Matthew Poole and continuators on Joel 2:23

23 Be glad then ye children of Zion , and rejoyce 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 moneth .

In the former verse the Prophet by a usual figure, and with known elegancy called on Land, and Beasts though they understood him not, now he addresseth himself to them that can understand their work as well as their advantages, and the Children of Zion, all the Inhabitants of Ierusalem and Iudaea, who were called to fast, and weep.

Show your selves sensible of your mercies, thankful to that free bounty which gave your mercies, rejoyce but not onely in your Barns, Garners and Bellies [illegible: 1 letter]ull, but in the Eternal God who hath been found of you.

As such you were advised to seek him, as such own him, rejoice in him, and ascribe glory to him who keepeth Covenant to thousand generations, and hath remembred his Covenant for you in this your low estate.

The Heb, will bear it, a Teacher of, or unto, or according to, righteousness. Either some eminent Prophet, or Prophets, as Isaiah, or Ioel himself, but as fore-runners, and types of the great Prophet Christ, so the words will be a promise of the Messiah, and lead these Children of Zion to the Messiah, as fountains of all the blessings they receive of God in Temporals as well as Spirituals; it is usual in Scripture thus to pass from Temporal to Spiritual, and from Spiritual to Temporal Promises and Blessings, so Isa. 7.4. &c. with 14, 15, 16. but since our best Interpreters retain as ours this Version, rain moderately, or in due measure, we adhere to it also; God had sent sweet, gentle, yet sufficient showers to make the Earth fruitful, and these showers have made Pastures, and Trees to spring, flourish and be fruitful.

As he hath already given some so he will give more, as the Earth and Trees shall need,

The Autumn Rain which is needful to mellow the Earth and fit it to receive the Corn, and Fruits, and to Plant and sow them about September,

Needful to bring forward and ripen the Fruits planted or sown, accounted the latter Rain because these Husbandmen & vinedressers reckoned from seed time unto Spring and Harvest.

That is our March, both these Rains as promised Deut. 11.14. and Lev. 26.4. shall be given from Heaven.

Marginal references: Or, a teacher of, Heb. according to Righteousness.; Jam. 5.7.