Psalm 107:33-34
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It's easy to focus on the physical landscape here, but the "rivers" and "springs" are really about the sources of life and sustenance that God provides. What's profound is that He, who gives these life-giving sources, also has the power to turn them into barrenness, showing His ultimate control over all of creation and our dependence on Him for every blessing.
He turns rivers into a desert, springs of water into thirsty ground, a fruitful land into a salty waste, because of the evil of its inhabitants.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The psalm, after recounting various instances of God's deliverance, shifts to describe God's sovereign power over the natural world. It illustrates how God can alter fertile lands, making them barren due to human wickedness, or conversely, transform desolate deserts into fruitful oases. This section emphasizes that such drastic changes in the land are not random but are direct acts of God's providence and justice.
Ever seen a dried-up riverbed or a barren patch of land and wondered why? The psalmist points to a power far greater than mere climate.
This verse isn't just poetic imagery; it's a declaration of God's absolute authority over the physical world. He doesn't just manage nature; He is the force behind its very existence and its changes.
From Abundance to Aridity
Think about a vibrant river that nourishes everything around it, or a reliable spring that provides life-giving water. God can, with a sovereign turn, transform these very sources of life into desolate, dry wastelands. This isn't random; it's a demonstration of His power.
The Purpose Behind the Change
While it might seem harsh, these transformations aren't arbitrary. The commentaries suggest these acts can be a response to human sin and wickedness, acting as a judgment. Conversely, the same power can bring life to barren lands. It highlights that our environment and its fruitfulness are ultimately in God's hands, and His actions are purposeful.
Does a drought mean God is angry? Does a good harvest mean He's pleased? This verse suggests a deeper connection between our actions and the earth's response.
The psalmist connects the physical transformations of the land directly to God's interaction with humanity, particularly in response to their behavior.
The Land's Response to Iniquity
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The commentaries highlight that when people turn away from God, the very land that sustains them can become unproductive. It's described as being turned into 'saltness' – a state of utter sterility. This isn't just a natural phenomenon; it's a visible sign that God is displeased with the 'wickedness of those who dwell therein.' The land itself seems to reflect the spiritual condition of its inhabitants.
The Land's Response to God's Favor
Conversely, the psalm implies that when people acknowledge God and live according to His ways, the opposite occurs. Deserts can bloom, and springs can emerge in dry places. This transformation isn't accidental; it's a blessing bestowed by God, making the land fruitful and abundant. It shows that God's favor can bring life and prosperity, transforming even the most desolate places.
Understand the original words
ra'ah · Hebrew Noun
The ethical state of rebellion against God, moral perversity, or wickedness that disrupts the created order and invites divine judgment.
This passage reflects on God's power to transform landscapes, not just through natural cycles, but as a consequence of human sin and divine judgment, or through His mercy in bringing life to barren places.
c. 1400 BC
Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
God's judgment turned the fertile Jordan plain into a barren, salt-encrusted wasteland, illustrating how divine action can render once-fruitful land utterly infertile.
c. 8th-7th century BC
Assyrian and Babylonian Empires Rise
The expansion of these empires led to the displacement of populations and the desolation of once-fertile regions through warfare and conquest, creating 'wildernesses'.
c. 6th century BC
Babylonian Exile
The Jewish people were exiled from their homeland, experiencing a spiritual and physical 'wilderness' and a land left untended, while the land of Babylon itself was often depicted as a place of desolation.
c. 539 BC
Persian Conquest of Babylon
The fall of Babylon to Persia marked a shift in imperial power, leading to potential changes in the landscape and administration of formerly prosperous regions.
c. 4th-1st century BC— this verse
Hellenistic Period and Roman Expansion
Following Alexander the Great, the region saw shifting political powers, warfare, and changing agricultural practices, sometimes leading to the decline of once-thriving areas into less productive lands.
c. 1st century AD
Roman Rule and Jewish Revolts
Roman administration and subsequent revolts, including the destruction of Jerusalem, dramatically altered the land and its inhabitants' relationship to it, leading to desolation in some areas.
This passage describes God turning fertile land into a wasteland with fire and brimstone, directly illustrating the principle of God transforming a lush area into a desert due to wickedness.
Jeremiah 50:12The prophet Jeremiah speaks of Babylon becoming a desert, a dry land, and a wilderness, echoing the imagery of Psalm 107:33 as a consequence of sin.
Isaiah 35:1-2This prophetic passage offers a powerful contrast, describing the desert blossoming and the wilderness rejoicing, showing God's ability to bring life to barren places.
Exodus 7:17-18When Moses confronts Pharaoh, God turns the Nile River into blood, demonstrating His power to make a life-giving water source deadly and infertile.
Deuteronomy 29:23This verse describes the land being made into brimstone, salt, and burning, a perpetual barrenness, directly linking environmental desolation to divine judgment.
pulpitPsalms 107:33: "He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dry ground;"
Verses 33-42. - Professor Cheyne finds in this passage - which he views as an "appendix" to the psalm - a falling off from the earlier portion of the psalm, and a set of "sentences strung together without much reflection." But to others the transition from special deliverances to God's general dealings with mankind seems an enlargement and an advance in the thought, although the language may be less grap…
clarkePsalms 107:33: "He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dry ground;"
He turneth rivers into a wilderness - After having, as above, illustrated the state of the Jews in their captivity, and the deliverance which God wrought for them, he now turns to the general conduct of God in reference to the poor and needy; and his gracious Interpositions in their behalf, the providential supply of their wants, and his opposition to their oppressors. On account of the wickedness of men…
It's easy to focus on the physical landscape here, but the "rivers" and "springs" are really about the sources of life and sustenance that God provides. What's profound is that He, who gives these life-giving sources, also has the power to turn them into barrenness, showing His ultimate control over all of creation and our dependence on Him for every blessing.
The psalm, after recounting various instances of God's deliverance, shifts to describe God's sovereign power over the natural world. It illustrates how God can alter fertile lands, making them barren due to human wickedness, or conversely, transform desolate deserts into fruitful oases. This section emphasizes that such drastic changes in the land are not random but are direct acts of God's providence and justice.
The psalm, after recounting various instances of God's deliverance, shifts to describe God's sovereign power over the natural world. It illustrates how God can alter fertile lands, making them barren due to human wickedness, or conversely, transform desolate deserts into fruitful oases. This section emphasizes that such drastic changes in the land are not random but are direct acts of God's providence and justice.
"He turns rivers into a desert, springs of water into thirsty ground, a fruitful land into a salty waste, because of the evil of its inhabitants." — It's easy to focus on the physical landscape here, but the "rivers" and "springs" are really about the sources of life and sustenance that God provides. What's profound is that He, who gives these…
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Last reviewed October 2026
