Charles Ellicott Commentary Deuteronomy 32:2

"My doctrine shall drop as the rain; My speech shall distil as the dew, As the small rain upon the tender grass, And as the showers upon the herb." — Deuteronomy 32:2 (ASV)

My doctrine.—Or, my learning, what I receive—a not very common, but beautiful expression in the Hebrew.

Everything that comes down from the Father of lights is handed on by one heavenly messenger to another, until it falls upon the heart of man, in just that form in which he can best receive it.

The Son of God says, My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. He says, I speak what I have seen with my Father. Of the Holy Spirit He says, He shall receive of Mine and shall show it to you. The apostles speak in words which the Holy Spirit teaches.

The parallels of the verse appear to be these: My learning shall drop as the rain; My speech shall distil as the dew, as the sweeping showers upon the tender herb, as the multitude of drops upon the grass.

The “small rain” of the Authorized Version points to a different and probably untenable derivation of the Hebrew word. The rain is more definite than the dew, and therefore the first word in the second half of the verse should be stronger than the second, and not vice versâ. The tender herb just sprouting can bear heavier showers than the grown grass.