Psalms 107:33

KJV

¶ He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dry ground;

KJV (with Strong's)

He turneth {H7760} rivers {H5104} into a wilderness {H4057}, and the watersprings {H4325}{H4161} into dry ground {H6774};

Complete Jewish Bible

He turns rivers into desert, flowing springs into thirsty ground,

Berean Standard Bible

He turns rivers into deserts, springs of water into thirsty ground,

American Standard Version

He turneth rivers into a wilderness, And watersprings into a thirsty ground;

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Psalms 107:33 powerfully declares God's absolute and unchallengeable sovereignty over the natural world, specifically His capacity to transform life-sustaining water sources into barren desolation. This verse serves as a stark reminder of divine power, demonstrating that the very elements crucial for human flourishing are entirely subject to His will, capable of being either given in abundance or withdrawn, leading to profound environmental and societal shifts.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is situated within the latter part of [Psalm 107](/psalms/107 "Psalm 107 - God's Enduring Love and Deliverance"), specifically verses 33-43, which shift from recounting God's deliverance of various groups from distress (travelers, prisoners, the sick, sailors) to illustrating His broader dominion over creation and human societies. The psalm begins with a call to give thanks to the Lord for His steadfast love and wonderful works (verses 1-9), then provides four vignettes of people in distress and God's rescue. Following this, verses 33-43 expand the scope of God's power, showing His ability to dramatically alter landscapes and human fortunes. This particular verse, [Psalms 107:33](/psalms/107-33 "Psalms 107:33 - God's Power to Transform Landscapes"), stands in striking contrast to [Psalms 107:35](/psalms/107-35 "Psalms 107:35 - God Turns Wilderness into Water"), where God turns the wilderness into pools of water. This juxtaposition highlights God's comprehensive and reversible control over all circumstances, emphasizing that both desolation and flourishing are within His sovereign power. The entire psalm serves as a grand doxology, calling all people to recognize and praise God's enduring love and mighty acts.

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** In the ancient Near East, particularly in the land of Israel, water was an indispensable and often scarce resource. Rivers and springs were literally the arteries of life, supporting agriculture, livestock, and human settlements. The fertility of the land was directly dependent on reliable water sources, and drought was a constant threat, often leading to famine and societal collapse. Therefore, the ability to control water—to provide or withhold it—was seen as the ultimate display of divine power. Ancient cultures often attributed such power to various deities, but the psalmist here unequivocally declares it as the sole prerogative of Yahweh, the God of Israel. Furthermore, in the biblical narrative, the transformation of fertile land into a wilderness or vice versa was frequently understood as a direct consequence of divine blessing or judgment. For instance, the land's fruitfulness was promised as a reward for obedience, while drought and desolation were threatened as punishment for disobedience, as seen in passages like [Deuteronomy 11:17](/deuteronomy/11-17 "Deuteronomy 11:17 - Consequences of Disobedience"). This cultural understanding deepens the impact of [Psalms 107:33](/psalms/107-33 "Psalms 107:33 - God's Power over Nature"), portraying God as the ultimate sovereign over the very conditions of life and death for His people and the nations.

* **Key Themes:** [Psalms 107:33](/psalms/107-33 "Psalms 107:33 - God's Sovereignty over Creation") contributes significantly to several major theological and narrative themes within [Psalm 107](/psalms/107 "Psalm 107 - God's Enduring Love") and the broader biblical corpus. Firstly, it powerfully underscores **Divine Sovereignty over Nature**. The verse vividly portrays God's unparalleled power to dramatically change the natural environment, transforming life-giving rivers into barren deserts and vital springs into dry ground. This demonstrates that God is not merely an observer but the active agent who can transform the very fabric of creation, from the smallest drop of water to the mightiest river system, thereby asserting His ultimate authority over all creation. Secondly, it highlights the theme of **Consequence and Judgment**. While not explicitly stated as judgment in this verse alone, within the broader biblical narrative, the turning of fertile land into desolation is often a consequence of human disobedience or wickedness (e.g., [Isaiah 24:5-6](/isaiah/24-5 "Isaiah 24:5-6 - The Earth Defiled")). It serves as a stark reminder that blessings, including natural resources, are ultimately sustained by God's favor and can be withdrawn. Lastly, the verse illustrates God's capacity for **Reversal of Fortune**. What was once abundant can become scarce, demonstrating that no earthly condition is permanent apart from God's will. This theme runs through the entire psalm, showing God's ability to turn sorrow into joy, and plenty into poverty, and vice versa, underscoring His complete control over all circumstances and His ability to humble the proud and lift up the lowly.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **Turneth (Hebrew, _hāpak'_):** This verb conveys a strong sense of overturning, changing, or transforming. It implies a decisive, complete, and often sudden action, not a gradual process. It suggests a radical reversal, where what was one way becomes its opposite, emphasizing God's active and powerful intervention in the natural order. It is the same word used to describe God's overturning of Sodom and Gomorrah ([Genesis 19:21](/genesis/19-21 "Genesis 19:21 - God Overturns Sodom")).
* **Wilderness (Hebrew, _midbār'_):** More than just uncultivated land, _midbār_ refers to a desolate, often uninhabitable desert area, characterized by dryness, scarcity of water, and lack of vegetation. It is a place of hardship and danger. The transformation of a river into a _midbār_ signifies a complete and devastating loss of life-sustaining resources, rendering the area barren and unproductive.
* **Watersprings (Hebrew, _motsa' mayim'_):** Literally meaning "outflow of water" or "source of water," this term emphasizes the very origin points of life-sustaining water. The drying up of watersprings is even more profound than just rivers, as it implies the cessation of the fundamental source, ensuring total desolation and making recovery difficult or impossible without divine intervention.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"He turneth rivers into a wilderness,"**: This clause declares God's awesome power to fundamentally alter the most significant natural features. Rivers, which are symbols of life, fertility, and abundance, are rendered utterly barren. This is not merely a reduction in flow but a complete transformation into a desolate, uninhabitable desert. The "He" refers unequivocally to God, the active agent of this profound change, highlighting His supreme authority over creation.
* **"and the watersprings into dry ground;"**: This second clause reinforces and intensifies the first through parallelism. While rivers represent large bodies of flowing water, watersprings are the crucial sources from which life-giving water emerges. Turning these sources into "dry ground" signifies a complete and irreversible cessation of water at its very origin, ensuring that no life can be sustained. This emphasizes the thoroughness and totality of God's transformative power, leaving no hope for natural replenishment.

#### Literary Devices
The verse employs several powerful literary devices to convey its message. **Parallelism** is evident in the two clauses, where "rivers into a wilderness" is mirrored and intensified by "watersprings into dry ground." This synonymous parallelism reinforces the central idea of complete desolation caused by divine action. **Imagery** is vividly used, painting a stark picture of once-fertile landscapes transforming into barren deserts, appealing directly to the reader's senses and understanding of life versus desolation. The use of "rivers" and "watersprings" together can also be seen as a form of **Merism**, representing the entirety of water sources, from major flows to their origins, thus emphasizing the comprehensive nature of God's control. Finally, the active verb "turneth" attributes a direct, volitional action to God, an example of **Anthropomorphism** that underscores His personal and deliberate involvement in the natural world, not merely as a distant creator but as an active sovereign.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 107:33 profoundly articulates God's absolute sovereignty over creation, a foundational truth woven throughout Scripture. It underscores that all natural phenomena, including the very elements essential for life, are not governed by chance or impersonal forces but are under the direct, purposeful control of the Almighty. This power is not arbitrary but often serves divine purposes: to humble humanity, to execute judgment upon wickedness, or to demonstrate His majesty and the necessity of human dependence on Him. The verse reminds us that God is the ultimate sustainer and also the one who can withdraw His blessings, prompting a deeper reverence and humility before His awesome power. It challenges any notion of self-sufficiency or reliance on natural resources apart from God's sustaining hand.

* [Deuteronomy 28:23](/deuteronomy/28-23 "Deuteronomy 28:23-24 - Consequences of Disobedience")
* [Isaiah 42:15](/isaiah/42-15 "Isaiah 42:15 - God's Judgment and Restoration")
* [Joel 1:16](/joel/1-16 "Joel 1:16-20 - The Locust Plague and Drought")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 107:33 serves as a profound call to humility and dependence for believers today. In an age where humanity often presumes control over nature and relies heavily on technological solutions, this verse unequivocally asserts God's ultimate dominion. It reminds us that our most vital resources—water, fertile land, stable climate—are not entitlements but gifts from God, sustained by His favor. This should cultivate a deep sense of awe and reverence for His majesty, prompting us to live with gratitude and stewardship, rather than exploitation. Furthermore, it encourages us to trust in God's sovereignty even amidst challenging circumstances, knowing that the same God who can turn rivers into wilderness can also turn wilderness into pools of water ([Psalms 107:35](/psalms/107-35 "Psalms 107:35 - God's Power to Restore")). It challenges us to examine our own lives: are we living in a way that honors the Giver of all good things, or are we taking His blessings for granted? This verse ultimately fosters a greater reliance on God, recognizing Him as the ultimate provider and sustainer, capable of both upholding and transforming all circumstances, literal and metaphorical, in our lives.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does recognizing God's power over natural elements, as described in this verse, impact your sense of gratitude and humility?**
* **In what ways might we, as individuals or societies, be taking God's natural blessings for granted, and what steps can we take to cultivate better stewardship?**
* **How does this verse encourage you to trust God's sovereignty even when faced with seemingly insurmountable challenges or losses in your own life?**

### FAQ

**Does this verse imply that every drought or natural disaster is a direct punishment from God?**

Answer: While [Psalms 107:33](/psalms/107-33 "Psalms 107:33 - God's Sovereignty over Nature") clearly demonstrates God's power to bring about desolation, and the Bible often links natural calamities to divine judgment for sin (e.g., [Deuteronomy 28:23-24](/deuteronomy/28-23 "Deuteronomy 28:23-24 - Consequences of Disobedience")), it's crucial to avoid a simplistic, one-to-one correlation for every specific event. Not every instance of suffering or natural disaster is a direct, punitive judgment on specific individuals or communities. God's ways are complex, and His purposes can include testing faith ([Job 1:12](/job/1-12 "Job 1:12 - Satan Tests Job")), refining character ([Romans 5:3-5](/romans/5-3 "Romans 5:3-5 - Benefits of Suffering")), or simply operating within the fallen nature of a groaning creation ([Romans 8:22](/romans/8-22 "Romans 8:22 - Creation Groans")). However, the verse does affirm that God retains ultimate control over all natural processes, and He can and does use them to accomplish His sovereign will, whether for judgment, discipline, or other divine purposes beyond our full comprehension.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 107:33, in its declaration of God's absolute sovereignty over nature, finds its ultimate fulfillment and clearest expression in Jesus Christ. He is the one through whom "all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible" ([Colossians 1:16](/colossians/1-16 "Colossians 1:16 - Christ's Supremacy")), and by whom "all things hold together" ([Colossians 1:17](/colossians/1-17 "Colossians 1:17 - Christ's Sustaining Power")). The God who turns rivers into wilderness is the same God whose Son, Jesus, demonstrated complete authority over the elements, rebuking the wind and the waves with a mere word ([Mark 4:39](/mark/4-39 "Mark 4:39 - Jesus Calms the Storm")). Just as the Father can dry up springs, Jesus is revealed as the ultimate source of living water, offering a spring of water "welling up to eternal life" ([John 4:14](/john/4-14 "John 4:14 - Jesus Offers Living Water")), fulfilling the deepest spiritual thirst that no physical water can quench. Furthermore, while the Old Testament shows God's power to bring desolation as judgment, Christ's coming ushered in a new covenant where the ultimate judgment for sin was borne by Him on the cross ([2 Corinthians 5:21](/2_corinthians/5-21 "2 Corinthians 5:21 - Christ Became Sin for Us")). Yet, He also promises a future where the curse will be reversed, and "the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose" ([Isaiah 35:1](/isaiah/35-1 "Isaiah 35:1 - The Desert Blooms")), culminating in a new heaven and a new earth where there will be no more curse, and the river of the water of life flows freely ([Revelation 22:1-3](/revelation/22-1 "Revelation 22:1-3 - The River of Life")). Thus, Christ embodies both the sovereign power to transform and judge, and the gracious power to restore and give eternal life, making Him the ultimate fulfillment of the Psalmist's declaration.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Isaiah 50:2

Wherefore, when I came, [was there] no man? when I called, [was there] none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because [there is] no water, and dieth for thirst.

Isaiah 42:15

I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools.

Amos 4:7

And also I have withholden the rain from you, when [there were] yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered.

Amos 4:8

So two [or] three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

Isaiah 44:27

That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers:

Isaiah 19:5

And the waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall be wasted and dried up.

Isaiah 19:10

And they shall be broken in the purposes thereof, all that make sluices [and] ponds for fish.