Deuteronomy 11:17

17 and the Lord therefore be wroth, and close heaven, and rain come not down, neither the earth give his fruit, and ye perish swiftly from the full good land that the Lord shall give to you. (and so the Lord be angry, and close up the heavens, and the rain come not down, nor the earth give its fruit, and ye swiftly perish from the very good land which the Lord shall give you.)

Deuteronomy 11:17 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 11:17

And then the Lord's wrath be kindled against you
For their idolatry, nothing being more provoking to him than that, it being contrary to his nature and being, as well as to his will, and to his honour and glory:

and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain;
the treasures and storehouses of it there, or the windows of it, the clouds, which when opened let it down, but when shut withhold it; the key of rain is one of the keys which the Jews say ^F11 the Lord keeps in his own hand, and with it he opens and no man shuts, and shuts and no man opens; see ( Deuteronomy 28:12 ) ( Malachi 3:10 )

and that the land yield not her fruit;
which is unavoidably the case when rain is withheld:

and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the Lord giveth
you;
for if the land does not yield its fruits sufficient to support the inhabitants of it, they must in course perish.

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FOOTNOTES:

F11 Targum Jon. in Deut. xxviii. 12.

Deuteronomy 11:17 In-Context

15 (and) hay of the fields to feed beasts, that ye both eat and be full-filled. (and hay from the fields to feed your beasts, so that ye shall eat and be filled full.)

16 Be ye ware, lest peradventure your heart be deceived, and ye go away from the Lord, and serve alien gods, and worship them; (Be ye careful, lest your heart be deceived, and ye go away from the Lord, and serve foreign, or other, gods, and worship them;)

17 and the Lord therefore be wroth, and close heaven, and rain come not down, neither the earth give his fruit, and ye perish swiftly from the full good land that the Lord shall give to you. (and so the Lord be angry, and close up the heavens, and the rain come not down, nor the earth give its fruit, and ye swiftly perish from the very good land which the Lord shall give you.)

18 Put ye these my words in your hearts and in your souls, and hang ye them up for a token, or a sign, in your hands, and set ye them betwixt your eyes. (Put ye these my words in your hearts and in your souls, and bind ye them for a sign upon your hands, and set ye them before your eyes forevermore.)

19 Teach ye your sons, (so) that they think upon those words, when thou sittest in thine house, and goest in the way (and goest on the way), and liest down, and risest up.