Psalm 78:15-16
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The verse uses "rocks" in the plural, hinting at the two separate instances where God miraculously provided water from stone during the wilderness journey. This wasn't just a one-time event, but a pattern of His faithfulness that the psalmist wants us to remember.
He split rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep. He made streams come out of the rock and caused waters to flow down like rivers.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This psalm is a sweeping review of Israel's history, emphasizing God's faithfulness contrasted with their repeated rebellion. After recounting God's mighty acts from the Exodus and wilderness journey, the psalmist highlights how God provided for their physical needs even as they grumbled and sinned. This verse specifically recalls miraculous moments where God brought water from solid rock in the desert, demonstrating His power to sustain them.
Why does Psalm 78 recount the story of water from the rocks? It's not just about quenching thirst; it's about remembering God's faithfulness.
This psalm is a powerful reminder that history isn't just a collection of events, but a deliberate teaching tool. The psalmist, Asaph, isn't just telling a story; he's using Israel's past as a mirror for his generation. He emphasizes that God's mighty deeds, like splitting rocks to provide water, were meant to be remembered and passed down. These aren't isolated incidents but part of a larger narrative of God's consistent care, designed to shape their faith and obedience. The repetition of these stories in Scripture is an invitation to reflect on how God has provided for us, not just in grand miracles, but in the everyday.
Imagine being parched in a barren desert, and suddenly, water gushes from solid rock! This wasn't just a trickle; it was an outpouring.
The verse highlights the incredible abundance of God's provision. The phrase 'as from the deep' suggests a source as vast and inexhaustible as the ocean. This points to God's power to bring forth life and sustenance from the most unlikely places. The 'rocks' themselves, seemingly barren and lifeless, became fountains. This is a powerful metaphor for how God can meet our deepest needs, even when our circumstances seem impossible. He doesn't just give enough; He gives abundantly, overflowing from a source that is ultimately His own boundless nature.
Understand the original words
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midbar · Hebrew Noun
The barren, uncultivated, and desolate region where the Israelites wandered. It functions in Scripture as a place of testing, dependency on God, and refinement of faith.
tehom · Hebrew Noun
The vast, subterranean reservoirs of water in the ancient Near Eastern cosmology. When associated with God’s provision, it represents the immeasurable, life-sustaining resources of the Creator that are available even in the driest conditions.
The psalm's author recalls two distinct instances of God providing water from rocks, showing His consistent provision throughout the wilderness journey, even amidst Israel's persistent unfaithfulness.
c. 1446 BC
Israelites miraculously supplied with water at Rephidim
During their journey from Egypt, the Israelites grumbled for water at Rephidim. God instructed Moses to strike a rock, and water flowed out, sustaining the people.
c. 1406 BC— this verse
Water provided again at Kadesh
Late in their wilderness wanderings, the Israelites again lacked water and complained. God told Moses to speak to a rock, and water gushed forth.
Post-Exodus
Kingdoms of Israel and Judah separate
Following Solomon's reign, the united kingdom split into the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah. This division influenced later historical and religious contexts.
c. 700-500 BC
Psalm 78 composed
This psalm, attributed to Asaph, likely dates from the post-exilic period or the later monarchy, reflecting on Israel's history to teach and admonish subsequent generations.
This passage records the first instance where Moses struck a rock in the wilderness at God's command, and water flowed out to quench the people's thirst, directly paralleling the action described in Psalm 78:15.
Numbers 20:11This account describes a second, similar miracle where Moses lifted his staff and struck the rock (or spoke to it, according to different traditions), bringing forth water for the Israelites, further illustrating the 'rocks' mentioned in the plural in Psalm 78:15.
1 Corinthians 10:4The Apostle Paul explicitly states that the Israelites 'drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ,' linking the miraculous water from the rock in the wilderness to Christ Himself, as the ultimate source of spiritual sustenance.
Deuteronomy 8:15This verse speaks of God leading Israel through the 'great desert, that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water,' highlighting the perilous and waterless conditions for which God provided the miraculous drink described in Psalm 78:15.
cambridgePsalms 78:15: "He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths."
15, 16 . He clave rocks in the wilderness, And gave them drink as out of the depths abundantly: And he brought forth streams out of a cliff. Two different words are used, with reference to the two occasions upon which the Israelites were miraculously supplied with water: first in Rephidim at the beginning of their journey when Moses was commanded to smite ‘the rock’ ( Exodus 17:6 ), and secondl…
expositorsPsalms 78:1-72: "Maschil of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth."
Psalm 78:1-72 THIS psalm is closely related to Psalm 105:1-45 ; Psalm 106:1-48 ; Psalm 107:1-43 . Like them, it treats the history of Israel, and especially the Exodus and wilderness wanderings, for purposes of edification, rebuke, and encouragement. The past is held up as a mirror to the present generation. It has been one long succession of miracles of mercy met by equally continu…
The verse uses "rocks" in the plural, hinting at the two separate instances where God miraculously provided water from stone during the wilderness journey. This wasn't just a one-time event, but a pattern of His faithfulness that the psalmist wants us to remember.
This psalm is a sweeping review of Israel's history, emphasizing God's faithfulness contrasted with their repeated rebellion. After recounting God's mighty acts from the Exodus and wilderness journey, the psalmist highlights how God provided for their physical needs even as they grumbled and sinned. This verse specifically recalls miraculous moments where God brought water from solid rock in the desert, demonstrating His power to sustain them.
This psalm is a sweeping review of Israel's history, emphasizing God's faithfulness contrasted with their repeated rebellion. After recounting God's mighty acts from the Exodus and wilderness journey, the psalmist highlights how God provided for their physical needs even as they grumbled and sinned. This verse specifically recalls miraculous moments where God brought water from solid rock in the desert, demonstrating His power to sustain them.
"He split rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep. He made streams come out of the rock and caused waters to flow down like rivers." — The verse uses "rocks" in the plural, hinting at the two separate instances where God miraculously provided water from stone during the wilderness journey. This wasn't just a one-time event, but a pa…
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Last reviewed October 2026
