Job 5:10 · Bible study
Job 5:10 Commentary: God's Rain
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore Job 5:10: how God's gift of rain shows His sovereignty and goodness, central to Eliphaz's argument about trusting God in suffering.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God sovereignly and generously provides rain to sustain the earth.
- Key words: נָתַן (give), שָׁלַח (send), מָטָר (rain), מַיִם (water), חוּצוֹת (open fields).
- Main debate: Whether this refers solely to Israel (Targum) or to all creation (consensus).
- Theological theme: Providence and goodness of God in creation.
- Best use: A reminder of God's faithful care, especially in times of suffering.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
He gives rain to the earth and sends water upon the fields.
WEB World English Bible 2000
who gives rain on the earth, and sends waters on the fields;
KJV King James Version 1769
Who giveth rain upon the earth, and sendeth waters upon the fields:
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Who giveth rain upon the earth, And sendeth waters upon the fields;
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Who is giving rain on the face of the land, And is sending waters on the out-places.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Who giveth rain on the face of the earth, and sendeth waters on the face of the fields;
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Who giveth rain upon the face of the earth, and watereth all things with waters:
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Que da la lluvia sobre la haz de la tierra, y envía las aguas por los campos:
Ele é o que dá a chuva sobre a face da terra, e envia águas sobre os campos.
Il répand la pluie sur la terre,
der den Regen aufs Land gibt und läßt Wasser kommen auf die Gefilde;
Die den regen geeft op de aarde, en water zendt op de straten;
che spande la pioggia sopra la terra e manda le acque sui campi;
Który daje deszcz na ziemię, i spuszcza wody na pola;
дает дождь на лице земли и посылает воды на лице полей;
降 雨 在 地 上，賜 水 於 田 裡；
Who gives rain on the earth, and sends water on the fields:
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Job 5:10
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
The commentators consistently read this verse as a declaration of God's direct, benevolent control over nature. Barnes notes that rain, unlike the fixed seasons, seems to be sent directly by God and is a constant evidence of His benevolence. Clarke parallels Jesus' teaching that the Father sends rain on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45). Gill emphasizes that rain is a free gift, not dependent on human merit, given to the whole earth. The Hebrew uses participles (הַנֹּתֵן, 'the one who gives'; וְשֹׁלֵחַ, 'and sends') indicating ongoing, characteristic action: God is by nature the giver of rain. The Cambridge Bible sees this as part of Eliphaz's argument that God's ways are marked by one purpose, to do good, and therefore His chastisements open the way to blessing. All agree: the verse grounds trust in God's providential goodness.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: God directly provides rain and water to the earth, demonstrating His sovereign care and goodness.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Scope of God's rain-giving | God sends rain as a good gift. | Some interpreters (Targum, Jarchi) limit it to the land of Israel; most see it as universal. |
| Purpose in Eliphaz's argument | The verse shows God's power and goodness. | Is it primarily to rebuke Job (you should trust because God controls everything) or to comfort (God's care extends to you)? Both appear in commentary. |
| Connection to suffering | God's providential care is trustworthy. | Does rain illustrate that all suffering is disciplinary (Eliphaz's view) or simply that God is good despite suffering? The text itself does not settle theodicy. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Eliphaz the Temanite speaks from a world where rain was life itself. In the arid climate of Edom and the broader Near East, agriculture depended entirely on seasonal rains. To attribute rain to God was not a pious cliché but a statement of absolute dependence. The phrase 'on the face of the earth' (על־פני ארץ) is a Hebrew idiom emphasizing the visible, all-encompassing reach of God's provision. The word for 'fields' (חוּצוֹת) literally means 'outside places', the open country beyond villages, including pastures and farmland. Barnes explains that Eliphaz begins with rain because it is 'wholly under his control' and furnishes a constant evidence of benevolence.
Literarily, this verse sits within Eliphaz's first speech (Job 4, 5). He has just argued that trouble does not sprout from the ground like weeds (5:6) but that man is born to trouble (5:7). His counsel is to seek God (5:8), for God does marvelous things without number (5:9). Then comes verse 10: even the rain, the most basic, life-sustaining gift, comes from God. The point is not merely theological but pastoral: if God so carefully waters the earth, can He not be trusted with your suffering? Eliphaz is building a case that God's purposes are good, even when hidden. The verse echoes later Scripture, such as Psalm 147:8 and Jeremiah 5:24, where rain is a sign of covenant faithfulness. It also anticipates God's own speeches in Job 38, 39, where He questions Job about the rain's origin (Job 38:28). For Eliphaz, rain is the first proof that God rules with goodness.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Job 5:10. The Hebrew text is stable, and the verse is quoted in ancient versions with minimal differences.
Reception History
Jewish interpreters, including the Targum and Rashi (Jarchi), read this as a reference to God's special care for Israel, while also acknowledging provision for other lands. Christian commentators from the Reformation era onward (Calvin, Gill, Matthew Henry) have cited this verse to illustrate God's general providence and kindness to all people, often linking it with Matthew 5:45. The verse has been incorporated into prayers for rain in various traditions, and it remains a touchstone for discussions of divine sovereignty and goodness.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Source: God as the Giver of Rain, sovereignty displayed in the ordinary.
- The Scope: On earth and open fields, universality of His care.
- The Significance: A reason to trust in suffering, pastoral hope from providence.
Five-point outline
- Introduction: Eliphaz's argument from nature to encourage Job.
- Point 1: God's control over the ordinary, rain as a daily gift.
- Point 2: The universality of His provision, earth and fields.
- Point 3: The ongoing character of God's giving, the Hebrew participles show habitual action.
- Point 4: The purpose: to set the low on high (verse 11).
- Point 5: Application: trust God's hidden goodness in trials.
Illustration hooks
- A farmer who has waited months for rain watches a storm finally arrive. The relief is not just practical but spiritual, a reminder that provision comes from outside ourselves.
- The contrast between a cracked, dry riverbed after drought and the same riverbed swollen with life after rain. It mirrors how seasons of dryness can give way to unexpected refreshment.
- A garden after a gentle shower: every leaf holds a drop. God's care is not indiscriminate but touches each part of the field.
Questions your congregation is asking
- “Why does God send rain on the wicked too? Does that mean He approves of them?”
- “If God provides rain, why does He allow drought and famine?”
- “How can I see God's goodness when my life feels like a spiritual drought?”
Leading a Discussion
This verse is part of a longer speech where Eliphaz urges Job to turn to God. Rain is the first example of God's wonderful works. The group's goal is to understand how this ordinary gift reveals God's character, and what it means for times of suffering.
Discussion questions
- What does this verse tell you about God's character? Look at the words 'gives' and 'sends.' What attitude do they imply?
- Why do you think Eliphaz begins with rain when he wants to persuade Job to trust God? What makes rain a good example of providence?
- The Hebrew word for 'fields' (חוּצוֹת) means 'outside places', areas not directly tended by people. What does that detail add to the picture of God's care?
- Compare Job 5:10 with Matthew 5:45. How does Jesus' teaching connect to what Eliphaz says here?
- If God controls the rain, how should that affect the way you view your current struggles? Does it make them easier or harder to understand?
- This verse is spoken by a friend who may be wrong about the reason for Job's suffering. How do you hold onto the truth of God's goodness even when human explanations fall short?
- Share a time when something ordinary (like rain) reminded you of God's faithfulness. How can you cultivate that awareness day by day?
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)
| Job 28:26 | When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder, |
| Job 36:28 | which the skies pour down and which drop on man abundantly. |
| Job 38:26 | to cause it to rain on a land where there is no man, on the wilderness, in which there is no man, |
| Job 38:28 | Does the rain have a father? Or who fathers the drops of dew? |
| 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 65:11 | You crown the year with your bounty. Your carts overflow with abundance. |
| Psalms 147:8 | who covers the sky with clouds, who prepares rain for the earth, who makes grass grow on the mountains. |
| Jeremiah 5:24 | They don’t say in their heart, ‘Let’s now fear Yahweh our God, who gives rain, both the former and the latter, in its season, who preserves to us the appointed weeks of the harvest.’ |
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 notes God sends rain to both just and unjust people. He also says God provides water specifically for planted fields so every row gets enough moisture.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes draws a contrast: the sun, moon and seasons run by fixed laws, but rain is sent directly by God at the best times, wholly under his control. This direct provision, essential for all life, shows God's personal benevolence and gives reason to trust him.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges notes that God’s ways are all aimed at doing good even when they bring punishment. Job should consider himself happy in his suffering because God uses it to give him greater blessings later.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Geneva Bible Notes sees God sending rain from heaven onto the land and water flowing over the streets as His work. These actions show God’s power over all natural things.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasises that rain comes as a free gift from God to the whole earth, not just to Israel, and falls on both the godly and ungodly. He notes a possible distinction: God "gives" rain to Israel but "sends" it to Gentile lands, and another view sees it as welcome rain for people in the streets who have no shelter.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch stresses that suffering is not a random accident that grows from the ground like weeds. It is instead fixed within God's world order, as certain as sparks flying upward from a fire. Man is born to sorrow, and wisdom lies in accepting this assigned lot rather than rebelling against it.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that Eliphaz speaks many true religious truths, but applies them with a cold, legalistic rigidity. His lack of genuine sympathy and his assumption that suffering always proves sin reveal a one-sided theology that misses deeper purposes, marking him as well-meaning but blind to Job's actual condition.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that some understand sin itself rather than affliction to come from the dust. He also says God acts according to his own will determining when and how trouble arrives.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley points out that the ordinary phenomenon of rain—its rise from the earth, its suspension in the air, and its distribution as God sees fit—is truly wonderful. He then draws a comparison: if rain is so marvelous, how much more are the hidden ways of Divine Providence.