“the former rain and the latter rain.” There was one rainy season in Israel, and it usually started in mid to late October and ended in April. The rains at the start of the season got the planting going and were called the “former” rains. The rains at the end of the wet season allowed the grain to come to maturity and were called the “latter” rains.

[For more on the rainy season and the former and latter rain, see commentary on James 5:7.]