sometimes comes suddenly, and is very grateful and refreshing; so Christ is the free gift of God to sinners, and by a decree of his; and his coming was suddenly, into his temple, and was welcome to them that looked for him; as he still is to all sensible sinners.
Or this may be interpreted of the coming of Christ into the hearts of his people, by the communications of his Spirit and grace, which, like rain, came down from heaven; are dependent on the will of God, are free grace gifts, and given in abundance; and, like rain, refresh, revive, and make fruitful.
Or else this may be applied to the administration of Christ's offices; as his prophetic office, his Gospel and doctrine, being from heaven, like rain, and falling, by divine direction, sometimes in one place, and sometimes in another; and like it in its effects, softening, quickening, and fructifying; and more especially it may respect the administration of his kingly office, since he is in the context spoken of as a King and Judge, and that in the latter day; whose administrations, though just and righteous; yet not cruel and severe, but mild and gentle; his commands are not grievous, nor his yoke heavy; though he will rule the wicked with a rod of iron, he holds forth the sceptre of grace and mercy to his own people; and when his kingdom shall come in all its glory, it will be times refreshing from the presence of the Lord; and his favour will be as the cloud of the latter rain; see Ac 3:19;as showers [that] water the earth: signifying the same.
The wordPyzrz is only in this place, and is used in the Talmud , in the plural number, for drops of water; and this sense of showers dropping on the earth is given by the Targum. Kimchi derives it from Prz, which, in the Syriac language, signifies to "cut"; and thinks the phrase is the same with the former, "as showers on the cut grass of the earth" .
But perhaps the word rather designs the fissures and cracks of the earth through drought; and the sense is, that Christ's coming is like showers of rain upon the dry and parched ground, which are very acceptable to it.
"Tondentes gramen oves", Ovid. de Remed. Amor. l. 1. "Tondentes gramina lanigerae pecudes", Lucret. c. 2. zg le "super vellus", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus. T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 87. 1. In Sepher Shorash. rad.