Deuteronomy 11:14

11:14 then he promises, ¹  “I will send rain for your land ²  in its season, the autumn and the spring rains, ³  so that you may gather in your grain, new wine, and olive oil.

Job 29:23

29:23 They waited for me as people wait ⁴  for the rain,

and they opened their mouths ⁵ 

as for ⁶  the spring rains.

Proverbs 16:15

16:15 In the light of the king’s face ⁷  there is life,

and his favor is like the clouds ⁸  of the spring rain. ⁹ 

Hosea 6:3

6:3 So let us acknowledge him! ¹⁰ 

Let us seek ¹¹  to acknowledge ¹²  the Lord!

He will come to our rescue as certainly as the appearance of the dawn,

as certainly as the winter rain comes,

as certainly as the spring rain that waters the land.”

Joel 2:23-24

2:23 Citizens of Zion, ¹³  rejoice!

Be glad because of what the Lord your God has done! ¹⁴ 

For he has given to you the early rains ¹⁵  as vindication.

He has sent ¹⁶  to you the rains –

both the early and the late rains ¹⁷  as formerly.

2:24 The threshing floors are full of grain;

the vats overflow with fresh wine and olive oil.

James 5:7

Patience in Suffering

5:7 So be patient, brothers and sisters, ¹⁸  until the Lord’s return. ¹⁹  Think of how the farmer waits ²⁰  for the precious fruit of the ground and is patient ²¹  for it until it receives the early and late rains.

[11:14]  ¹ tn The words “he promises” do not appear in the Hebrew text but are needed in the translation to facilitate the transition from the condition (v. 13) to the promise and make it clear that the Lord is speaking the words of vv. 14-15.

[11:14]  ² tn Heb “the rain of your land.” In this case the genitive (modifying term) indicates the recipient of the rain.

[11:14]  ³ sn The autumn and the spring rains. The “former” (יוֹרֶה, yoreh) and “latter” (מַלְקוֹשׁ, malqosh) rains come in abundance respectively in September/October and March/April. Planting of most crops takes place before the former rains fall and the harvests follow the latter rains.

[29:23]  ⁴ tn The phrase “people wait for” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation.

[29:23]  ⁵ sn The analogy is that they received his words eagerly as the dry ground opens to receive the rains.

[29:23]  ⁶ tn The כּ (kaf) preposition is to be supplied by analogy with the preceding phrase. This leaves a double proposition, “as for” (but see Job 29:2).

[16:15]  ⁷ tn Heb “the light of the face of the king.” This expression is a way of describing the king’s brightened face, his delight in what is taking place. This would mean life for those around him.

[16:15]  ⁸ tn Heb “cloud.”

[16:15]  ⁹ tn Heb “latter rain” (so KJV, ASV). The favor that this expression represents is now compared to the cloud of rain that comes with the “latter” rain or harvest rain. The point is that the rain cloud was necessary for the successful harvest; likewise the king’s pleasure will ensure the success and the productivity of the people under him. E.g., also Psalm 72:15-17; the prosperity of the land is portrayed as a blessing on account of the ideal king.

[6:3]  ¹⁰ tn The object (“him”) is omitted in the Hebrew text, but supplied in the translation for clarity.

[6:3]  ¹¹ tn Heb “let us pursue in order to know.” The Hebrew term רָדַף (radaf, “to pursue”) is used figuratively: “to aim to secure” (BDB 923 s.v. רָדַף 2). It describes the pursuit of a moral goal: “Do not pervert justice…nor accept a bribe…pursue [רָדַף] justice” (Deut 16:20); “those who pursue [רָדַף] righteousness and who seek [בָּקַשׁ, baqash] the Lord” (Isa 51:1); “He who pursues [רָדַף] righteousness and love finds life, prosperity, and honor” (Prov 21:20); “Seek [בָּקַשׁ] peace and pursue [רָדַף] it” (Ps 34:15); “they slander me when I pursue [רָדַף] good” (Ps 38:21).

[6:3]  ¹² tn The Hebrew infinitive construct with לְ (lamed) denotes purpose: “to know” (לָדַעַת, lada’at).

[2:23]  ¹³ tn Heb “sons of Zion.”

[2:23]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “be glad in the Lord your God.”

[2:23]  ¹⁵ tn Normally the Hebrew word הַמּוֹרֶה (hammoreh) means “the teacher,” but here and in Ps 84:7 it refers to “early rains.” Elsewhere the word for “early rains” is יוֹרֶה (yoreh). The phrase here הַמּוֹרֶה לִצְדָקָה (hammoreh litsdaqah) is similar to the expression “teacher of righteousness” (Heb., מוֹרֶה הַצֶּדֶק , moreh hatsedeq) found in the Dead Sea Scrolls referring to a particular charismatic leader, although the Qumran community seems not to have invoked this text in support of that notion.

[2:23]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “caused to come down.”

[2:23]  ¹⁷ sn For half the year Palestine is generally dry. The rainy season begins with the early rains usually in late October to early December, followed by the latter rains in March and April. Without these rains productive farming would not be possible, as Joel’s original readers knew only too well.

[5:7]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “brothers”; this phrase occurs again three times in the paragraph. See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.

[5:7]  ¹⁹ tn Or “advent”; or “coming” (also in v. 8).

[5:7]  ²⁰ tn Grk “Behold! The farmer waits.”

[5:7]  ²¹ tn Grk “being patient.”