Psalms 107:34

"He turns rivers into a desert, water springs into a thirsty ground,"

Key Reflection

In Psalms 107:34, God is portrayed as having the power to transform lush, fertile landscapes into arid wastelands. This poetic imagery reflects both divine judgment and mercy, highlighting how God can bring about desolation through natural or miraculous means. The contrast between rivers and springs turning into desolate grounds underscores the severity of divine retribution, while also hinting at the potential for restoration when God chooses to act in favor of His people.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

A fruitful land -Hebrew, A land of fruit. That is, a land that would produce abundance. The word “fruit” here is not used in the limited sense in which we now employ it, but means any productions of the earth. Into barrenness -Margin, as in Hebrew, “saltness.” The word is used to denote a barren soil, because where salt “abounds” the soil “is” barren. Thus it is around the Dead Sea. CompareJob 39:6;Jeremiah 17:6. See also Virg. Geor. II. 238, “Salsa ... tellus - frugibus infelix;” Pliny, Hist. Nat. 31. 7; Bochart, Hieroz. t. i., p. 872.

More from Psalms 107

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44

Go deeper with Bible.talk - your AI Bible study companion