Psalms 74:15

Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood: thou driedst up mighty rivers.

Thou didst cleave {H1234}{H8804)} the fountain {H4599} and the flood {H5158}: thou driedst up {H3001}{H8689)} mighty {H386} rivers {H5104}.

You cut channels for springs and streams, you dried up rivers that had never failed.

You broke open the fountain and the flood; You dried up the ever-flowing rivers.

Thou didst cleave fountain and flood: Thou driedst up mighty rivers.

Psalms 74:15 is a powerful declaration of God's absolute sovereignty and control over the natural world, particularly water. It serves as a reminder of His mighty deeds in Israel's history, invoked by the psalmist during a time of national distress.

Context

Psalm 74 is a communal lament, attributed to Asaph, expressing deep anguish over the destruction of the temple and the humiliation of God's people. The psalmist appeals to God to remember His covenant and intervene, drawing strength from His past acts of power. Verses 12-17 recount God's majestic deeds as Creator and Deliverer, setting the stage for the plea for help. This verse, specifically, harks back to foundational moments of Israel's history where God demonstrated His unparalleled might over water, emphasizing His role as the sovereign God of Israel.

Key Themes

  • Divine Power and Sovereignty: The verse vividly portrays God's unmatched ability to manipulate the most formidable elements of nature. He is not merely powerful, but has absolute control over all creation.
  • Miraculous Deliverance: It recalls specific historical events where God's power over water led to the salvation of His people, reinforcing His role as Israel's Deliverer and protector.
  • God as Creator and Sustainer: The actions described—cleaving fountains and drying rivers—are not just acts of intervention but also reflect the power of a Creator who established the natural order and can alter it at will.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew terms used in this verse emphasize the extraordinary nature of God's actions:

  • "Cleave" comes from the Hebrew verb baqa (בָּקַע), which means to split open, break through, or tear apart. This word is famously used for the ground opening up or for water parting. It speaks to a forceful, decisive act of creation or intervention, as seen when God provided water from a rock for the Israelites in the wilderness (Exodus 17:6; Numbers 20:11).
  • "Mighty rivers" translates the Hebrew naharot eitan (נַהֲרוֹת אֵיתָן). The word eitan implies permanence, strength, or endurance. Thus, these were not small streams but powerful, perhaps perennial rivers, making God's act of drying them up all the more astounding. This imagery strongly evokes events such as the parting of the Red Sea for the Israelites to escape Egypt, or the drying of the Jordan River for them to enter the Promised Land.

Practical Application

Psalms 74:15 offers profound encouragement for believers today. When facing seemingly insurmountable obstacles, or "mighty rivers" in our lives—whether personal struggles, national crises, or global challenges—we are reminded of God's infinite power. The same God who split rocks for water and dried up seas for His people is active and sovereign today. This verse calls us to:

  • Remember God's Faithfulness: Reflect on His past interventions in history and in our own lives, building confidence in His ability to act again.
  • Trust in His Sovereignty: Understand that no problem is too vast or too permanent for the Lord. He controls all things and can make a way where there seems to be none.
  • Find Hope in Despair: Even in times of deep lament or distress, recalling God's past mighty acts can rekindle hope and strengthen faith in His ultimate deliverance and justice.
Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Numbers 20:11

    And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts [also].

  • Isaiah 48:21

    And they thirsted not [when] he led them through the deserts: he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out.

  • Exodus 17:5

    And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go.

  • Exodus 17:6

    Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

  • Psalms 105:41

    He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places [like] a river.

  • Joshua 3:13

    And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, [that] the waters of Jordan shall be cut off [from] the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap.

  • Joshua 3:17

    And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.

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