Psalms 72:6

He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass - The word גז gez, which we translate mown grass, more properly means pastured grass or pastured land; for the dew of the night is intended to restore the grass which has been eaten in the course of the day. This very idea the Chaldee has seized, and renders the place thus: "He shall descend gently, like rain upon the grass which has been eaten by the locust." But there seems to be a reference to the thick night dews which in summer fall on the pasturages, and become the means of restoring the grass consumed in the day-time by the cattle. This is finely expressed by the most accomplished of all poets and agriculturists: -

Et quantum longis carpent armenta diebus,

Exigua tantum gelidus ros nocte reponet.

Virg. Geor. ii., ver. 201.

"For what the day devours, the nightly dew

Shall to the morn by pearly drops renew."

Dryden.

Or to leave poetry, which always says too much or too little, the plain prose is: -

"And as much as the flocks crop in the long days,

So much shall the cold dew restore in one short night."

As showers that water the earth - The influence of the doctrine and Spirit of Christ on the soul of man shall be as grateful, as refreshing, and as fructifying, as the nightly dews on the cropped fields, and the vernal showers on the cultivated lands. Without his influence all tillage is vain; without him there can neither be seed nor fruit.

He shall come down - That is, The influence of his reign will be like fertilising showers. The word" he" in this place might have been "it," referring to his reign, or to the influence of his government.

Like rain upon the mown grass - The word rendered "mown grass" - גז gêz - means properly "a shearing," and is applied in Deuteronomy 18:4, and Job 31:20, to a fleece of wool. So it is understood here by the Septuagint, by the Latin Vulgate, by the Syriac, and by Luther; and, in accordance with this, it has been supposed by some that there is an allusion to the dew that descended on the fleece spread out by Gideon, Judges 6:37. The Chaldee Paraphrase renders it, "As the grass that has been eaten off by locusts;" where the idea would be that after locusts have passed over a field, devouring everything, when the rain descends the fields revive, and nature again puts on the appearance of life. This idea is adopted by Rosenmuller. The common interpretation, however, which refers the word to a "mowing," that is, a "mown meadow," is probably the correct one; and thus understood, the image is very beautiful. The reign of the Messiah would resemble the gently descending shower, under which the grass which has been mown springs up again with freshness and beauty.

As showers that water the earth - literally, "like showers, the watering of the earth." The original word rendered "that water" suggests the idea of distilling, or "gently" flowing.

Psalm 72:6My doctrine shall drop as the rain

My speech shall distil as the dew

As the small rain upon the tender herb,

continued...

72:6 He shall come - Christ did come down from heaven, and brought or sent down from heaven his doctrine, (which is often compared to rain) and the sweet and powerful influences of his spirit.