Deuteronomy 28:12
in Deuteronomy 28The LORD will open the heavens, His abundant storehouse, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations, but borrow from none.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Jehovah will open unto thee his good treasure the heavens, to give the rain of thy land in its season, and to bless all the work of thy hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.
KJV
The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.
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This verse in Deuteronomy 28
Commentary
7 notes on this verseThe Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure,.... The Lord has his treasures of snow and of hail, and of wind, Job 38:22; but here his good treasure, as appears by what follows, is his treasure of rain.
This site's exposition
And the Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods
on Deuteronomy 28:11-12
His good treasure is defined in the next clause as the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season. Rain is the point on which Canaan differs from Egypt, and Deuteronomy 11:10-11 had already drawn that contrast, a land that drinketh water of the rain of heaven set against a field watered with the foot. Lending to many nations and borrowing from none is reversed word for word at verse 44.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
The knowledge hereof the good God opens to His saints, and grants it out of His good treasury, even as the sacred Law testifies, saying, The Lord sware unto thy fathers to give thee and open unto thee His good treasure. From this heavenly treasure He gives rain to His lands, to bless all the works of thy hands. By this rain is signified the utterance of the Law, which moistens the soul fruitful and fertile in good works, that it may receive the dew of Grace.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), because with this river of God the earth is enriched, Ps. lxv. Our constant supplies we must see coming from God's good treasure, and own our obligations to him for them; if he withhold his rain, the fruits both of the ground and of the cattle soon perish.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
); for that which makes rich, and keeps so, is the blessing of the Lord upon the hand of the diligent, Prov. x. 4, 22 . [5.] They should have honour among their neighbours (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure--The seasonable supply of the early and latter rain was one of the principal means by which their land was so uncommonly fruitful. thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow--that is, thou shalt be in such affluent circumstances, as to be capable, out of thy superfluous wealth, to give aid to thy poorer neighbors.
The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure - The clouds, so that a sufficiency of fructifying showers should descend at all requisite times, and the vegetative principle in the earth should unfold and exert itself, so that their crops should be abundant.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
HIS…TREASURE. Which is potentially ready in heaven to go out. 20 Hence rain is referred to as a treasure.
2 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
The meaning thereof is that He will make you the head of all peoples and not the tail of any one of the nations, for it is possible that you will be the head of many peoples and yet be the tail of one nation more distinguished than you.
AND…WILL MAKE THEE OVERABUNDANT. The meaning of and will make thee overabundant. Hebrew, ve-hotirekha. I.E.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
23 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| יִפְתַּ֣ח | yiftach | he will open | H6605 → | 144 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה׀ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| לְ֠ךָ | lekha | for <the> you | ||
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אוֹצָר֨וֹ | ʾotzaro | storehouse his | H214 → | |
| הַטּ֜וֹב | hatov | <the> good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם | hashamayim | the heavens | H8064 → | 421 times |
| לָתֵ֤ת | latet | to give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| מְטַֽר־ | metar- | [the] rain of | H4306 → | 38 times |
| אַרְצְךָ֙ | ʾartzekha | land your | H776 → | 2504 times |
| בְּעִתּ֔וֹ | beito | at appropriate time its | H6256 → | 296 times |
| וּלְבָרֵ֕ךְ | ulevarekh | and to bless | H1288 → | 330 times |
| אֵ֖ת | ʾet | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה | maaseh | [the] work of | H4639 → | 236 times |
| יָדֶ֑ךָ | yadekha | hand your | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| וְהִלְוִ֙יתָ֙ | vehilvita | and you will lend to | H3867 → | 26 times |
| גּוֹיִ֣ם | goyim | nations | H1471 → | 561 times |
| רַבִּ֔ים | rabim | many | H7227 → | 454 times |
| וְאַתָּ֖ה | veatah | and you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תִלְוֶֽה׃ | tilveh | you will borrow | H3867 → | 26 times |
יִפְתַּ֣חhe will open
yiftachH6605 →144 times
יְהוָ֣ה׀Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
לְ֠ךָfor <the> you
lekha
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אוֹצָר֨וֹstorehouse his
ʾotzaroH214 →
הַטּ֜וֹב<the> good
hatovH2896 →538 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַשָּׁמַ֗יִםthe heavens
hashamayimH8064 →421 times
לָתֵ֤תto give
latetH5414 →2011 times
מְטַֽר־[the] rain of
metar-H4306 →38 times
אַרְצְךָ֙land your
ʾartzekhaH776 →2504 times
בְּעִתּ֔וֹat appropriate time its
beitoH6256 →296 times
וּלְבָרֵ֕ךְand to bless
ulevarekhH1288 →330 times
אֵ֖ת<obj.>
ʾetH853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה[the] work of
maasehH4639 →236 times
יָדֶ֑ךָhand your
yadekhaH3027 →1618 times
וְהִלְוִ֙יתָ֙and you will lend to
vehilvitaH3867 →26 times
גּוֹיִ֣םnations
goyimH1471 →561 times
רַבִּ֔יםmany
rabimH7227 →454 times
וְאַתָּ֖הand you
veatahH859 →1094 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
תִלְוֶֽה׃you will borrow
tilvehH3867 →26 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Deuteronomy 11:14then I will provide rain for your land in season, the autumn and spring rains, that you may gather your grain, new wine, and oil.
it leads to
- James 5:7
Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer awaits the precious fruit of the soil—how patient he is for the fall and spring rains.
- Leviticus 26:4
I will give you rains in their season, and the land will yield its produce, and the trees of the field will bear their fruit.
- Ezekiel 34:26
I will make them and the places around My hill a blessing. I will send down showers in season—showers of blessing.
- Joel 2:22–23
Do not be afraid, O beasts of the field, for the open pastures have turned green, the trees bear their fruit, and the fig tree and vine yield their best.
- James 5:7
Through
Deuteronomy 15:6When the LORD your God blesses you as He has promised, you will lend to many nations but borrow from none; you will rule over many nations but be ruled by none.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 28:12–13
The LORD will open the heavens, His abundant storehouse, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations, but borrow…
- 1 Kings 4:21
And Solomon reigned over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These kingdoms offered tribute and served Solomon all the days of…
- Deuteronomy 28:12–13
Through
Deuteronomy 15:10Give generously to him, and do not let your heart be grieved when you do so. And because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything…
it leads to
- Proverbs 22:9
A generous man will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.
- Hebrews 13:16
And do not neglect to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
- Proverbs 22:9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
On this verse
On this chapter
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Ambrose of Milan, Letters 21-30; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.