And if the family of Egypt does not go up or participate, they too will have rain withheld; this will be the plague with which the LORD strikes the nations that do not celebrate the Feast of Booths. The specific mention of Egypt (Israel's archetypal enemy and oppressor) facing withholding of rain emphasizes that even the most powerful nations must submit to God's worship requirements or experience divine judgment. The witholding of rain (destructive enough for arid Egypt) shows that judgment is proportioned to the refusal of submission. The universal principle—that non-participation in the worship of the LORD brings withholding of rain—extends beyond Egypt to all nations, establishing a universal order governing the eschatological age. This verse indicates that even historically significant enemies must acknowledge God's supremacy or face the consequences. The emphasis on rain as the withholding mechanism suggests judgment through the limitation of life's basic necessities.

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