Isaiah 30:23
in Isaiah 30Then He will send rain for the seed that you have sown in the ground, and the food that comes from your land will be rich and plentiful. On that day your cattle will graze in open pastures.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he will give the rain for thy seed, wherewith thou shalt sow the ground; and bread of the increase of the ground, and it shall be fat and plenteous. In that day shall thy cattle feed in large pastures;
KJV
Then shall he give the rain of thy seed, that thou shalt sow the ground withal; and bread of the increase of the earth, and it shall be fat and plenteous: in that day shall thy cattle feed in large pastures.
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This verse in Isaiah 30
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Then shall he give the rain of thy seed - That is, he shall send rain on the seed which is sown. You will be allowed to cultivate the soil without molestation, and God will give you fruitful seasons and abundant harvests. This is a poetic description of a happy or golden age, when there would be peace and prosperity (compare the notes at Isa 11:6-7). And bread of the increase of the earth - And bread which the ground shall produce.
This site's exposition
He will send rain for the seed
on Isaiah 30:23-26
The blessing is drawn from farm life: "rain for the seed that you have sown", food "rich and plentiful", cattle in "open pastures". Streams flow from every high hill "in the day of great slaughter, when the towers fall", and the sun’s light becomes "seven times brighter".
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
For "in a good heart wisdom will rest," and "he that fears the Lord shall find knowledge with righteousness." But that we must attain to spiritual knowledge in the order of which we have already spoken, we are taught also by the blessed apostle. For when he wanted not merely to draw up a list of all his own virtues but rather to describe their order, that he might explain which follows what, and which gives birth to what, after some others he proceeds as follows: "In watchings, in fastings, in chastity, in knowledge, in long suffering, in gentleness, in the Holy Spirit, in love unfeigned." And by this enumeration of virtues he evidently meant to teach us that we must come from watchings and fastings to chastity, from chastity to knowledge, from knowledge to long suffering, from long suffering to gentleness, from gentleness to the Holy Spirit, from the Holy Spirit to the rewards of love unfeigned. When then by this system and in this order you too have come to spiritual knowledge, you will certainly have, as we said, not barren or idle learning but what is vigorous and fruitful. And the seed of the word of salvation that has been committed by you to the hearts of your hearers will be watered by the plentiful showers of the Holy Spirit that will follow. And according to this the prophet promised, "The rain will be given to your seed, wherever you shall sow in the land, and the bread of the corn of the land shall be most plentiful and fat."
The Medieval Church1 voice
680. And first, he promises fertility of the land, promising the cause: and rain shall be given: he will make the early and the latter rain to come down to you (Joel 2:23); and the effect, as to the food of men: and the bread …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Bread - Which shall be the fruit of thy own land and labour: and excellent for quality, which is called, fat, Deut. xxxii, 14, and abundant for quantity.
Observe, How man's industry and God's blessing concur to the good things we enjoy relating to the life that now is: Thou shalt sow the ground, that is thy part, and then God will give the rain of thy seed, that is his part. It is so in spiritual fruit; we must take pains with our hearts and then wait on God for his grace.
), and many of these promises are very applicable to gospel grace. A prophecy of the total rout and ruin of the Assyrian army, which should be an occasion of great joy and an introduction to those happy times,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
2 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Then shall he give thee rain of thy seed, that thou shalt sow the ground withal,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
rain of--rather, "for thy seed." Physical prosperity accompanies national piety; especially under the Old Testament. The early rain fell soon after the seed was sown in October or November; the latter rain in the spring, before the ripening of the corn.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְנָתַן֩ | venatan | and he will give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| מְטַ֨ר | metar | [the] rain of | H4306 → | 38 times |
| זַרְעֲךָ֜ | zarakha | seed your | H2233 → | 229 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| תִּזְרַ֣ע | tizra' | you will sow | H2232 → | 56 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָאֲדָמָ֗ה | haadamah | the ground | H127 → | 225 times |
| וְלֶ֙חֶם֙ | velechem | and [will be] food | H3899 → | 298 times |
| תְּבוּאַ֣ת | tevuat | [the] produce of | H8393 → | |
| הָֽאֲדָמָ֔ה | haadamah | the ground | H127 → | 225 times |
| וְהָיָ֥ה | vehayah | and it will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| דָשֵׁ֖ן | dashen | fat | H1879 → | |
| וְשָׁמֵ֑ן | veshamen | and fat | H8082 → | |
| יִרְעֶ֥ה | yireh | it will graze | H7462 → | 177 times |
| מִקְנֶ֛יךָ | mikneicha | livestock your | H4735 → | |
| בַּיּ֥וֹם | baiyom | in the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַה֖וּא | hahu' | <the> that | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| כַּ֥ר | kar | pasture | H3733 → | 16 times |
| נִרְחָֽב׃ | nirchav | roomy | H7337 → | 25 times |
וְנָתַן֩and he will give
venatanH5414 →2011 times
מְטַ֨ר[the] rain of
metarH4306 →38 times
זַרְעֲךָ֜seed your
zarakhaH2233 →229 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
תִּזְרַ֣עyou will sow
tizra'H2232 →56 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָאֲדָמָ֗הthe ground
haadamahH127 →225 times
וְלֶ֙חֶם֙and [will be] food
velechemH3899 →298 times
תְּבוּאַ֣ת[the] produce of
tevuatH8393 →
הָֽאֲדָמָ֔הthe ground
haadamahH127 →225 times
וְהָיָ֥הand it will be
vehayahH1961 →3559 times
דָשֵׁ֖ןfat
dashenH1879 →
וְשָׁמֵ֑ןand fat
veshamenH8082 →
יִרְעֶ֥הit will graze
yirehH7462 →177 times
מִקְנֶ֛יךָlivestock your
mikneichaH4735 →
בַּיּ֥וֹםin the day
baiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַה֖וּא<the> that
hahu'H1931 →1879 times
כַּ֥רpasture
karH3733 →16 times
נִרְחָֽב׃roomy
nirchavH7337 →25 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
Zechariah 10:1Ask the LORD for rain in springtime; the LORD makes the storm clouds, and He will give everyone showers of rain and crops in the field.
it leads to
- James 5:16–18
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail.
- Matthew 7:7–8
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.
- Isaiah 44:3
For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and currents on the dry ground. I will pour out My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring.
- Psalms 65:9
You attend to the earth and water it; with abundance You enrich it. The streams of God are full of water, for You prepare our grain by providing for the earth.
- Deuteronomy 28:23
The sky over your head will be bronze, and the earth beneath you iron.
- James 5:16–18
Through
Isaiah 32:20Blessed are those who sow beside abundant waters, who let the ox and donkey range freely.
it leads to
- Ecclesiastes 11:1
Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again.
- Isaiah 30:23–24
Then He will send rain for the seed that you have sown in the ground, and the food that comes from your land will be rich and plentiful. On that day your cattle will…
- Isaiah 55:10–11
For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return without watering the earth, making it bud and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat,
- Ecclesiastes 11:1
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
About Isaiah
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Isaiah; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Cassian, CONFERENCE 14:16; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Isaiah.