Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Samuel 12:17

"Is it not wheat harvest to-day? I will call unto Jehovah, that he may send thunder and rain; and ye shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of Jehovah, in asking you a king." — 1 Samuel 12:17 (ASV)

Is it not wheat harvest day? —The Canaan wheat harvest is between the middle of May and the middle of June. Rain in that season rarely or never falls, but if it does, it is usually severe. This is the testimony of one who spoke as a resident, and his statement is confirmed by the observations of recent travelers and scholars.

The terrible storm of rain, accompanied by thunder, occurred at a time of year when such storms rarely took place. Coming as it did in direct answer to the seer’s invocation, it struck the people naturally with great fear. For the moment, they thoroughly repented of the past and entreated Samuel—who, they felt, stood on strangely familiar terms with that awe-inspiring yet loving Eternal—to intercede for them.