Deuteronomy 11:17
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This verse highlights that God's withholding of rain isn't just a natural event, but a direct consequence of His righteous anger. It shows God actively "shutting up" the heavens, like closing a vault, revealing His power to both provide and withhold the very lifeblood of the land. This isn't a passive observation; it's a deliberate action tied to obedience.
then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and he will shut up the heavens, so that there will be no rain, and the land will yield no fruit, and you will perish quickly off the good land that the LORD is giving you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Moses is laying out the consequences of obedience and disobedience as the Israelites prepare to enter the Promised Land. Having just described the incredible blessings awaiting them if they follow God, he now warns them of the severe curses, like drought and famine, that will come if they turn to idolatry and disobey. This verse starkly illustrates that their very survival and prosperity depend entirely on their faithfulness to the Lord who is giving them this good land.
Have you ever felt like the heavens are closed to your prayers or your efforts? This passage describes a literal, devastating closure.
Deuteronomy 11:17 vividly portrays God's anger not as an abstract emotion, but as a tangible force that impacts the very lifeblood of the land. When Israel disobeyed, God would 'shut up the heavens,' meaning He would withhold the rain.
This wasn't just about inconvenience; it was about survival. The commentators compare the sky to a storehouse or a bottle, emphasizing that God controls its release. When He 'shuts the doors,' the land, and thus the people, cannot sustain themselves. This consequence is directly linked to God's 'kindled anger,' showing that His judgment on disobedience can be severe and life-threatening.
What does the fruitfulness of the land have to do with our obedience? This passage makes a direct connection.
The promise of the 'good land' given to Israel was conditional. It was a place flowing with milk and honey, meant to sustain them abundantly, but only if they remained faithful to God's commands. Deuteronomy 11:17 warns that disobedience would lead to the land yielding 'no fruit.'
This highlights a crucial theological principle: faithfulness to God is directly linked to the blessings He provides, including the ability to thrive. When God's people turn away, the very source of their provision can be choked off. The consequence isn't arbitrary punishment, but a natural outcome of severing their connection to the source of all good things. This would lead them to 'perish quickly' from the land God intended for them to enjoy.
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Understand the original words
ap Yahweh · Hebrew Noun
The active manifestation of God's holy, righteous displeasure against sin and rebellion. It is a necessary expression of His holiness and justice, distinct from sinful human rage.
Yahweh · Hebrew Proper Noun
The covenant name of the one true God of Israel, signifying His eternal, self-existent, and faithful nature. He is the God who enters into relationship with His people.
This passage directly echoes the conditional nature of God's blessings and curses, linking disobedience with severe consequences like drought and destruction, just as Deuteronomy 11:17 warns.
1 Kings 17:1This chapter illustrates the prophetic pronouncement of drought in Elijah's time as a direct result of Israel's widespread disobedience and idolatry, a practical outworking of the principle in Deuteronomy 11:17.
Jeremiah 14:22The prophet cries out against the futility of seeking salvation from idols when the true source of rain and sustenance, the LORD, has withheld His favor due to their sin, mirroring the curse described in Deuteronomy.
Luke 4:25Jesus himself references the historical precedent of drought during Elijah's ministry as an example of God's judgment in response to unfaithfulness, showing the enduring relevance of this theme.
pooleDeuteronomy 11:17: "And then the LORD'S wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the LORD giveth you."
Heaven is compared sometimes to a bottle, Job 38:37 , which may be either stopped or opened; sometimes to a great storehouse, wherein God lays up his treasures of rain, Job 38:22 Psalm 33:7 , the doors whereof God is said to open when he gives rain, and to shut…
gillDeuteronomy 11:17: "And then the LORD'S wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the LORD giveth you."
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 r…
This verse highlights that God's withholding of rain isn't just a natural event, but a direct consequence of His righteous anger. It shows God actively "shutting up" the heavens, like closing a vault, revealing His power to both provide and withhold the very lifeblood of the land. This isn't a passive observation; it's a deliberate action tied to obedience.
Moses is laying out the consequences of obedience and disobedience as the Israelites prepare to enter the Promised Land. Having just described the incredible blessings awaiting them if they follow God, he now warns them of the severe curses, like drought and famine, that will come if they turn to idolatry and disobey. This verse starkly illustrates that their very survival and prosperity depend entirely on their faithfulness to the Lord who is giving them this good land.
Moses is laying out the consequences of obedience and disobedience as the Israelites prepare to enter the Promised Land. Having just described the incredible blessings awaiting them if they follow God, he now warns them of the severe curses, like drought and famine, that will come if they turn to idolatry and disobey. This verse starkly illustrates that their very survival and prosperity depend entirely on their faithfulness to the Lord who is giving them this good land.
"then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and he will shut up the heavens, so that there will be no rain, and the land will yield no fruit, and you will perish quickly off the good land that the LORD is giving you." — This verse highlights that God's withholding of rain isn't just a natural event, but a direct consequence of His righteous anger. It shows God actively "shutting up" the heavens, like closing a vault…
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Last reviewed October 2026
