Zechariah 10:1
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It's easy to read this as just a request for good weather, but notice how it emphasizes the source of the rain: the LORD who actively makes the lightning and the clouds. This isn't just a passive dependence on nature; it's a direct appeal to God as the powerful Creator, who orchestrates even the storms to bring life to "everyone the vegetation in the field."
Ask rain from the LORD in the season of the spring rain, from the LORD who makes the storm clouds, and he will give them showers of rain, to everyone the vegetation in the field.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Following promises of God's abundant blessing, Zechariah shifts to the crucial role of prayer, directing the people to ask God for the vital "latter rain" necessary for their crops. This plea is contrasted with reliance on false idols and sorcerers, who offer empty promises, emphasizing that true provision comes only from the LORD. God's power to bring rain, heralded by lightning, is presented as a tangible sign of His faithfulness to those who seek Him.
God promises abundant blessings, but there's a crucial step we need to take. What is it, and why is it so important?
The verse opens with a direct command: "Ask rain from the LORD." This isn't just a suggestion; it's the key to receiving the blessings God wants to give.
Why Ask?
The one who controls the weather is also the one who nurtures the smallest sprout. How does this imagery speak to God's power and care?
Zechariah paints a powerful picture of God's involvement in the natural world, connecting His might with His nurturing care.
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God's Dual Nature:
Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The covenant name of the one true God of Israel, revealing His eternal self-existence, faithfulness, and personal relationship with His people.
This verse calls people back to trusting God for essential provisions, a crucial reminder for a community that had recently faced exile and was rebuilding its life and worship.
c. 520 BC
Zerubbabel and Joshua Rebuild Temple
After the Babylonian exile, under the leadership of Zerubbabel and the high priest Joshua, the Jewish returnees began rebuilding the Second Temple in Jerusalem.
c. 520 BC
Haggai and Zechariah Prophesy
The prophets Haggai and Zechariah actively encouraged the completion of the Temple, linking the people's spiritual obedience to God's promised blessings.
c. 516 BC
Second Temple Completed
The Second Temple was finally completed and dedicated, marking a significant moment of restored worship and national identity for the returned exiles.
c. 480 BC
Post-Exilic Period Challenges
The period following the Temple's completion saw ongoing challenges, including Samaritans hindering further city rebuilding and a need for agricultural prosperity.
c. 470 BC— this verse
Zechariah's Oracle on Asking for Rain
Zechariah delivers an oracle urging the people to seek vital rain from the LORD, especially the 'latter rain' crucial for the harvest, rather than relying on false gods or practices.
c. 470 BC
Emphasis on Divine Provision
The message stresses that God alone is the source of both spiritual and material blessings, including the rain needed to sustain life and crops in the land.
This passage directly links obedience to God with receiving the vital 'early and latter' rains, emphasizing that God is the source of such essential blessings when His people are faithful.
Jeremiah 10:13This verse highlights God's power over the weather, stating that He causes thunder and lightning, which often precede and accompany the rain that Zechariah's audience is being told to ask for.
Hosea 6:3This passage uses the metaphor of the 'early and latter' rain to describe God's coming to His people, paralleling Zechariah's call to ask for rain as a sign of God's favor and restoration.
Psalm 65:9-10This psalm describes God's provision of rain that makes the earth fertile, showing how God blesses the land and its produce, a concept directly mirrored in Zechariah's promise of vegetation for the fields.
Joel 2:23This verse explicitly mentions God sending the 'early and latter rains' in due season as a sign of His restored favor and blessing upon His people, making it a strong parallel to Zechariah's message.
barnesZechariah 10:1: "Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain; so the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field."
Ask ye of the Lord rain - "Ask and ye shall receive" our Lord says. Zechariah had promised in God's name blessings temporal and spiritual: all was ready on God's part; only, he adds, ask them of the Lord, the Unchangeable, the Self-same not of Teraphim or of diviner, as Israel had done aforetime Isaiah 2:5-22 ; Jeremiah 4…
pulpitZechariah 10:1: "Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain; so the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field."
Verses 1, 2. - § 4. A connecting link between the last section and the next. The condition for obtaining the promised blessings is that they are to be sought from the Lord, not from idols. Verse 1. - Ask ye of the Lord rain. The promise of abundance at the end of the last chapter suggests to the prophet to make a special…
It's easy to read this as just a request for good weather, but notice how it emphasizes the source of the rain: the LORD who actively makes the lightning and the clouds. This isn't just a passive dependence on nature; it's a direct appeal to God as the powerful Creator, who orchestrates even the storms to bring life to "everyone the vegetation in the field."
Following promises of God's abundant blessing, Zechariah shifts to the crucial role of prayer, directing the people to ask God for the vital "latter rain" necessary for their crops. This plea is contrasted with reliance on false idols and sorcerers, who offer empty promises, emphasizing that true provision comes only from the LORD. God's power to bring rain, heralded by lightning, is presented as a tangible sign of His faithfulness to those who seek Him.
Following promises of God's abundant blessing, Zechariah shifts to the crucial role of prayer, directing the people to ask God for the vital "latter rain" necessary for their crops. This plea is contrasted with reliance on false idols and sorcerers, who offer empty promises, emphasizing that true provision comes only from the LORD. God's power to bring rain, heralded by lightning, is presented as a tangible sign of His faithfulness to those who seek Him.
"Ask rain from the LORD in the season of the spring rain, from the LORD who makes the storm clouds, and he will give them showers of rain, to everyone the vegetation in the field." — It's easy to read this as just a request for good weather, but notice how it emphasizes the source of the rain: the LORD who actively makes the lightning and the clouds. This isn't just a passive…
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Last reviewed October 2026
