Why is the contrast between Egypt and Canaan so significant here?

The contrast between Egypt and Canaan is profoundly significant because it highlights a fundamental shift in the nature of Israel's existence and their relationship with God. In Egypt, life was sustained by the Nile River, a predictable and human-managed system of irrigation (Deuteronomy 11:10). This fostered a sense of human control and self-sufficiency. Canaan, however, was a land of "hills and valleys" that relied entirely on seasonal rainfall from "the rain of heaven." This meant that Israel's very survival and prosperity in the Promised Land would be a direct, visible act of God's sovereign provision. The contrast served as a constant reminder that their well-being was tied to their obedience and God's faithfulness, not to their own ingenuity or the predictability of nature, thereby fostering a deep and continuous dependence on their covenant Lord.

Does "drinketh water" imply the land is literally thirsty?

While the land certainly needs water to be fertile, the phrase "drinketh water" is an example of

, a literary device that attributes human characteristics or actions to inanimate objects. It vividly conveys the land's absolute reliance on the "rain of heaven" for its sustenance. The land is depicted as actively receiving and absorbing the divine provision, much like a living being drinks to survive. This anthropomorphism emphasizes the direct, life-giving connection between God's gift of rain and the fertility of the Promised Land, reinforcing the theme of divine provision and the land's passive dependence on it. It's a poetic and powerful way to describe a natural process with theological depth.

11:10 11:10

Deuteronomy 11:11

11:12 11:12

Bible Versions

But the land, whither ye go to possess it, [is] a land of hills and valleys, [and] drinketh water of the rain of heaven:

But the land {H776}, whither ye go {H5674} to possess {H3423} it, is a land {H776} of hills {H2022} and valleys {H1237}, and drinketh {H8354} water {H4325} of the rain {H4306} of heaven {H8064}:

But the land you are crossing over to take possession of is a land of hills and valleys, which soaks up water when rain falls from the sky.

But the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks in the rain from heaven.

but the land, whither ye go over to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven,

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Verse Lookup

Cross-References

Hebrews 6:7

For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:
Deuteronomy 8:7

For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills;
Deuteronomy 8:9

A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any [thing] in it; a land whose stones [are] iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass.
Psalms 65:12

They drop [upon] the pastures of the wilderness: and the little hills rejoice on every side.
Psalms 65:13

The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing.
Genesis 27:28

Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:
Psalms 104:10

¶ He sendeth the springs into the valleys, [which] run among the hills.

Bible Versions

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