.
Izali są między marnościami pogańskiemi, coby spuszczali deszcz? albo niebiosa mogąli same przez się dawać deszcze? Izaliś nie ty sam Pan, Bóg nasz? Przetoż oczekujemy na cię; bo to wszystko ty czynisz.
Есть ли между суетными богами языческими производящие дождь? или может ли небо само собою подавать ливень? не Ты ли это, Господи, Боже наш? На Тебя надеемся мы; ибо Ты творишь все это.
外邦人 虛無的神中 有 能降雨的嗎？ 天 能自降 甘霖嗎？耶和華─我們的 神啊，能如此的 不是 你嗎？所以，我們仍要等候 你，因為 這 一切都 是你 所造的。
Are any of the false gods of the nations able to make rain come? are the heavens able to give showers? are you not he, O Lord our God? so we will go on waiting for you, for you have done all these things.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Jeremiah 14:22
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree on the central thrust: this verse contrasts the powerlessness of idols and the heavens with Yahweh’s sole ability to send rain. The word vanities (H1892 hevel, meaning breath or vapour) is used in Deuteronomy 32:21 for idols, things that are nothing. Gill notes that even the pagan god Jupiter Pluvius, the rain-giver, could not produce a drop. The Hiphil verb magshimim (H1652) means “to cause rain,” an action only God performs. Calvin emphasizes that neither the heavens themselves nor the idols can help; the only remedy is in God. The rhetorical question “Aren’t you he?” uses the pronoun hu (H1931), which draws on God’s self-identification as the eternal “I AM” (see Isaiah 43:10, 13). Barnes and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown concur that he points to Yahweh as the personal, covenant God who alone controls the weather. The confession “you have made all these things” (the rain, the clouds, the sky) grounds Israel’s hope not in their own merit but in God’s creative power and faithfulness.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: That only Yahweh can give rain, not idols nor the heavens themselves, so Israel’s hope must be placed in Him alone.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of 'vanities of the nations' | These are pagan idols that are empty, powerless, and false (see Deuteronomy 32:21). | Some focus on the literal meaning 'vapor/breath' as a description of their worthlessness; others emphasize the specific contrast with Baal, a rain-god of Canaan. Both views see them as incapable of acting. |
| Agency of the heavens | The heavens do not act independently; any rain they produce is from God. | Calvin and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown read the phrase as denying even the heavens' ability without God, while a few readers take it as a simple statement that the sky is a secondary cause. All agree God is the First Cause. |
| Scope of 'all these things' | The phrase refers primarily to the rain, clouds, and heavens as the created elements in view. | Barnes limits it to 'the heaven with its showers'; Gill expands it to include the earth and everything. The immediate context favors the narrower scope. |
| Nature of waiting | Waiting involves both patient trust and active prayer for rain. | Clarke emphasizes prayer; Calvin stresses humble dependence. Both are present: they wait by bringing their need to God. |
| The pronoun 'he' in 'Aren't you he' | The pronoun emphasizes Yahweh's unique identity as the true God. | Some see it as a direct allusion to 'I AM' (Exodus 3:14), while others view it as a more general rhetorical emphasis on God's sole power. Either way, it reinforces exclusive claims. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Jeremiah 14 opens with a vivid description of drought: the ground is cracked, the farmers ashamed, and the animals perish (Jer 14:1, 6). This natural disaster is understood in Israel’s covenant theology as a divine judgment for sin (see Deuteronomy 28:23, 24). The prophet responds by interceding for the people, acknowledging their wickedness and the iniquity of their fathers (v. 20). Verse 22 caps that prayer with a theological argument.
The “vanities of the nations” refers to idols worshipped by surrounding peoples, gods like Baal, who was credited with rain and fertility. The drought recalled the showdown on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18), where Yahweh proved He, not Baal, sends rain. By invoking the heavens, the verse also dismisses any notion that the stars or the sky operate independently. Ancient Near Eastern cultures often deified the heavens; Jeremiah insists they are created things, not the First Cause (Calvin). The word for “showers” (revivim, H7241) emphasizes copious, life-giving rain.
This prayer occurs during the reign of Jehoiakim, before the Babylonian invasion made the enemy a more dominant theme (Lange). The people have exhausted their own resources; now they confess that only the covenant Lord can help. By referencing God as the Maker of “all these things,” the prophet ties the present crisis to God’s sovereignty over creation. The drought itself becomes an occasion for repentance and renewed trust.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Jeremiah 14:22. The Masoretic Text is stable, and the ancient versions (Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate) align closely. The only minor difference is a variant in some Greek manuscripts that reads “for you have made the heaven and the earth,” but this is not supported by the Hebrew.
Reception History
From early rabbinic readings to Reformation commentaries, Jeremiah 14:22 has been treasured as a model of repentance and exclusive trust. The early church read it as a confession that no created power can save; only the God who made heaven and earth can answer in time of crisis. Medieval interpreters, including Thomas Aquinas, cited it in discussions of divine providence over natural events. Calvin used the verse to argue that God alone governs the elements and human history. In the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, phrases from this passage appear in litanies for times of drought and distress. The verse has also been sung in hymns of trust, such as those that echo “We will wait upon the Lord.” Across traditions, it remains a touchstone for the truth that hope belongs exclusively to the Creator.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Impotence: Neither the idols of the nations (empty vanities) nor the heavens themselves can send rain. Every false hope fails in the drought of judgment.
- Exclusive power: Yahweh alone is the God who gives rain. The pronoun “he” (Hebrew hu) declares His unique identity as the self-existing Lord.
- Patient waiting: “Therefore we will wait for you.” Confession of sin leads not to despair but to expectant hope in the Creator who is also the covenant Redeemer.
Five-point outline
- The crisis: a drought that exposes human helplessness.
- The confession: “We acknowledge our wickedness” (v. 20).
- The contrast: empty idols vs. the living God.
- The Creator: “You have made all these things.”
- The response: waiting on God alone.
Illustration hooks
- A farmer watching the sky for rain, but knowing no amount of staring can produce it. Only the Owner of the clouds can open the heavens.
- A child who has tried every fix for a broken toy, finally handing it to the parent who made it. That is repentance: bring the problem to the One who designed the world.
- The difference between a well that holds only empty echoes and a spring of living water. Idols promise, but only God delivers.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Where do I look when my “heavens” stay silent, when prayers seem unanswered and my own efforts fail?
- How do I know whether my waiting is active trust or just passive resignation?
- When I confess sin, do I also need to confess the “vanities” I have trusted, my own plans, money, health, that cannot save?
Leading a Discussion
This verse closes the prayer in Jeremiah 14:19, 22. It contrasts the emptiness of idols with the power of the Creator. As you discuss, notice how the prophet moves from confession to an appeal based on God’s own reputation and sovereignty.
Discussion questions
- Read Jeremiah 14:22 aloud. What are the “vanities of the nations”? (See also Deuteronomy 32:21.) Why does Jeremiah call idols “vanities”?
- The verse asks, “Can the heavens give showers?” Why would anyone think the sky could act on its own? How does the Bible describe rain as a gift from God? (See Deuteronomy 28:12; Matthew 5:45.)
- What does the phrase “Aren’t you he” (or “Art thou not HE”) communicate about God’s identity? Look at the Hebrew pronoun hu and compare Exodus 3:14.
- The people say, “Therefore we will wait for you.” What does waiting include? Is it passive or active? (See Lamentations 3:25, 26; Psalm 27:14.)
- How does confessing sin (vv. 20, 21) prepare the heart to say “You have made all these things”?
- In what areas of life are you tempted to look to “vanities” instead of the Lord for help?
- How can a church corporately express the kind of waiting described here when facing a crisis?
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)
| 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. |
| Deuteronomy 32:21 | They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God. They have provoked me to anger with their vanities. I will move them to jealousy with those who are not a people. I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation. |
| I Kings 8:36 | then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of your servants, and of your people Israel, when you teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on your land which you have given to your people for an inheritance. |
| I Kings 17:1 | Elijah the Tishbite, who was one of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As Yahweh, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.” |
| I Kings 17:14 | For Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, ‘The jar of meal will not run out, and the jar of oil will not fail, until the day that Yahweh sends rain on the earth.’” |
| I Kings 18:1 | After many days, Yahweh’s word came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab; and I will send rain on the earth.” |
| I Kings 18:39 | When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces. They said, “Yahweh, he is God! Yahweh, he is God!” |
| I Kings 18:45 | In a little while, the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel. |
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 sees the people's logic as a pointed contrast: pagan idols are powerless vanities, but the true God answers prayer by sending rain. The drought proves that only the Lord can save them, so their only reasonable stance is to wait on Him or face total ruin.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights the broken, passionate nature of the original Hebrew in this prayer, describing it as a series of desperate cries. He notes that the appeal is grounded not in the nation’s merit but in God’s own name and covenant, and that no pagan idol can end the distress—only Yahweh, who made the heavens.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin considers it remarkable that Jeremiah dares to use human-like arguments with God, pleading desperation as if to move Him to mercy. He explains that God does not need such reminders, but He permits this familiar dealing, just as a son unburdens himself to his father. For Calvin this reflects the genuine heart of prayer, not cold philosophy.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator highlights three pleas the people make for mercy: their repentance, the honour of God's name, and their complete lack of any other help. A textual note suggests the phrase "art not thou he, O Lord our God" should read "art not thou the LORD our God."
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses that the heavens themselves cannot produce rain on their own; they are merely instruments of God’s power. Only the Lord their God, who made all these things, can give showers. This is why His people wait on Him, not on the false gods of the nations.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that pagan idols are rightly called vanities because expecting rain from them is hopeless; even Jupiter Pluvius or Baal could not produce a single drop. He adds that the heavens themselves, as a secondary cause, cannot give rain independently, so only the covenant God who made all things can grant it, and His people wait on Him.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB stresses that even the heavens themselves cannot produce rain on their own; they are not the First Cause and should never be deified as the heathen did. He follows Calvin's reading: not even the heavens can give rain, much less the idol vanities. The question "art not thou he?" directs attention to God as the sole giver.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry sees the prophet's lament and prayer here as effectively reversing the earlier command not to intercede for Judah. He notes that the prophet understood that prohibition as a discouragement, not an absolute ban, since he now prays freely for the people.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley highlights that the prophet argues for the drought's removal by pointing to the utter helplessness of heathen idols—empty, useless things—to provide rain. He stresses that Scripture consistently honors God alone as the giver of rain, so only God can end this judgment.