The Church Fathers on this verse
THEOSIS
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Jeremiah 5:24Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

And they have not said in their heart: Let us fear the Lord our God, who giveth us the early and the latter rain in due season: who preserveth for us the fulness of the yearly harvest.

Douay-Rheims

וְלֹֽא־אָמְר֣וּ בִלְבָבָ֗ם נִ֤ירָא נָא֙ אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ הַנֹּתֵ֗ן גֶּ֛שֶׁם וירה יוֹרֶ֥ה וּמַלְק֖וֹשׁ בְּעִתּ֑וֹ שְׁבֻע֛וֹת חֻקּ֥וֹת קָצִ֖יר יִשְׁמָר־לָֽנוּ׃

Hebrew (Masoretic text)

The Church Fathers on this verse

3 Church Fathers comment on this verse

John Chrysostom

4th centuryChurch Father

They will not attribute the rain to Him who provides it. You have chosen to overlook the gifts you receive from Me. Should you not revere Me for what I give, not merely because rain falls, but because it arrives in its proper season? This serves as a demonstration of My ability to provide rain, reflecting My profound care and love. During the time appointed for gathering the harvest, this is not explicitly mentioned; however, what is implied is as follows. When you have harvested the fruits of the earth from the threshing floor and filled your granaries, you relish in the downpour—He does not withhold rain until after the fruits have been consumed.

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Instead, even when the harvest is complete and we have not yet begun to use what we have gathered, the rain descends, instructing us to sow new seeds. Humanity often succumbs to fear and burdened thoughts; it quakes not only at the thought of scarcity but also at that of abundance, worrying about what lies ahead. To remedy this affliction, God brings forth plentiful rain, dispelling the anxiety related to potential depletion of the stored harvest by instilling hope for new growth. This is further underscored when it is stated that during the time of the harvest command, when the fruits are held up and not yet gathered, He will command the earth to yield abundantly. What does it signify when it says: and He who preserves for us? Just as a loving father retains for his children a share of his estate, so He safeguards the rain for us, ensuring that neither the first nor second seasons fully exhaust it, but rather that it remains available in reserve.

Jerome of Stridon

4th centuryChurch Father

You shall not be afraid of Me, declares the Lord; will you not be in reverence before Me, the One who established the sand as the boundary for the sea, the limit that the eternal waters shall not surpass? The waves may rise but will not prevail; they are agitated yet will not overflow. The hearts of this people have become hardened and disbelieving; they have strayed and turned away, not reflecting within themselves, “Let us revere the Lord our God, who provides for us the early and latter rain in its season and preserves the bounty of our harvest.” He reminds us of His blessings to correct the ungrateful. Will you not show reverence to the One who has bestowed so much upon you? I seek not the love of the fully grown, but the reverence of those who are just starting their journey.

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Who has established the sand as the shoreline for the sea—Who by His command has constrained such a powerful force and the boundless depths of the ocean to be held by shores, as it is written, “He established them forever and ever; He gave a decree which shall not pass away” (Psalms 148:6). What lacks perception can perceive and feel Me, yet My people, who were once Mine, have become foolish through their own choices, not only disregarding but also hardening their hearts against the loving Father. They have turned away from Me, withdrawing from My presence, and even their inner convictions do not keep them from contemplating, “Let us revere Him, who grants us the early and late rain, and through it all provides for the abundant harvest.” In place of "abundance," some translations like Aquila and Symmachus render it as "sevens," for in Hebrew it is sabaoth, which, due to the dual meanings of the term, signifies both "sevens" and "fullness."

Theodoret of Cyrus

5th centuryChurch Father

These individuals possess a heart that is rebellious and resistant. They are oblivious to the blessings I have bestowed upon them. For I continuously provide them with rain in its season, both ‘early and late.’ Afterward, they partake in the bounties of the land; this is what the Lord declared, ‘At the time’ of the fulfillment of the ‘commandment of the harvest;’ for His intention is akin to a commandment, and He bestows the abundant fruits of the earth. However, when I observed that you surrendered to unrighteousness, I withheld these blessings from you as well.

Cross references

Passages read together with this verse.