Psalms 84:6

KJV

[Who] passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.

KJV (with Strong's)

Who passing {H5674}{H8802)} through the valley {H6010} of Baca {H1056}{H8676)}{H1057} make {H7896}{H8799)} it a well {H4599}; the rain {H4175} also filleth {H5844}{H8799)} the pools {H1293}.

Complete Jewish Bible

Passing through the [dry] Baka Valley, they make it a place of springs, and the early rain clothes it with blessings.

Berean Standard Bible

As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; even the autumn rain covers it with pools.

American Standard Version

Passing through the valley of Weeping they make it a place of springs; Yea, the early rain covereth it with blessings.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Psalm 84:6 vividly portrays the transformative journey of spiritual pilgrims who, even when traversing a desolate "valley of Baca," actively participate in its transformation into a source of refreshment and blessing. This verse beautifully illustrates how human perseverance and faith, coupled with God's sovereign and abundant provision, can turn seasons of sorrow and hardship into opportunities for profound spiritual renewal and deeper communion with the Divine. It is a testament to the power of reliance on God to find sustenance and joy even amidst life's most challenging paths.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Psalm 84 belongs to the collection known as the "Psalms of Ascent" (Psalms 120-134), traditionally sung by pilgrims as they ascended to Jerusalem for the three annual pilgrimage festivals (Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles). The psalm as a whole expresses an intense longing for God's presence, particularly within His temple courts. Verse 6 builds directly upon the blessedness described in [Psalm 84:5](/psalms/84-5 "Psalm 84:5 - Blessed are those whose strength is in God"), where those "whose strength is in thee" are declared blessed. This preceding verse establishes that the ability to transform the "valley of Baca" is not merely human effort but flows from a deep, abiding reliance on the Lord. The subsequent verses continue to describe the pilgrim's journey, culminating in a declaration of God's goodness and protection for those who trust Him.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The imagery of pilgrimage was deeply embedded in ancient Israelite life. Traveling to Jerusalem, especially from distant regions, was often arduous, involving long journeys through rugged and arid terrain. Water scarcity was a constant concern, making the presence of wells and pools a matter of survival and great blessing. The "valley of Baca" (Hebrew: _emek habbāḵā’_) may refer to a specific, desolate valley on one of the pilgrimage routes, or it could be a symbolic representation of any place of dryness, sorrow, or hardship. The act of "making it a well" implies communal effort—digging, clearing, or preparing cisterns—a common practice in a land where water was precious and often collected from seasonal rains.
* **Key Themes:**
* **Transformation in Adversity:** The central theme is the miraculous transformation of a place of sorrow ("Baca," often associated with weeping or barrenness) into a source of life and refreshment. This is not passive endurance but active participation by the pilgrims who "make it a well," demonstrating faith and perseverance. This transformation signifies that difficulties, when faced with God's strength, can become conduits of blessing and growth, echoing the truth that God works all things for good for those who love Him ([Romans 8:28](/romans/8-28 "Romans 8:28 - God Works for Good")).
* **Divine Provision and Grace:** While the pilgrims exert effort, the verse explicitly states, "the rain also filleth the pools." This highlights God's sovereign and essential role in providing the ultimate sustenance. Human effort is met and supernaturally empowered by divine grace. It underscores that true refreshment and spiritual vitality are ultimately gifts from God, turning barrenness into abundance and demonstrating His faithfulness to His traveling people, much like His provision of water in the wilderness ([Exodus 17:6](/exodus/17-6 "Exodus 17:6 - Water from the Rock")).
* **The Spiritual Journey as Pilgrimage:** The entire psalm, and especially this verse, serves as a powerful metaphor for the life of faith as a spiritual pilgrimage. It acknowledges that the path to God's presence and spiritual maturity is not always smooth but often involves "valleys of Baca"—seasons of trial, grief, or spiritual dryness. Yet, it offers profound hope that these very challenges, when navigated with faith and reliance on God, become sites where divine provision is experienced most profoundly, leading to renewed strength and joy on the journey toward God's eternal dwelling.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Baca (Hebrew, _bāḵā’_):** This unique word carries multiple layers of meaning, all contributing to the verse's profound imagery. It can be translated as "weeping" or "balsam tree." The "balsam tree" (often identified as a type of mulberry or poplar) is known for exuding sap, which can appear like "tears" or "weeping." Therefore, the "valley of Baca" (or "valley of weeping") strongly evokes a place of desolation, sorrow, or barrenness, a dry and difficult passage. The contrast between this inherently sorrowful or arid place and the subsequent "well" and "pools" emphasizes the miraculous transformation that occurs through faith and divine intervention.
* **Well (Hebrew, _ma'yan_):** This term refers to a spring or fountain, a natural source of flowing water. However, in this context, the pilgrims "make it a well," implying an active effort to dig, clear, or prepare the ground to access or collect water. This signifies human cooperation with divine potential, turning a desolate place into a life-sustaining one through diligent faith and labor. It's not just a natural occurrence but a result of intentional action.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"[Who] passing through the valley of Baca":** This phrase introduces the pilgrims, those whose hearts are set on pilgrimage to God's dwelling. Their journey leads them through a specific type of terrain—a "valley of Baca," which, as discussed, signifies a place of sorrow, dryness, or profound difficulty. It acknowledges that the spiritual journey is not devoid of hardship but often includes seasons of trial and tears.
* **"make it a well":** This is a powerful declaration of the pilgrims' active role. Despite the valley's desolate nature, they do not merely endure it but transform it. This "making" implies effort, faith, and perhaps even communal labor to dig or prepare cisterns, demonstrating their proactive trust that even in barrenness, refreshment can be found or created through reliance on God. It suggests that their very tears or struggles become the means by which the ground is softened for blessing.
* **"the rain also filleth the pools":** This clause highlights God's indispensable and sovereign provision. While the pilgrims "make" the well, it is God who sends the life-giving "rain" (Hebrew: _moreh_, early rain) that fills the "pools" (Hebrew: _berakhah_, blessings, or literally "pools" or "cisterns"). This signifies that human effort is always dependent on divine grace. God's supernatural intervention completes the transformation, turning the potential for water into actual abundance, demonstrating His faithfulness to provide refreshment and blessing in the midst of trials.

#### Literary Devices
Psalm 84:6 is rich with **Metaphor** and **Symbolism**. The "valley of Baca" serves as a powerful metaphor for any period of hardship, sorrow, or spiritual dryness in life. It is not necessarily a literal geographical location but symbolizes a "valley of tears" or a desolate experience. The act of "making it a well" is metaphorical for the active faith and perseverance of believers who, even in adversity, seek and find sources of spiritual nourishment. The "well" and "pools" are **symbols** of divine provision, refreshment, and spiritual vitality. The "rain" is a clear **symbol** of God's grace, blessing, and the Holy Spirit, which supernaturally fills and completes the work initiated by human faith. There is also a strong **Contrast** at play: the barrenness and sorrow of the valley are starkly contrasted with the life-giving water of the wells and pools, emphasizing God's power to transform desolation into abundance.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This verse beautifully encapsulates the biblical theme of God's transformative power in the midst of human suffering and pilgrimage. It teaches that trials are not merely to be endured but can become crucibles for deeper faith and experiences of divine provision. The active role of the pilgrims in "making" the well, combined with God's sovereign act of sending the rain, illustrates the dynamic interplay between human responsibility and divine grace. It underscores that God meets His people in their valleys, turning their tears into springs of blessing and their desolate paths into pathways of renewal, echoing the promise that sorrow can be turned into joy. This pilgrimage motif resonates throughout Scripture, from Israel's journey through the wilderness to the Christian's journey towards the heavenly city.

* [Psalm 30:5](/psalms/30-5 "Psalm 30:5 - Weeping May Endure for a Night")
* [Isaiah 43:19](/isaiah/43-19 "Isaiah 43:19 - God Makes a Way in the Wilderness")
* [2 Corinthians 4:8-9](/2_corinthians/4-8 "2 Corinthians 4:8-9 - Hard Pressed but Not Crushed")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalm 84:6 offers profound encouragement for every believer navigating the complexities of life. It acknowledges that "valleys of Baca"—seasons of grief, spiritual dryness, physical hardship, or emotional distress—are an inevitable part of our earthly pilgrimage. However, this verse calls us not to despair or passive resignation, but to an active, faith-filled engagement with our difficulties. Like the pilgrims, we are invited to "make it a well"—to seek God's presence, to pray, to serve, to worship, and to trust that even our tears can water the ground for future blessing. This active posture of faith opens the way for God's supernatural intervention. He promises to send His "rain" of grace, comfort, and strength, filling our "pools" with renewed hope, spiritual vitality, and unexpected joy. This verse challenges us to see our trials not as dead ends, but as sacred spaces where God's transformative power is most powerfully revealed, turning our barrenness into abundance and our sorrow into springs of living water.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **What "valley of Baca" might you be currently passing through in your life, whether literally or metaphorically?**
* **In what ways are you actively "making it a well" in your current challenging circumstances? What steps of faith or obedience are you taking?**
* **How have you experienced God's "rain" of provision or comfort in past difficult seasons? How does that encourage you now?**
* **How does this verse encourage you to view suffering and hardship as potential opportunities for spiritual growth and deeper reliance on God?**

### FAQ
**What is the "valley of Baca" and is it a real place?**

Answer: The "valley of Baca" (Hebrew: _emek habbāḵā’_) is most likely a symbolic or metaphorical place, representing a "valley of weeping" or a desolate, arid region. While it's possible it referred to a specific difficult stretch on the ancient pilgrimage routes to Jerusalem, its primary significance in [Psalm 84:6](/psalms/84-6 "Psalm 84:6 - The Valley of Baca") is as a metaphor for any period of sorrow, hardship, or spiritual dryness in life. The name itself, "Baca," is associated with weeping or a type of tree that "weeps" sap, reinforcing the idea of a place of tears or barrenness.

**How do pilgrims "make it a well" in a desolate valley?**

Answer: The phrase "make it a well" suggests an active, faith-filled response to adversity. It implies that the pilgrims, even in a barren place, take initiative to prepare for water. This could involve digging cisterns, clearing existing springs, or simply having a hopeful expectation that turns a desolate path into a potential source of refreshment. Spiritually, it means that even in our "valleys of tears," our faith, prayers, worship, and perseverance can create channels for God's grace to flow, transforming our circumstances. It's an act of faith that expects God's provision.

**Does this verse imply that God only provides if we first "make a well"?**

Answer: No, the verse highlights a beautiful synergy between human effort and divine grace. While the pilgrims "make it a well" through their faith and labor, the verse explicitly states, "the rain also filleth the pools." This indicates that while human action is important, the ultimate source of life-giving provision is God Himself. Our efforts are met and completed by His sovereign, abundant supply. It's a reminder that we are called to act in faith, but our sufficiency comes from God, who provides what we cannot generate on our own, much like the Lord providing water from the rock for Israel in the wilderness ([Exodus 17:6](/exodus/17-6 "Exodus 17:6 - Water from the Rock")).

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalm 84:6 finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who perfectly embodies the journey through the "valley of Baca" and transforms it into a wellspring of eternal life. He is the ultimate Pilgrim, who "emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant" ([Philippians 2:7](/philippians/2-7 "Philippians 2:7 - Christ's Humiliation")) and walked through the deepest valley of sorrow and suffering on our behalf, culminating in His agony in Gethsemane and His crucifixion. His tears and suffering on the cross, the ultimate "valley of Baca," became the wellspring of salvation, making a way for us where there was no way. He is the [Living Water](/john/4-10 "John 4:10 - Jesus, the Living Water"), and from His side flowed blood and water ([John 19:34](/john/19-34 "John 19:34 - Blood and Water from His Side")), transforming the barrenness of sin and death into the abundance of grace and new life. Through His sacrifice, our own "valleys of Baca" are not merely endured but are redeemed, becoming places where the [Spirit is poured out](/acts/2-17 "Acts 2:17 - The Spirit Poured Out") like rain, filling our hearts with joy and peace. As we journey towards the heavenly Jerusalem, our strength is found in Him, who promises that those who believe in Him will have [rivers of living water flowing from within them](/john/7-38 "John 7:38 - Rivers of Living Water"), turning every desolate path into a pilgrimage of hope and divine encounter.

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

2 Corinthians 4:17

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding [and] eternal weight of glory;

John 16:33

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Joel 2:23

Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first [month].

Romans 5:3

And not only [so], but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

Romans 5:5

And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Revelation 7:14

And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Romans 8:37

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.