RAIN

A vital part of the cycle by which water that rises into the atmosphere as vapor from land and water surfaces of the globe later condenses and falls to the ground, thus providing moisture necessary for plant and animal life. The Bible mentions rain in connection with this wisely arranged and dependable cycle.​—Job 36:27, 28; Ec 1:7; Isa 55:10.

Formation. Among the questions that Jehovah put to Job, emphasizing man’s limited understanding of the forces and laws of creation and the earth, was: “Does there exist a father for the rain?” (Job 38:28) Though meteorologists have studied extensively the formation of rain, what have emerged are, as The World Book Encyclopedia says, “theories.” (1987, Vol. 16, pp. 123, 124) As warm air containing water vapor rises and cools, moisture condenses into tiny water droplets. One theory holds that as the larger droplets fall through a cloud, they collide with smaller droplets and combine with them, until they become too heavy for the air to support. Another theory proposes that ice crystals form in cloud tops where the temperature is below the freezing point and change to rain as they fall through warmer air.

Rainfall in the Promised Land. A distinct feature of the climate of the Promised Land is its variety as to rainfall. Two chief factors determining the amount of rain are proximity to the sea and the land’s elevation. The plains along the Mediterranean receive considerable rain during the rainy season, with the amount decreasing as one goes from N to S. The rainfall tends to be greater in the hills and mountains because the moisture carried eastward from the sea condenses more heavily there. The Jordan Valley lies in a “rain shadow,” for the air traveling over the mountains has by then given up much of its moisture, and the air is warmed as it moves into the valley. Yet, when this air meets the elevated plateau E of the Jordan, clouds again form, resulting in some rainfall. This makes a strip of land E of the Jordan suitable for grazing or limited agriculture. Farther E is the desert, where the rain is too light and irregular to be useful for raising crops or for grazing herds.

Seasons. The two primary seasons in the Promised Land, summer and winter, can rather accurately be viewed as the dry season and the rainy season. (Compare Ps 32:4; Ca 2:11, ftn.) From about mid-April to mid-October very little rain falls. Rain is rare in this period during which the harvest takes place. Proverbs 26:1 shows that rain at harvesttime was considered quite out of place. (Compare 1Sa 12:17-19.) During the rainy season the rain is not constant; it alternates with clear days. Since this is also the cold period, exposure to the rain is very chilling. (Ezr 10:9, 13) Therefore, a comfortable shelter is most appreciated.​—Isa 4:6; 25:4; 32:2; Job 24:8.

Autumn and spring rain. The Bible mentions “the autumn [early or former] rain and the spring [latter] rain,” which were promised by God as a blessing upon the faithful Israelites. (De 11:14, ftn; Jer 5:24; Joe 2:23, 24) The farmer patiently awaited the rains of these periods between the summer and winter. (Jas 5:7; compare Job 29:23.) The early, or autumn, rain (beginning about mid-October) was anxiously anticipated to relieve the heat and dryness of summer. It was necessary before planting could begin, for the rain softened the ground and allowed the farmer to plow his land. Similarly, the late, or spring, rain (about mid-April) was required to water the growing crops so that they would mature, and particularly so that the grain would ripen.​—Zec 10:1; Am 4:7; Ca 2:11-13.