TRV
Translation
King James Version
Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.
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.
World English Bible Messianic
Passing through the valley of Weeping, they make it a place of springs. Yes, the autumn rain covers it with blessings.
Geneva Bible (1599)
They going through the vale of Baca, make welles therein: the raine also couereth the pooles.
Young's Literal Translation
Those passing through a valley of weeping, A fountain do make it, Blessings also cover the director.
In the KJVVerse 15,266 of 31,102
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Commentary on Psalms 84 verses 1–7
1 ¶ To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm for the sons of Korah. How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts!
2 My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.
3 Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God.
4 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah.
5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.
6 Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.
7 They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.
The psalmist here, being by force restrained from waiting upon God in public ordinances, by the want of them is brought under a more sensible conviction than ever of the worth of them. Observe,
I. The wonderful beauty he saw in holy institutions (Psa 84:1): How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! Some think that he here calls God the Lord of hosts (that is, in a special manner of the angels, the heavenly hosts) because of the presence of the angels in God's sanctuary; they attended the Shechinah, and were (as some think) signified by the cherubim. God is the Lord of these hosts, and his the tabernacle is: it is spoken of as more than one (thy tabernacles) because there were several courts in which the people attended, and because the tabernacle itself consisted of a holy place and a most holy. How amiable are these! How lovely is the sanctuary in the eyes of all that are truly sanctified! Gracious souls see a wonderful, an inexpressible, beauty in holiness, and in holy work. A tabernacle was a mean habitation, but the disadvantage of external circumstances makes holy ordinances not at all the less amiable; for the beauty of holiness is spiritual, and their glory is within.
II. The longing desire he had to return to the enjoyment of public ordinances, or rather of God in them, Psa 84:2. It was an entire desire; body, soul, and spirit concurred in it. He was not conscious to himself of any rising thought to the contrary. It was an intense desire; it was like the desire of the ambitious, or covetous, or voluptuous. He longed, he fainted, he cried out, importunate to be restored to his place in God's courts, and almost impatient of delay. Yet it was not so much the courts of the Lord that he coveted, but he cried out, in prayer, for the living God himself. O that I might know him, and be again taken into communion with him! Jo1 1:3. Ordinances are empty things if we meet not with God in the ordinances.
III. His grudging the happiness of the little birds that made their nests in the buildings that were adjoining to God's altars, Psa 84:3. This is an elegant and surprising expression of his affection to God's altars: The sparrow has found a house and the swallow a nest for herself. These little birds, by the instinct and direction of nature, provide habitations for themselves in houses, as other birds do in the woods, both for their own repose and in which to lay their young; some such David supposes there were in the buildings about the courts of God's house, and wishes himself with them. He would rather live in a bird's nest nigh God's altars than in a palace at a distance from them. He sometimes wished for the wings of a dove, on which to fly into the wilderness (Psa 55:6); here for the wings of a sparrow, that he might fly undiscovered into God's courts; and, though to watch as a sparrow alone upon the house-top is the description of a very melancholy state and spirit (Psa 102:7), yet David would be glad to take it for his lot, provided he might be near God's altars. It is better to be serving God in solitude than serving sin with a multitude. The word for a sparrow signifies any little bird, and (if I may offer a conjecture) perhaps when, in David's time, music was introduced so much into the sacred service, both vocal and instrumental, to complete the harmony they had singing-birds in cages hung about the courts of the tabernacle (for we find the singing of birds taken notice of to the glory of God, Psa 104:12), and David envies the happiness of these, and would gladly change places with them. Observe, David envies the happiness not of those birds that flew over the altars, and had only a transient view of God's courts, but of those that had nests for themselves there. David will not think it enough to sojourn in God's house as a way-faring man that turns aside to tarry for a night; but let this be his rest, his home; here he will dwell. And he takes notice that these birds not only have nests for themselves there, but that there they lay their young; for those who have a place in God's courts themselves cannot but desire that their children also may have in God's house, and within his walls, a place and a name, that they may feed their kids beside the shepherds' tents. Some give another sense of this verse: "Lord, by thy providence thou hast furnished the birds with nests and resting-places, agreeable to their nature, and to them they have free recourse; but thy altar, which is my nest, my resting-place, which I am as desirous of as ever the wandering bird was of her nest, I cannot have access to. Lord, wilt thou provide better for thy birds than for thy babes? As a bird that wanders from her nest so am I, now that I wander from the place of God's altars, for that is my place (Pro 27:8); I shall never be easy till I return to my place again." Note, Those whose souls are at home, at rest, in God, cannot but desire a settlement near his ordinances. There were two altars, one for sacrifice, the other for incense, and David, in his desire of a place in God's courts, has an eye to both, as we also must, in all our attendance on God, have an eye both to the satisfaction and to the intercession of Christ. And, lastly, Observe how he eyes God in this address: Thou art the Lord of hosts, my King and my God. Where should a poor distressed subject seek for protection but with his king? And should not a people seek unto their God? My King, my God, is Lord of hosts; by him and his altars let me live and die.
IV. His acknowledgment of the happiness both of the ministers and of the people that had liberty of attendance on God's altars: "Blessed are they. O when shall I return to the enjoyment of that blessedness?" 1. Blessed are the ministers, the priests and Levites, who have their residence about the tabernacle and are in their courses employed in the service of it (Psa 84:4): Blessed are those that dwell in thy house, that are at home there, and whose business lies there. He is so far from pitying them, as confined to a constant attendance and obliged to perpetual seriousness, that he would sooner envy them than the greatest princes in the world. There are those that bless the covetous, but he blesses the religious. Blessed are those that dwell in thy house (not because they have good wages, a part of every sacrifice for themselves, which would enable them to keep a good table, but because they have good work): They will be still praising thee; and, if there be a heaven upon earth, it is in praising God, in continually praising him. Apply this to his house above; blessed are those that dwell there, angels and glorified saints, for they rest not day nor night from praising God. Let us therefore spend as much of our time as may be in that blessed work in which we hope to spend a joyful eternity. 2. Blessed are the people, the inhabitants of the country, who, though they do not constantly dwell in God's house as the priests do, yet have liberty of access to it at the times appointed for their solemn feasts, the three great feasts, at which all the males were obliged to give their attendance, Deu 16:16. David was so far from reckoning this an imposition, and a hardship put upon them, that he envies the happiness of those who might thus attend, Psa 84:5-7. Those whom he pronounces blessed are here described. (1.) They are such as act in religion from a rooted principle of dependence upon God and devotedness to him: Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee, who makes thee his strength and strongly stays himself upon thee, who makes thy name his strong tower into which he runs for safety, Pro 18:10. Happy is the man whose hope is in the Lord his God, Psa 40:4; Psa 146:5. Those are truly happy who go forth, and go on, in the exercises of religion, not in their own strength (for then the work is sure to miscarry), but in the strength of the grace of Jesus Christ, from whom all our sufficiency is. David wished to return to God's tabernacles again, that there he might strengthen himself in the Lord his God for service and suffering. (2.) They are such as have a love for holy ordinances: In whose heart are the ways of them, that is, who, having placed their happiness in God as their end, rejoice in all the ways that lead to him, all those means by which their graces are strengthened and their communion with him kept up. They not only walk in these ways, but they have them in their hearts, they lay them near their hearts; no care or concern, no pleasure or delight, lies nearer than this. Note, Those who have the new Jerusalem in their eye must have the ways that lead to it in their heart, must mind them, their eyes must look straight forward in them, must ponder the paths of them, must keep close to them, and be afraid of turning aside to the right hand or to the left. If we make God's promise our strength, we must make God's word our rule, and walk by it. (3.) They are such as will break through difficulties and discouragements in waiting upon God in holy ordinances, Psa 84:6. When they come up out of the country to worship at the feasts their way lies through many a dry and sandy valley (so some), in which they are ready to perish for thirst; but, to guard against that inconvenience, they dig little pits to receive and keep the rain-water, which is ready to them and others for their refreshment. When they make the pools the ram of heaven fills them. If we be ready to receive the grace of God, that grace shall not be wanting to us, but shall be sufficient for us at all times. Their way lay through many a weeping valley, so Baca signifies, that is (as others understand it), many watery valleys, which in wet weather, when the rain filled the pools, either through the rising of the waters or through the dirtiness of the way were impassable; but, by draining and trenching them, they made a road through them for the benefit of those who went up to Jerusalem. Care should be taken to keep those roads in repair that lead to church, as well as those that lead to market. But all this is intended to show, [1.] That they had a good will to the journey. When they were to attend the solemn feasts at Jerusalem, they would not be kept back by bad weather, or bad ways, nor make those an excuse for staying at home. Difficulties in the way of duty are designed to try our resolution; and he that observes the wind shall not sow. [2.] That they made the best of the way to Zion, contrived and took pains to mend it where it was bad, and bore, as well as they could, the inconveniences that could not be removed. Our way to heaven lies through a valley of Baca, but even that may be made a well if we make a due improvement of the comforts God has provided for the pilgrims to the heavenly city. (4.) They are such as are still pressing forward till they come to their journey's end at length, and do not take up short of it (Psa 84:7): They go from strength to strength; their company increases by the accession of more out of every town they pass through, till they become very numerous. Those that were near staid till those that were further off called on them, saying, Come, and let us go to the house of the Lord (Psa 122:1, Psa 122:2), that they might go together in a body, in token of their mutual love. Or the particular persons, instead of being fatigued with the tediousness of their journey and the difficulties they met with, the nearer they came to Jerusalem the more lively and cheerful they were, and so went on stronger and stronger, Job 17:9. Thus it is promised that those that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, Isa 40:31. Even where they are weak, there they are strong. They go from virtue to virtue (so some); it is the same word that is used for the virtuous woman. Those that press forward in their Christian course shall find God adding grace to their graces, Joh 1:16. They shall be changed from glory to glory (Co2 3:18), from one degree of glorious grace to another, till, at length, every one of them appears before God in Zion, to give glory to him and receive blessings from him. Note, Those who grow in grace shall, at last, be perfect in glory. The Chaldee reads it, They go from the house of the sanctuary to the house of doctrine; and the pains which they have taken about the law shall appear before God, whose majesty dwells in Zion. We must go from one duty to another, from prayer to the word, from practising what we have learned to learn more; and, if we do this, the benefit of it will appear, to God's glory and our own everlasting comfort.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–7. Public domain.
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Gregory of NazianzusAD 390
ON THE HOLY SPIRIT, THEOLOGICAL ORATION 5[31]. 26
The Old Testament proclaimed the Father openly and the Son more obscurely. The New [Testament] manifested the Son and suggested the deity of the Spirit. Now the Spirit dwells among us and supplies us with a clearer demonstration of himself. For it was not safe, when the Godhead of the Father was not yet acknowledged, plainly to proclaim the Son; nor when that of the Son was not yet received to burden us further (if I may use so bold an expression) with the Holy Spirit; lest perhaps people might, like persons loaded with food beyond their strength and presenting eyes as yet too weak to look at the sun’s light, risk the loss even of that which was within the reach of their powers; but that by gradual additions, and, as David says, “Goings up, and advances and progress from glory to glory,” the light of the Trinity might shine on the more illuminated. It was for this reason, I think, that [the Holy Spirit] gradually came to dwell in the disciples, measuring himself out to them according to their capacity to receive him, at the beginning of the Gospel, after the passion, after the ascension, making perfect their powers, being breathed on them and appearing in fiery tongues.
JeromeAD 420
HOMILIES ON THE PSALMS 16
“For the lawgiver will give a blessing.” Somebody may ask, “Why in the valley of tears, in the place that God has set for the contest—or for the conflict—why has he placed us as athletes? Why has he willed us to fight?” The psalmist gives the answer: He has willed that this place be set for us as an arena that he may reward our victory with a crown. “For the lawgiver will give a blessing.” This Lawgiver, our president of the contest, has willed us to contend only that he may bless us. Just consider what the victory means! What are the blessings of this Master of the games? “They go from strength to strength”;6 they win the victory here that they may receive the crown there. If a person of courage gives evidence of strength here, there he becomes stronger. “They go from strength to strength”; hence, unless we are strong here, we cannot have greater strength there. The psalmist did not say, they shall go from weakness to strength, but from strength to strength. Do you want to be a person of fortitude there? Then be one here first. Do you want to be crowned there? Fight here.
Augustine of HippoAD 430
Exposition on Psalm 84
What then does God supply by His grace to him whom He takes hold of to lead him on? He goes on to say: "He has placed steps in his heart."...Where does it place steps? "In his heart, in the valley of weeping" [Psalm 84:6]. So here you have for a winepress the valley of weeping, the very pious tears in tribulation are the new wine of those that love....They went forth "weeping," he says, "casting their seed." Therefore, by the grace of God may upward steps be placed in your heart. Rise by loving. Hence the Psalm "of degrees" is called...."He has placed steps of ascent to the place which He has appointed" [Psalm 84:7]. Now we lament; whence proceed our lamentations, but from that place where the steps of our ascent are placed? Whence comes our lamentation, but from that cause wherefore the Apostle exclaimed that he was a wretched man, because he saw another law in his members, warring against the law in his mind? [Romans 7:23] And whence does this proceed? From the penalty of sin. And we thought that we could easily be righteous as it were by our own strength, before we received the command; "but when the command came, sin revived; but I died," [Romans 7:9] says the Apostle. For a law was given to men, not such as could save them at once, but it was to show them in what severe sickness they were lying....But when sin was made manifest by the law given, sin was but increased, for it is both sin, and against the Law; "Sin," says he, "taking occasion by the command, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence." [Romans 7:8] What does he mean by "taking occasion by the law"? Having received the command, men tried as by their own strength to obey it; conquered by lust, they became guilty of transgression of this very command also. But what says the Apostle? "Where sin abounded, grace has much more abounded;" [Romans 5:20] that is, the disease increased, the medicine became of more avail. Accordingly, my brethren, did those five porches of Solomon, in the middle of which the pool lay, heal the sick at all? The sick, says the Evangelist, lay in the five porches. [John 5:3] In the Gospel we have and read it. Those five porches are the law in the five books of Moses. For this cause the sick were brought forth from their houses that they might lie in the porches. So the law brought the sick men forth, but did not heal them: but by the blessing of God the water was disturbed, as by an Angel descending into it. At the sight of the water troubled, the one person who was able, descended and was healed. That water surrounded by the five porches, was the people of the Jews shut up in their law. The Lord came and disturbed this people, so that He Himself was slain. For if the Lord had not troubled the Jews by coming down to them, would He have been crucified? So that the troubled water signified the Passion of the Lord, which arose from His troubling the Jewish people. The sick man who believes in this Passion, like him who descended into the troubled water, is healed thereby. He whom the Law could not heal, that is, while he lay in the porches, is healed by grace, by faith in the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ....
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Psalm 84:6 offers a profound vision of spiritual pilgrimage, illustrating how those who journey with God can transform desolate "valleys of Baca" into sources of life and blessing. This verse beautifully portrays the synergy between human faith and perseverance—manifested in actively preparing for refreshment—and God's sovereign, abundant provision, which supernaturally fills these prepared spaces. It is a testament to the divine power that turns seasons of sorrow and hardship into opportunities for deep spiritual renewal and an intensified experience of God's sustaining presence.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalm 84:6 is profoundly rich with Metaphor and Symbolism. The "valley of Baca" serves as a powerful metaphor for any period of hardship, sorrow, or spiritual dryness encountered during life's journey. It is not necessarily a literal geographical location but symbolizes a "valley of tears" or a desolate, challenging experience. The act of the pilgrims "making it a well" is metaphorical for the active faith, perseverance, and diligent effort of believers who, even in adversity, seek and prepare for sources of spiritual nourishment. The "well" and "pools" are potent symbols of divine provision, refreshment, and spiritual vitality. The "rain" is a clear symbol of God's grace, blessing, and the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit, which supernaturally fills and completes the work initiated by human faith. There is also a strong Contrast at play: the inherent barrenness and sorrow of the valley are starkly contrasted with the life-giving water of the wells and pools, powerfully emphasizing God's transformative power to turn 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 profound 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 and essential 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 indeed 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 and the ultimate dwelling place of God.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalm 84:6 offers profound and timeless encouragement for every believer navigating the complexities of life. It acknowledges with empathetic realism that "valleys of Baca"—seasons of grief, spiritual dryness, physical hardship, emotional distress, or profound disappointment—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 proactively seek God's presence, to pray fervently, to serve others, to worship faithfully, and to trust that even our tears and struggles can water the ground for future blessing. This active posture of faith, characterized by perseverance and hope, 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
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 is plausible that it referred to a specific difficult stretch on the ancient pilgrimage routes to Jerusalem, its primary significance in Psalm 84:6 is as a powerful 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 that pilgrims must traverse.
How do pilgrims "make it a well" in a desolate valley?
Answer: The phrase "make it a well" suggests an active, faith-filled, and proactive response to adversity. It implies that the pilgrims, even in a barren place, take initiative to prepare for water. This could involve literal actions like digging cisterns, clearing existing springs, or constructing channels to collect rainwater. Spiritually, it means that even in our "valleys of tears," our faith, prayers, worship, perseverance, and acts of obedience can create channels for God's grace to flow, transforming our circumstances. It is an act of faith that expects and prepares for God's provision, even when it seems impossible.
Does this verse imply that God only provides if we first "make a well"?
Answer: No, the verse highlights a beautiful and dynamic 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 and preparation are important expressions of faith, the ultimate source of life-giving provision is God Himself. Our diligent efforts are met, empowered, and completed by His sovereign, abundant supply. It is a profound reminder that we are called to act in faith and obedience, but our sufficiency and the ultimate blessing come from God, who provides what we cannot generate on our own, much like the Lord miraculously providing water from the rock for Israel in the wilderness (Exodus 17:6).
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalm 84:6 finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ, who perfectly embodies the journey through the "valley of Baca" and transforms it into an inexhaustible wellspring of eternal life for all humanity. He is the quintessential Pilgrim, who "emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men" (Philippians 2:7), and walked through the deepest valley of sorrow and suffering on our behalf. His agony in Gethsemane and His crucifixion on Calvary represent the ultimate "valley of Baca," a place of profound weeping and desolation. Yet, His tears and suffering on the cross became the very wellspring of salvation, making a way for us where there was no way. He is the Living Water, and from His pierced side flowed both blood and water (John 19:34), 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 and sanctified, becoming places where the Spirit is poured out like refreshing rain, filling our hearts with joy, peace, and an unshakeable hope. 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, turning every desolate path into a pilgrimage of hope, divine encounter, and overflowing blessing.