Psalms 72:6 · Bible study
Psalms 72:6 Commentary: Rain on Mown Grass, Solomon or Messiah?
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
What does the imagery of rain on fresh cut grass teach about the nature of the King’s rule? Explore the meaning of Psalm 72:6 and its messianic hope.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The King’s reign will be as refreshing and life-giving as gentle rain on newly cut grass.
- Key words: גֵּז (gez) = mown grass or fleece; יֵרֵד (yered) = he will come down; רְבִיבִים (revivim) = copious showers.
- Main debate: Whether the verse describes Solomon’s literal reign or points directly to the Messiah, most commentators see a double reference.
- Theological theme: The character of the Messiah’s rule: gentle, restorative, universal.
- Best use: As a promise of Christ’s refreshing presence, especially in times of spiritual dryness or after seasons of hardship.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
May he be like rain that falls on freshly cut grass, like spring showers that water the earth.
WEB World English Bible 2000
He will come down like rain on the mown grass, as showers that water the earth.
KJV King James Version 1769
He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
He will come down like rain upon the mown grass, As showers that water the earth.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
He cometh down as rain on mown grass, As showers--sprinkling the earth.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
He shall come down like rain on the mown grass, as showers that water the earth.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Therefore pride hath held them fast: they are covered with their iniquity and their wickedness.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Descenderá como la lluvia sobre la hierba cortada; como el rocío que destila sobre la tierra.
Ele descerá como chuva sobre a erva cortada, como as chuvas que regam a terra.
Il sera comme une pluie qui tombe sur un terrain fauché,
Er wird herabfahren wie der Regen auf die Aue, wie die Tropfen, die das Land feuchten.
Hij zal nederdalen als een regen op het nagras, als de druppelen, die de aarde bevochtigen.
Ei scenderà come pioggia sul prato segato, come acquazzone che adacqua la terra.
Jako zstępuje deszcz na pokoszoną trawę, a deszcz kroplisty skrapiający ziemię:
Оттого гордость, как ожерелье, обложила их, и дерзость, как наряд, одевает их;
他必降臨，像雨 降在 已割的草地上，如甘霖 滋潤 田地。
May he come down like rain on the cut grass; like showers watering the earth.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Psalms 72:6
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 this verse uses the simile of gentle rain on newly cut grass to describe the character of the king’s reign. Matthew Henry calls it a “prophecy of the prosperity and perpetuity of the kingdom of Christ.” Barnes notes the Hebrew word גֵּז (gez) could mean “mown grass” or “fleece,” with the Septuagint and Vulgate favoring the latter, possibly alluding to Gideon’s fleece (Judges 6). Keil and Delitzsch emphasize the gentle, life-giving nature of the rain, which refreshes the earth after the grass has been shorn or eaten. Calvin sees the psalm as David’s prayer for Solomon’s kingdom, but acknowledges it “seems to have been brought before his mind” toward the greater King to come. The common thread: the ruler’s influence descends like rain, freely, gently, and with power to restore.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Solomonic reading: The superscription ‘Of Solomon’ and the historical context of a newly crowned king in Jerusalem; the language of dominion is idealized court poetry.
- Messianic prophecy: The language of eternal reign (v.5), universal dominion (vv.8-11), and blessings for all nations (v.17) exceeds any historical king, pointing to Christ; echoed by NT usage.
- Double reference: The psalm fits Solomon as an immediate referent, but the Spirit guided the author to speak beyond him to the ultimate Davidic King; a common pattern in royal psalms.
What is clear: Regardless of the primary referent, the verse describes a king whose rule is gentle, refreshing, and life-giving, like rain falling on land that has been stripped bare.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Referent of the King: Solomon or Messiah? | The psalm connects to Solomon as a type of the ideal king, but the language exceeds any earthly reign. | Some read it strictly as a prayer for Solomon’s historical kingdom. Others see a direct messianic prophecy. Many hold a double reference: Solomon as shadow, Christ as substance. |
| Meaning of גֵּז (gez): mown grass or fleece? | The Hebrew word can mean either a shearing (fleece) or a mowing (mown grass). | Interpreters preferring ‘mown grass’ emphasize the agricultural cycle of harvest and regrowth. Those reading ‘fleece’ point to Gideon’s fleece in Judges 6, implying a sign of God’s special favor. |
| Nature of the rain imagery: gentle or powerful? | The rain is positively described as beneficial and restorative. | Some stress the gentleness (the king’s rule is not harsh). Others focus on the fruitfulness: abundant showers produce a rich harvest, emphasizing the king’s benevolence and power to transform. |
| Scope of the reign: Israel or universal? | The psalm extends beyond Israel in verses 8-11, claiming dominion to the ends of the earth. | Historically, Solomon’s kingdom did not achieve this scope. Some see it as idealized language of court poetry. Others see a clear eschatological prophecy of the Messiah’s universal rule. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Psalm 72 is a royal psalm, likely composed for or about Solomon’s coronation. The superscription “Of Solomon” (Hebrew לִשְׁלֹמֹה) can mean “by,” “for,” or “concerning” him. The content fits a prayer for the new king’s righteous rule, but the language quickly expands beyond any historical reign. Verse 6 sits within a section that wishes for the king’s eternal duration (v.5) and global dominion (vv.8-11).
The image of rain on mown grass draws from the agricultural cycle. After a field was mown for hay or grazed by livestock, the dry stubble needed rain to stimulate new growth. The Hebrew phrase “mown grass” (גֵּז, gez) could also mean “fleece”, the wool cut from sheep. Early translators (Septuagint, Vulgate) took it as “fleece,” recalling Gideon’s sign of the dew on the fleece (Judges 6:37-40). Both readings evoke a land stripped bare, waiting for renewal.
The verb “come down” (יֵרֵד, yered) is the same word used for rain descending (Deut 32:2) and for God’s coming down in revelation (Exod 19:20). The king’s rule is not self-generated; it comes from above. The twin nouns for rain and showers, מָטָר (matar) and רְבִיבִים (revivim), appear together in Deuteronomy 32:2 and Hosea 6:3, passages that associate divine teaching and the Messiah’s coming with rain. The psalmist stacks synonyms (“copious showers, dropping of the earth”) to intensify the sense of abundance and gentleness.
In the structure, verse 6 sits between the wish for the fear of God to last forever (v.5) and the promise of universal peace (v.7). The rain does not just fall; it waters the earth, making the whole land fertile. This echoes David’s “last words” (2 Samuel 23:4), where the just ruler is “like the light of the morning … like clear shining after rain.” The rhythm of the psalm: the king enacts righteousness (vv.1-4), and his reign brings flourishing (vv.6-7).
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries note no significant textual variants for Psalm 72:6. The primary difficulty is lexical: the Hebrew word גֵּז (gez) may be read as “mown grass” or “fleece,” but this is a question of translation, not textual transmission. The Septuagint and Vulgate adopt the “fleece” interpretation; most modern versions follow “mown grass.” The Hebrew text of the Masoretic tradition is stable at this point.
Reception History
Early Jewish tradition, reflected in the Targum, interpreted this verse of the Messiah’s reign. The Septuagint’s reading “fleece” led many Greek-speaking Christians to connect the verse with Gideon’s sign, viewing it as a type of Christ’s incarnation. Latin fathers such as Augustine read the rain as the grace of Christ coming down upon the church. During the Reformation, both Calvin and Luther treated the psalm as a prayer for Solomon that ultimately pointed to Christ. Matthew Henry (1710) called it “a prophecy of the prosperity and perpetuity of the kingdom of Christ.” The verse has been used in Advent liturgies that focus on the gentle coming of the King, and it appears in some hymns that celebrate Christ’s refreshing presence. The image of rain on mown grass continues to comfort believers in seasons of spiritual drought, reminding them that God’s chosen King brings life after the cutting.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The King comes down. “He will come down”, the ruler’s authority is a descent, not a grasping. Jesus emptied himself (Phil 2:7). This is a king who serves.
- The King brings refreshment. Rain on mown grass is gentle, not destructive. The reign of Christ restores what has been cut down by life, sin, or oppression.
- The King creates life. The “showers that water the earth” produce fruitfulness. His rule makes dry souls green again.
Five-point outline
- A promise of a coming King. The future tense “will come down” anchors hope in a person, not an idea.
- Timing: after the cutting. The grass is mown, the reign comes after hardship. The people of God have been sheared, but refreshment is on the way.
- Manner: gentle rain, not storm. The Hebrew word for “showers” (רְבִיבִים, revivim) suggests heavy but gentle rain, not a cloudburst. The king’s power is felt as blessing, not terror.
- Abundance: “showers that water the earth.” The watering is complete, covering everything. Christ’s grace meets every need.
- Scope: universal. The opening of verse 6 is picked up in verses 8-11: the King’s dominion stretches to the ends of the earth. All nations are watered by his reign.
Illustration hooks
- A dry lawn after mowing. The grass looks brown and stressed, but a good rain turns it green overnight. The king’s rule is that rain.
- A farmer watching the sky. In a dry season, every cloud carries hope. The psalm makes the people of God look up for their King.
- Sheep after shearing. The sheep are vulnerable and bare, but the new fleece grows back. The “fleece” reading of גֵּז (gez) points to God’s care even in vulnerability.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If Christ is already king, why does the world still feel like a dry field? (A: The full “watering” awaits the consummation of his kingdom, but the first rains have fallen, the church experiences the Spirit’s refreshment now in part.)
- How is Jesus’ rule gentle when the Bible also speaks of judgment and a rod of iron? (A: The same king who brings rain for his people will break the oppressor (v.4). Gentleness and justice are not opposites.)
- What does this verse say about how I should lead others? (A: If the great King comes down like rain, then any Christian leadership should imitate that, refreshing others, not lording power.)
Leading a Discussion
Opening framing: This verse paints a picture of power that looks like a soft shower, not a thunderstorm. As you read it, set aside your assumptions about what strength looks like. The ancient poet invites you to imagine a ruler whose presence is more like morning dew than a marching army.
Discussion questions
- Observation: What does this verse say the King will do? What two comparisons are used?
- Interpretation: The Hebrew word גֵּז (gez) can mean “mown grass” or “fleece.” How does each image shape the meaning? Does one fit the psalm’s context better?
- Connection to Scripture: Read 2 Samuel 23:4 and Deuteronomy 32:2. How do these passages use rain imagery? What is the effect in each?
- Connection to Christ: In what ways does Jesus fulfill this description? Where in the Gospels do you see him “coming down” gently to refresh people?
- Application: Where in your life right now do you need the “rain” of God’s refreshment? What would change if you prayed for his reign to be like showers there?
- Community challenge: How can our small group become a “shower that waters the earth” for someone who is weary?
- Wider perspective: Verse 8 speaks of the King’s dominion “from sea to sea.” How does this shape your hope for the world, especially in places of conflict or drought?
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 32:2 | My doctrine will drop as the rain. My speech will condense as the dew, as the misty rain on the tender grass, as the showers on the herb. |
| II Samuel 23:4 | shall be as the light of the morning when the sun rises, a morning without clouds, when the tender grass springs out of the earth, through clear shining after rain.’ |
| Psalms 65:10 | You drench its furrows. You level its ridges. You soften it with showers. You bless it with a crop. |
| Proverbs 16:15 | In the light of the king’s face is life. His favor is like a cloud of the spring rain. |
| Proverbs 19:12 | The king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass. |
| Isaiah 5:6 | I will lay it a wasteland. It won’t be pruned or hoed, but it will grow briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain on it.” |
| Isaiah 14:3 | It will happen in the day that Yahweh will give you rest from your sorrow, from your trouble, and from the hard service in which you were made to serve, |
| Isaiah 14:5 | Yahweh has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers, |
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
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke argues that the word translated "mown grass" actually means grass that has been eaten by cattle. He sees a metaphor for Christ's doctrine and Spirit: as nightly dew restores cropped pastures, so Christ's influence refreshes the soul. Without him, all human cultivation is fruitless.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes focuses on the imagery of the mown grass that springs up fresh under a gentle shower. He adopts the common reading of "mown meadow" over alternative interpretations, seeing the Messiah's reign as a quietly refreshing influence that revives what was cut down.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin argues that this psalm, though written about Solomon's reign, ultimately points beyond him to the Messiah. The description of the king's glory and the happiness of his subjects fits Christ far more perfectly than it ever fit Solomon, showing that the Holy Spirit was directing David's prayer toward the greater King to come.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator highlights that "he shall come down like rain" draws on 2 Samuel 23:4, and notes that "mown grass" means a shorn meadow needing new growth. Several ancient versions rendered it "upon a fleece," likely inspiring Coverdale's paraphrase linking the image to Gideon's fleece.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note emphasizes the gentleness and timeliness of the Messiah's coming, comparing it to rain on freshly mown grass — soft yet essential, not violent or overwhelming. The image stresses that His reign brings quiet refreshment and growth, like showers that revive and sustain the earth.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill sees the rain imagery pointing primarily to Christ's incarnation, his coming down from heaven by taking human nature into union with his divine Person. He notes the word for "mown grass" also means a shorn fleece, linking to Gideon's fleece miracle as a type of the virgin birth. This coming was sudden, refreshing, and a free gift to undeserving sinners.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
A beautiful figure expresses the grateful nature of His influence;
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch argue that the invocation in this verse is directed to God, not the king. The phrases with the sun and before the moon are periphrastic expressions for endless time. The rain imagery that follows pictures the king's rule as bringing lasting fertility and prosperity to the land under God's blessing.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues the psalm is neither mere poetic praise of Solomon nor a purely futuristic prediction. Instead, it flows from the ideal of the Hebrew monarchy as God's kingdom, finding historical support in Solomon's reign while prophetically transcending it as a Messianic promise of universal, everlasting rule.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley reads this promise as already fulfilled in Christ's first coming. He identifies the "rain" as Christ's doctrine sent from heaven, and the "sweet and powerful influences" as the work of the Spirit that accompanied it.