John Gill Commentary Deuteronomy 11:17

"and the anger of Jehovah be kindled against you, and he shut up the heavens, so that there shall be no rain, and the land shall not yield its fruit; and ye perish quickly from off the good land which Jehovah giveth you." — Deuteronomy 11:17 (ASV)

And then the Lord's wrath be kindled against you
For their idolatry, nothing being more provoking to him than that, it being contrary to his nature and being, as well as to his will, and to his honour and glory:

and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain ;
the treasures and storehouses of it there, or the windows of it, the clouds, which when opened let it down, but when shut withhold it; the key of rain is one of the keys which the Jews say ^F11 the Lord keeps in his own hand, and with it he opens and no man shuts, and shuts and no man opens; see (Deuteronomy 28:12) (Malachi 3:10)

and that the land yield not her fruit ;
which is unavoidably the case when rain is withheld:

and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the Lord giveth
you ;
for if the land does not yield its fruits sufficient to support the inhabitants of it, they must in course perish.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F11: Targum Jon. in Deut. xxviii. 12.