Joe 2:23 | NETfull | STEP | Citizens of Zion, rejoice! Be glad because of what the Lord your God has done! For he has given to you the early rains as vindication. He has sent to you the rains – both the early and the late rains as formerly.

Joel 2:23

23 Citizens of Zion, ^{▼▼ Heb “sons of Zion.”} rejoice!
Be glad because of what the Lord your God has done! ^{▼▼ Heb “be glad in the Lord your God.”}
For he has given to you the early rains ^{▼▼ Normally the Hebrew word הַמּוֹרֶה (hammoreh) means “the teacher,” but here and in Ps 84:7 it refers to “early rains.” Elsewhere the word for “early rains” is יוֹרֶה (yoreh). The phrase here הַמּוֹרֶה לִצְדָקָה (hammoreh litsdaqah) is similar to the expression “teacher of righteousness” (Heb., מוֹרֶה הַצֶּדֶק , moreh hatsedeq) found in the Dead Sea Scrolls referring to a particular charismatic leader, although the Qumran community seems not to have invoked this text in support of that notion.} as vindication.
He has sent ^{▼▼ Heb “caused to come down.”} to you the rains –
both the early and the late rains ^{▼▼ For half the year Palestine is generally dry. The rainy season begins with the early rains usually in late October to early December, followed by the latter rains in March and April. Without these rains productive farming would not be possible, as Joel’s original readers knew only too well.} as formerly.