Jeremiah 5:24
in Jeremiah 5They have not said in their hearts, ‘Let us fear the LORD our God, who gives the rains, both autumn and spring, in season, who keeps for us the appointed weeks of harvest.’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear Jehovah our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in its season; that preserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.
KJV
Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the Lord our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.
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This verse in Jeremiah 5
Commentary
11 notes on this verseGiveth rain, both the former and the latter - See the note on Jer 3:3. The appointed weeks of the harvest - As the early rains fell in the northern parts of Judea about the end of September, in the civil year of the Hebrews, so the latter rains fell before harvest, in the months of March and April. The appointed weeks of the harvest were those which fell between the passover and pentecost. In the southern parts the harvest was earlier than in the northern.
This site's exposition
Declare this in the house of Jacob
on Jeremiah 5:20-25
A people “who have eyes but do not see” stands before the LORD who “set the sand as the boundary for the sea”. The sea keeps its bound while the people have “turned aside and gone away”. Rain and harvest are lost: “Your iniquities have diverted these from you”.
This site's exposition
who gives the rains, both autumn and spring
Clarke places the autumn rain in the northern parts about the end of September and the spring rain in March and April, before harvest. The appointed weeks of harvest fell between Passover and Pentecost. Spurgeon notes how wholly the farming of Palestine hung on those rains.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 22 onward) So you will not fear, says the Lord, and you will not be in pain before me? (or will you fear?) I have set the sand as a boundary for the sea, an eternal decree that will not pass. And the waves of the sea will be disturbed, and they will not be able to pass through it.
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Reserveth - He gives seasonable harvests according to his appointment. God would let them know what a foolish, as well as wicked thing it is to set themselves against that God, that keeps the whole order of nature at his own disposal, which he can order as he sees men behave towards him.
Neither say in their heart,.... It came not into their mind, they never once thought of it, namely, of what follows, let us now fear the Lord our God; they were not influenced and engaged to the fear of God, neither by his power in the preceding instance, nor by his goodness in the following one: that giveth rain; in common, all the year round, at proper times, for the use of men and beasts.
It is true it is God's work to put his fear into our hearts; but it is our work to stir up ourselves to fear him, and to fasten upon those considerations which are proper to affect us with a holy awe of him; and it is because we do not do this that our hearts are so destitute of his fear as they are, and so apt to revolt and rebel.
The weeks of the harvest are appointed us by the promise of God, that seed-time and harvest shall not fail. And in performance of that promise they are reserved to us by the divine providence, otherwise we should come short of them. In harvest mercies therefore God is to be acknowledged, his power, and goodness, and faithfulness, for they all come from him.
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
SUCH are the climate and soil of Palestine, that all agricultural operations are most manifestly dependent upon the periodical rainfall. Hence the people speak of the weather and the crops with a more immediate reference to God than is usual with us. It is said that the common expressions of the peasantry are such as quite strike travelers with their apparently devout recognition of the Almighty agency.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
rain . . . former . . . latter--The "former" falls from the middle of October to the beginning of December. The "latter," or spring rain in Palestine, falls before harvest in March and April, and is essential for ripening the crops (De 11:14;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens
SUCH are the climate and soil of Palestine, that all agricultural operations are most manifestly dependent upon the periodical rainfall. Hence the people speak of the weather and the crops with a more immediate reference to God than is usual with us. It is said that the common expressions of the peasantry are such as quite strike travelers with their apparently devout recognition of the Almighty agency. Certainly we may account for a very large number of what may be called the agricultural promises of the Old Testament from the fact that little of the food of the people was gained by manufacture or commerce. The whole population depended upon the field and the field upon the rain. Palestine is the very opposite of Egypt, which is so well irrigated by its river. And it is equally different from our own land, in which seasons of comparative drought may yet prove to be years of plenty. In Palestine, the agriculturalist must have the rain. He must receive the first rain soon after the corn is put into the ground, otherwise it will rot or be blown away with the dust as his fields become turned into a kind of impalpable powder by the summer's sun. He must have the latter rain just before the time of harvest, otherwise the ears lacking the moisture that should fill them out, will become thin and lean, barely worth the ingathering—in fact, they will yield no flour for the food of man. The farmer depends entirely upon the early and the latter rain, and if these do not fall pretty plenteously in their season, a time of famine will ensue. Although our climate does not so immediately remind us of our dependence upon God, yet it would be well if we remembered from where all our blessings come and look up to the hand from which our daily bread is distributed. In these herbless miles of pavement and these dreary wildernesses of brick, we scarcely perceive the lapse of the seasons.
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְלֹֽא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אָמְר֣וּ | ʾameru | they said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| בִלְבָבָ֗ם | vilvavam | in heart their | H3824 → | 252 times |
| נִ֤ירָא | nira' | let us fear | H3372 → | 315 times |
| נָא֙ | na' | please | H4994 → | 404 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ | ʾeloheinu | God our | H430 → | 2601 times |
| הַנֹּתֵ֗ן | hanoten | who gives | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| גֶּ֛שֶׁם | geshem | rain | H1653 → | |
| יוֹרֶ֥ה | veyoreh | autumn rain | H3138 → | |
| וּמַלְק֖וֹשׁ | umalkoosh | and spring rain | H4456 → | |
| בְּעִתּ֑וֹ | beito | at appropriate time its | H6256 → | 296 times |
| שְׁבֻע֛וֹת | shevuot | [the] weeks of | H7620 → | |
| חֻקּ֥וֹת | chukot | [the] appointments of | H2708 → | 104 times |
| קָצִ֖יר | katzir | harvest | H7105 → | 54 times |
| יִשְׁמָר־ | yishmor- | he keeps | H8104 → | 468 times |
| לָֽנוּ׃ | lanu | for <the> us |
וְלֹֽא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
אָמְר֣וּthey said
ʾameruH559 →5305 times
בִלְבָבָ֗םin heart their
vilvavamH3824 →252 times
נִ֤ירָאlet us fear
nira'H3372 →315 times
נָא֙please
na'H4994 →404 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יְהוָ֣הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּGod our
ʾeloheinuH430 →2601 times
הַנֹּתֵ֗ןwho gives
hanotenH5414 →2011 times
גֶּ֛שֶׁםrain
geshemH1653 →
יוֹרֶ֥הautumn rain
veyorehH3138 →
וּמַלְק֖וֹשׁand spring rain
umalkooshH4456 →
בְּעִתּ֑וֹat appropriate time its
beitoH6256 →296 times
שְׁבֻע֛וֹת[the] weeks of
shevuotH7620 →
חֻקּ֥וֹת[the] appointments of
chukotH2708 →104 times
קָצִ֖ירharvest
katzirH7105 →54 times
יִשְׁמָר־he keeps
yishmor-H8104 →468 times
לָֽנוּ׃for <the> us
lanu
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
Matthew 5:45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
it leads to
- Psalms 145:9
The LORD is good to all; His compassion rests on all He has made.
- Luke 6:35
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is…
- Acts 14:17
Yet He has not left Himself without testimony to His goodness: He gives you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness.”
- Psalms 145:9
Through
Joel 2:23Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God, for He has given you the autumn rains for your vindication. He sends you showers, both autumn and spring rains, as…
it leads to
- James 5:7–8
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.
- Philippians 4:4
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
- 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.
- James 5:7–8
Through
Genesis 8:22As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall never cease.”
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.
- Psalms 74:16–17
The day is Yours, and also the night; You established the moon and the sun.
- James 5:7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Jeremiah
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 880: “The Former and the Latter Rain” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Jeremiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.