Psalms 107:34-38
a fruitful land into a salty waste, because of the evil of its inhabitants. He turns a desert into pools of water, a parched land into springs of water. And there he lets the hungry dwell, and they establish a city to live in; they sow fields and plant vineyards and get a fruitful yield. By his blessing they multiply greatly, and he does not let their livestock diminish.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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It's easy to read this as a general statement about sin causing bad things, but notice the specific detail: "into saltness." This evokes the land of Sodom and Gomorrah, a place utterly destroyed and left barren by God. The verse isn't just saying wickedness leads to hardship, but that it can result in utter desolation, a stark warning against persistent, unrepentant sin.
This verse appears within a larger psalm reflecting on God's powerful acts of both judgment and restoration. It follows descriptions of God turning fertile lands into deserts and dry lands into water sources, highlighting His sovereign control over creation and human circumstances due to sin or faithfulness. The context emphasizes that such drastic environmental shifts, like a fruitful land becoming barren and salty, are not random but are direct consequences of the inhabitants' wicked actions.
Ever wondered why some lands seem blessed with abundance while others are cursed with scarcity? This verse points to a powerful, intentional divine action.
A Land Transformed
The psalmist describes a shocking transformation: a land that once yielded abundant crops is turned into a salty wasteland. This isn't a random natural disaster. The Hebrew word for 'barrenness' here specifically evokes the image of saltiness, bringing to mind places like the Dead Sea region, known for its extreme salinity and inability to support life.
The Cause: Inhabitants' Evil
But what causes such a devastating change? The verse is crystal clear: "because of the evil of its inhabitants." This is God's direct judgment. When a land, blessed by God with fertility, becomes a place of wickedness, God can withdraw His blessing, turning its life-giving resources into a symbol of judgment and desolation. It's a profound reminder that the spiritual state of a people can have tangible consequences on the very ground they live on.
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Why would God do this? Is it simply punishment, or is there more to His actions when He judges a land?
God's Purposeful Action
When God turns a fruitful land into a wasteland, it's not arbitrary. The text implies a divine purpose behind this judgment. It serves as a consequence for the sin that has taken root within the land's people.
Beyond Punishment
While it's a form of punishment, the commentaries suggest it also acts as a prevention. For those who witness such judgment, it serves as a stark warning about the seriousness of sin and the consequences of turning away from God. For the inhabitants themselves, it's a painful but potentially corrective experience, aiming to bring them to repentance by demonstrating the devastating outcomes of their evil deeds. God doesn't delight in destruction, but He does act to uphold His righteousness and call His people back to Himself.
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.
ra'eb · Hebrew Adjective/Noun
A state of physical or spiritual deprivation; in a biblical sense, it often describes the condition of those who realize their need for God's provision and righteousness.
berakah · Hebrew Noun
In the biblical context, the act of divine favor or empowerment bestowed by God upon His people, enabling them to thrive, prosper, and fulfill their purpose.
This verse speaks powerfully to the covenant relationship between God and Israel, where the land's fertility was directly tied to the inhabitants' faithfulness. The judgment described echoes the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and finds its most profound historical context in the exile, a period when the very land God had given them became a desolate witness to their sin.
~1800 BC
Abraham Called Out of Ur
God calls Abraham to leave his homeland, initiating a covenant relationship and the promise of a great nation. This marks a foundational moment of God's people being set apart.
c. 1400 BC
Conquest of Canaan
The Israelites, after their exodus from Egypt, conquer the land of Canaan. This is the 'fruitful land' promised to Abraham, but its inhabitants are judged for their wickedness.
c. 2000 BC
Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
These cities and their surrounding plain are destroyed by divine judgment, becoming a salt waste. This event serves as a stark warning and example of God's judgment on extreme wickedness.
c. 750 BC
Assyrian Empire's Rise
The Assyrian Empire begins its aggressive expansion, a major geopolitical force that will eventually threaten and conquer the northern kingdom of Israel.
722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrians conquer the northern kingdom of Israel, deporting many of its inhabitants and scattering them. This event illustrates divine judgment for apostasy and sin.
605-586 BC— this verse
Babylonian Exile
The Babylonians conquer Judah in stages, deporting its people and destroying Jerusalem. This is a profound consequence of Israel's persistent disobedience, turning a promised land into a place of desolation.
c. 538 BC
Return from Exile
After the Babylonian exile, some Jews are allowed to return to Judah, beginning the process of rebuilding the Temple and their land. This signifies God's faithfulness to restore His people, even after severe judgment.
This passage describes the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah by fire and brimstone, turning a once fertile plain into a salt waste, directly illustrating the consequence of wickedness mentioned in Psalms 107:34.
Deuteronomy 29:22-23This verse explicitly links the destruction of the land (like Sodom) into a sulfurous salt and barren waste to the disobedience and sin of its people, echoing the cause and effect in Psalms 107:34.
Jeremiah 17:6This verse uses the imagery of a bush in the desert, or a salt land where nothing can grow, to describe someone who has turned away from the Lord, paralleling the 'fruitful land into salt' imagery of Psalms 107:34.
Ezekiel 47:11In contrast to the desolation in Psalms 107:34, this prophecy speaks of waters healing even the salt marshes, bringing life and fertility back to desolate places, highlighting God's restorative power that can reverse such curses.
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.
It's easy to read this as a general statement about sin causing bad things, but notice the specific detail: "into saltness." This evokes the land of Sodom and Gomorrah, a place utterly destroyed and left barren by God. The verse isn't just saying wickedness leads to hardship, but that it can result in utter desolation, a stark warning against persistent, unrepentant sin.
This verse appears within a larger psalm reflecting on God's powerful acts of both judgment and restoration. It follows descriptions of God turning fertile lands into deserts and dry lands into water sources, highlighting His sovereign control over creation and human circumstances due to sin or faithfulness. The context emphasizes that such drastic environmental shifts, like a fruitful land becoming barren and salty, are not random but are direct consequences of the inhabitants' wicked actions.
This verse appears within a larger psalm reflecting on God's powerful acts of both judgment and restoration. It follows descriptions of God turning fertile lands into deserts and dry lands into water sources, highlighting His sovereign control over creation and human circumstances due to sin or faithfulness. The context emphasizes that such drastic environmental shifts, like a fruitful land becoming barren and salty, are not random but are direct consequences of the inhabitants' wicked actions.
"a fruitful land into a salty waste, because of the evil of its inhabitants. He turns a desert into pools of water, a parched land into springs of water. And there he lets the hungry dwell, and they establish a city…" — It's easy to read this as a general statement about sin causing bad things, but notice the specific detail: "into saltness." This evokes the land of Sodom and Gomorrah, a place utterly destroyed and…
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