Joel 2:23
“Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The people of Zion are called to rejoice in the LORD, who sends both the early and the latter rains in due measure.
What Does Joel 2:23 Mean?
Now the people themselves are summoned to joy: Be glad, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God. The reason is the gift of rain, the former and the latter rains that water the crops at the start and the finish of the growing season. In a land utterly dependent on rainfall, this is the promise that the cycle of harvest will be restored from beginning to end.
Notice where the gladness is to be directed: rejoice in the LORD your God. The rains are wonderful, but the deepest joy is in the Giver, not merely the gift. God ties the renewal of the seasons to His own faithfulness, teaching His people to find their gladness in Him. The promise of former and latter rain became, in the language of Scripture, a picture of God's outpouring of blessing in its fullness. Here the literal rains and the joy in God flow together, and the people are taught that all good things come down from above.