Psalms 74:15

15 Thou didst cleave open springs and brooks; thou didst dry up ever-flowing streams.

Psalms 74:15 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 74:15

Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood
That is, the rocks at Horeb and at Kadesh, from whence water flowed as out of a fountain, and became a flood, whereby the people of Israel were supplied with water in the wilderness, and also their beasts; and from this instance it may be concluded that God will not leave his people, nor suffer them to want, but will supply all their need while they are in the wilderness, and will open fountains and rivers for them, ( Isaiah 41:17 Isaiah 41:18 ) he himself is a fountain of living water; Christ is the fountain of gardens, and the Spirit and his grace a well of living water springing up unto everlasting life:

thou driedst up mighty rivers;
the river of Jordan, called "mighty", as Kimchi says, because by its strength it overflowed all its banks and "rivers", and because other rivers flowed into it; this was dried up, or way was made through it, as on dry land, for the people of Israel to pass into Canaan, ( Joshua 3:14 Joshua 3:15 ) , the Targum is,

``thou hast dried up the fords and brooks of Hermon, and the fords of Jabbok and Jordan;''

see ( Numbers 21:14 Numbers 21:24 ) , and the Lord, that did this, is able to dry up, and will dry up, the river Euphrates, as is foretold, ( Revelation 16:12 ) , that is, destroy the Turkish empire, and make way for the spread of the Gospel in the eastern parts of the world; to which reference is had in ( Isaiah 11:15 Isaiah 11:16 ) .

Psalms 74:15 In-Context

13 Thou didst divide the sea by thy might; thou didst break the heads of the dragons on the waters.
14 Thou didst crush the heads of Leviathan, thou didst give him as food for the creatures of the wilderness.
15 Thou didst cleave open springs and brooks; thou didst dry up ever-flowing streams.
16 Thine is the day, thine also the night; thou hast established the luminaries and the sun.
17 Thou hast fixed all the bounds of the earth; thou hast made summer and winter.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.