Psalm 74 15

Psalm 74:15 kjv

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

Psalm 74:15 nkjv

You broke open the fountain and the flood; You dried up mighty rivers.

Psalm 74:15 niv

It was you who opened up springs and streams; you dried up the ever-flowing rivers.

Psalm 74:15 esv

You split open springs and brooks; you dried up ever-flowing streams.

Psalm 74:15 nlt

You caused the springs and streams to gush forth,
and you dried up rivers that never run dry.

Psalm 74 verses

Psalm 74 15 Meaning

Psalm 74:15 describes God's supreme power and control over the natural world, specifically water. It asserts that the Lord is the one who, through His sovereign will, caused life-giving water to gush forth from arid places ("split open springs and torrents") and also caused formidable, perpetually flowing rivers to dry up completely. This verse serves as a powerful reminder of God's miraculous acts in the past, particularly those related to the Exodus, where He demonstrated both provision and overcoming insurmountable obstacles. It underpins the psalmist's appeal in a time of national distress, referencing God's unchanging might.

Psalm 74 15 Context

Psalm 74 is a communal lament, a plea to God in a time of severe national calamity. The psalm describes the extensive destruction of the temple, the desecration of holy places, and the scattering of the people. The "adversary" (verse 3, 10) is presented as utterly hostile, leading to desolation. In verses 12-17, the psalmist shifts from lament to a profound remembrance of God's past powerful acts of creation and redemption. Verse 15 is nestled within this declarative section, reminding God of His mighty deeds. The psalmist effectively says, "You who performed such cosmic acts of power in the past, why do You not act now?" Historically, this psalm is widely understood to relate to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, most prominently associated with the Babylonian invasion and exile in 586 BC. This context highlights the stark contrast between God's past omnipotence and the people's present suffering, deepening their desperate plea for His intervention. It's also a polemic against pagan deities like Baal (a storm and fertility god controlling rain and water) and the mythological sea monsters (Tiamat in Babylonian myth), clearly attributing all such cosmic control to Yahweh alone, undermining any belief in rival deities.

Psalm 74 15 Word analysis

• You split open (בָּקַעְתָּ - baqaʿtā):

  • This is a strong, active verb meaning to cleave, break open, or burst forth.
  • Significance: It implies a forceful, deliberate, and irresistible action. It's often used for decisive acts of divine intervention, such as dividing the Red Sea (Ex 14:16, 21), or opening the earth (Num 16:31). This underscores God's absolute authority and power over natural barriers and creation itself.

• springs (מַעְיָן - maʿyān):

  • Refers to natural fountains or water sources that typically emerge from the ground.
  • Significance: In an arid land, springs represent life, refreshment, and sustenance. This word specifically points to God's benevolent provision of vital resources.

• and torrents (וָנָחַל - wā-nāḥal):

  • A "naḥal" typically refers to a wadi, a stream or riverbed that is often dry but flows rapidly and powerfully during the rainy season (a "torrent" or flash flood).
  • Significance: By coupling "springs" (perennial) and "torrents" (intermittent, often powerful flows), the psalmist emphasizes God's control over all types of water sources, from consistent, gentle provision to overwhelming, forceful flows. This might also subtly allude to the gushing water from the rock (Ex 17:6).

• You dried up (הוֹבַשְׁתָּ - hôḇaštā):

  • The Hiphil stem of the verb יָבַשׁ (yāvaš), meaning to cause to be dry, or to make desolate.
  • Significance: This action is the inverse of providing water. It signifies the removal of obstacles or the cessation of powerful forces, making a path where there was none. This verb is notably used for the Red Sea (Ex 14:21) and the Jordan River (Josh 4:23).

• ever-flowing (אֵיתָן - ʾêṯān):

  • Adjective meaning mighty, enduring, perpetual, perennial, ancient. It speaks of something powerful and continuous.
  • Significance: When applied to rivers, it signifies streams that are formidable, large, and flow consistently throughout the year, not drying up. This makes their desiccation an even greater display of divine power, as such rivers represent natural barriers or the very lifeblood of a region (e.g., the Nile). It highlights that no obstacle, no matter how immense or established, is too great for God.

• rivers (נַהֲרוֹת - naharōt):

  • Plural of נָהָר (nāhār), referring to large, substantial rivers.
  • Significance: Juxtaposed with "torrents" (naḥal), it broadens the scope of God's control. While a naḥal can be temporary, a nahar is typically a major, consistent waterway. The drying up of "ever-flowing rivers" points strongly to the historical Exodus event where the "sea" (often described with characteristics of a vast river in poetic language) or the mighty Jordan were overcome. It represents God's ability to clear the path for His people against all natural and strategic impediments.

• Words-group by words-group analysis:

  • "You split open springs and torrents": This phrase highlights God as the ultimate provider of life and sustenance. It emphasizes His power to bring forth life-sustaining resources from even the most barren or unexpected places, symbolizing provision in times of need. It speaks of creation and positive intervention.
  • "You dried up ever-flowing rivers": This second clause demonstrates God's power to remove colossal obstacles and exert judgment or make way for His purposes. It refers to God's capacity to render impassable barriers traversable. Both actions (providing water and drying it up) showcase His total dominion over hydrological cycles and, by extension, all natural phenomena, emphasizing His omnipotence and ability to fulfill His redemptive plans. The dual action powerfully conveys that God is in complete control of both creating and dissolving the elements of the natural world to serve His will.

Psalm 74 15 Bonus section

This verse, alongside Psalm 74:13-14 and 16-17, highlights a crucial theological theme: the connection between creation and redemption. The acts described are not just historical events but echoes of God's primal control over chaotic waters at creation (Gen 1). In the ancient Near Eastern context, controlling or subduing waters (often personified as primeval chaos) was a sign of ultimate divine power, distinguishing YHWH from impotent idols or lesser deities. By splitting waters and drying up rivers, God demonstrated that He is the sole, incomparable Ruler who orders both cosmos and history for His purposes. This gives the suffering people hope, reinforcing that their current chaos is temporary under the true Sovereign God, who remains powerful and active, able to bring order from disorder once again. The mention of "ever-flowing rivers" might also contain an implicit reference to the mythological cosmic river of chaos in ancient Near Eastern thought, further affirming Yahweh's unparalleled dominion over all.

Psalm 74 15 Commentary

Psalm 74:15 encapsulates a core theological truth: God's absolute sovereignty over creation and His active role in the history of His people. The verse is a powerful declaration of God's might, deliberately placed in the midst of a psalm of lament. By recounting how God "split open springs and torrents," the psalmist evokes divine provision in the wilderness, recalling how God miraculously brought water from a rock (Ex 17:6; Num 20:11). This portrays God as the benevolent giver of life, who sustains His people even in the direst circumstances. Simultaneously, the statement "You dried up ever-flowing rivers" calls to mind the miraculous parting of the Red Sea (Ex 14) and the Jordan River (Josh 3), historical acts where God removed formidable natural barriers to ensure the deliverance and progress of Israel. This signifies God's power to conquer overwhelming obstacles and to make a way where there is none, often in acts of judgment against His enemies or salvation for His chosen.

The juxtaposition of these two actions – providing water and removing it – paints a complete picture of God's dominion. He is not merely a controller of nature but its sovereign Lord, able to manipulate it at will for His purposes of both grace and judgment. In a context of devastating national catastrophe, this remembrance serves as the bedrock of the psalmist's hope. If God had such immense power in the past, performing unparalleled miracles over nature for His people, then surely He can intervene again in their present despair. The verse functions as a liturgical reminder of God's covenant faithfulness and an appeal to His consistent nature as a wonder-working deliverer, challenging the perceived absence of His power in their current affliction.