Psalms 107:34
a fruitful land into a salty waste, because of the evil of its inhabitants.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The phrase "into saltness" is key here, evoking the desolate, sterile landscape of Sodom and Gomorrah, a stark picture of God's judgment. This isn't just about a land becoming unfruitful, but about it becoming actively hostile to life, a direct consequence of the inhabitants' persistent sin.
This verse is part of a larger section in Psalm 107 that describes God's actions—both bringing judgment and offering restoration. Before this, the psalm recounts how God can make once-flowing rivers dry up. Immediately after, it shifts to show God's power to bring water to deserts, allowing life and settlement to flourish.
Ever wonder why some places seem to lose their ability to thrive? This verse paints a vivid picture of divine displeasure.
The Land's Lament
This verse describes a drastic transformation: a land once bursting with life, capable of producing abundance, becomes a salty wasteland. This isn't a random natural disaster; it's a direct consequence of God's action.
The Cause: Inhabitants' Evil
The text is crystal clear: the reason for this desolation is "the wickedness of them that dwell therein." God's blessings on a land are tied to the moral character of its people. When sin becomes rampant, the very ground rebels, becoming infertile and sterile, like the desolate salt marshes that remind us of the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah.
This isn't just about a lack of rain. It's about a fundamental shift in the land's very nature.
The 'Saltness' Imagery
The Hebrew word translated as "barrenness" can also mean "saltness." This evokes a specific kind of desolation – not just dry, but poisoned and sterile, a place where nothing can grow. Think of the Dead Sea region, a place known for its salinity and inability to support life.
A Sign of Divine Withdrawal
This extreme judgment signifies more than just a temporary setback. It represents God withdrawing His life-giving presence and blessing. When the "watersprings" of life dry up and fertile land turns to salt, it’s a profound statement about God's reaction to persistent sin. It’s a powerful reminder that God’s favor sustains everything, including the productivity of the earth.
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 verse powerfully recalls ancient judgments, particularly the destruction of Sodom and the warnings given to Israel, highlighting how national sin can lead to the literal desolation of a land blessed by God.
~1800 BC
Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
God destroyed the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, turning the fertile Jordan plain into a salt-encrusted wasteland, serving as a stark example of divine judgment on sin.
c. 1406 BC
Israel Enters the Promised Land
After centuries of wandering, the Israelites under Joshua entered Canaan, a land described as 'flowing with milk and honey,' but which God warned would become a barren wasteland if they sinned.
c. 722 BC
Assyrian Exile of Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquered the northern kingdom of Israel, deporting many inhabitants and leading to the desolation of their lands due to their idolatry and disobedience.
586 BC
Babylonian Destruction of Jerusalem
Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian Empire conquered the southern kingdom of Judah, destroyed Jerusalem and its temple, and exiled many to Babylon, leaving the land largely uncultivated.
This passage directly connects the fertility of the land with the godliness of its inhabitants, mirroring the cause-and-effect relationship described in Psalms 107:34 where wickedness leads to barrenness.
Deuteronomy 29:23This verse describes God turning land into sulfur and salt, a vivid image of barrenness, explicitly linking it to the disobedience and sin of the people, echoing the theme in Psalms 107.
Jeremiah 17:6This prophetic passage uses the imagery of a desert shrub that 'shall not see when prosperity comes' because it lives in the 'barren land of the desert,' directly relating environmental desolation to spiritual barrenness caused by forsaking God.
Luke 13:7Jesus tells the parable of a fig tree that is unproductive and is slated for destruction, with the vinedresser pleading for one more year, illustrating God's patience but also the consequence of sustained unfruitfulness, similar to how a land's fruitfulness is tied to its inhabitants' actions.
gillPsalms 107:34: "A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein."
A fruitful land into barrenness,.... Or, "into saltness" (t); as Sodom and the land adjacent became a salt sea; and the land of Canaan was threatened to become brimstone, salt and burning, like Sodom; in which nothing was sown, and which bore no grass; see Genesis 14:3 and so the Targum, "the land of Israel, which brought forth fruit, he hath destroyed, as Sodom was overthrown.'' For the wickedness…
wesleyPsalms 107:34: "A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein."
107:34 For - He doth not inflict these judgments without cause, but for the punishment of sin in some, and the prevention of it in others.
The phrase "into saltness" is key here, evoking the desolate, sterile landscape of Sodom and Gomorrah, a stark picture of God's judgment. This isn't just about a land becoming unfruitful, but about it becoming actively hostile to life, a direct consequence of the inhabitants' persistent sin.
This verse is part of a larger section in Psalm 107 that describes God's actions—both bringing judgment and offering restoration. Before this, the psalm recounts how God can make once-flowing rivers dry up. Immediately after, it shifts to show God's power to bring water to deserts, allowing life and settlement to flourish.
This verse is part of a larger section in Psalm 107 that describes God's actions—both bringing judgment and offering restoration. Before this, the psalm recounts how God can make once-flowing rivers dry up. Immediately after, it shifts to show God's power to bring water to deserts, allowing life and settlement to flourish.
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c. 500 BC - 100 BC— this verse
Exilic and Post-Exilic Period
Following the Babylonian exile, many Israelites returned to Judah, but the land's prosperity was significantly diminished, reflecting God's displeasure and the consequences of their past wickedness.
c. AD 70
Roman Destruction of Jerusalem
The Roman Empire destroyed Jerusalem and its Second Temple in response to Jewish rebellion, leading to further scattering of the people and desolation of the land, mirroring the warnings in the Psalms.
"a fruitful land into a salty waste, because of the evil of its inhabitants." — The phrase "into saltness" is key here, evoking the desolate, sterile landscape of Sodom and Gomorrah, a stark picture of God's judgment. This isn't just about a land becoming unfruitful, but about i…
