Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it
So the Lord looked upon the earth, quickly after its formation, before rain came upon it, and he watered the whole face of the ground, ( Genesis 2:5 Genesis 2:6 ) ; so he cared for the land of Judea in particular, and watered it with the rain of heaven, ( Deuteronomy 11:11 Deuteronomy 11:12 ) ; see ( 2 Samuel 21:1-14 ) ; to which some think reference is had here; and so he visits and waters the whole earth in general, at certain times and seasons, ( Acts 14:16 Acts 14:17 ) ; this may be applied to the church and people of God in Gospel times, who are his husbandry, and the good ground on which the seed falls and is received, and brings forth fruit; and are comparable to the earth that drinks in the rain that comes oft upon it, and brings forth herbs meet for those that dress it, and receives a blessing from God, ( Hebrews 6:7 ) ; thus the Lord visited his people, by the mission of his Son to redeem them, whose coming was as the rain, the former and latter, to the earth, ( Luke 1:68 Luke 1:78 ) ( Hosea 6:3 ) ; so he visited the Gentile world, by the preaching of the Gospel by his apostles, whose doctrines dropped as the rain, and distilled as the dew and small rain on the tender herb, and as showers on the grass; and so made a wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water, ( Acts 15:14 ) ( Deuteronomy 32:2 ) ( Isaiah 40:18 ) ; and in like manner he visits particular persons in conversion, and waters them with the graces of his Spirit, by which he regenerates, quickens, and sanctifies them, and makes them fruitful, ( Isaiah 44:3 ) ( John 3:5 ) ( 4:14 ) ( John 7:37 John 7:38 ) ;
thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, [which] is full of
water;
not Shiloah nor Jordan; but the clouds which are full of rain, which falling upon the earth, impregnate it with rich particles, which make it very fertile and fruitful; so the Targum,
``with a multitude of fruits thou enrichest it out of the river of God, which is in heaven, which is full of rain:''this may mystically denote the river of God's everlasting love, which is full of the blessings of grace, and which flowing upon his people, makes them fruitful, and enriches them with the riches of grace and glory; see ( Psalms 46:4 ) ;
thou preparest them corn, when thou hast so provided for it;
or because thou hast so prepared it F15; that is, the earth being disposed and prepared by the Lord, watered and enriched with the rain of heaven, produces corn in great plenty for the inhabitants of the earth; which may spiritually design either the fruitfulness of the saints, whose hearts are disposed and prepared by the grace of God to receive the seed of the word, which brings forth fruit in them; or the bread corn, that wheat of the Gospel, and Christ the sum and substance of it, which is of God's preparing for his people, and by which they are nourished and made comfortable; see ( Zechariah 9:17 ) .