Psalms 107 · Verse 33

Psalms 107:33

He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dry ground;
Psalms 107:33, King James Version

Psalms 107:33 in other translations

BSBHe turns rivers into deserts, springs of water into thirsty ground,
WEBHe turns rivers into a desert, water springs into a thirsty ground,
ASVHe turneth rivers into a wilderness, And watersprings into a thirsty ground;
YLTHe maketh rivers become a wilderness, And fountains of waters become dry land.
DARBYHe maketh rivers into a wilderness, and water-springs into dry ground;
BBEHe makes rivers into waste places, and springs of water into a dry land;
WebsterHe turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the water-springs into dry ground;

What does Psalms 107:33 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 107:33-41
33-41. He turneth rivers into a wilderness, &c.--God's providence is illustriously displayed in His influence on two great elements of human prosperity, the earth's productiveness and the powers of government. He punishes the wicked by destroying the sources of fertility, or, in mercy, gives fruitfulness to deserts, which become the homes of a busy and successful agricultural population. By a permitted misrule and tyranny, this scene of prosperity is changed to one of adversity. He rules rulers, setting up one and putting down another.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 33 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, he sometimes changes a fruitful land into a desert. See the general state of Egypt in the present time: once a fertile land; now an arid, sandy wilderness. Again, by his blessing on honest industry, he has changed deserts into highly fertile ground. And, as for the wickedness of their inhabitants, many lands are cursed and rendered barren; so, when a people acknowledge him in all their ways, he blesses their toil, gives them rain and fruitful seasons, and fills their hearts with joy and gladness.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Psalms 107:33-43
What surprising changes are often made in the affairs of men! Let the present desolate state of Judea, and of other countries, explain this. If we look abroad in the world, we see many greatly increase, whose beginning was small. We see many who have thus suddenly risen, as suddenly brought to nothing. Worldly wealth is uncertain; often those who are filled with it, ere they are aware, lose it again. God has many ways of making men poor. The righteous shall rejoice. It shall fully convince all those who deny the Divine Providence. When sinners see how justly God takes away the gifts they have abused, they will not have a word to say. It is of great use to us to be fully assured of God's goodness, and duly affected with it. It is our wisdom to mind our duty, and to refer our comfort to him. A truly wise person will treasure in his heart this delightful psalm. From it, he will fully understand the weakness and wretchedness of man, and the power and loving-kindness of God, not for our merit, but for his mercy's sake.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Psalms 107:33 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

יָשֵׂ֣םya.Semhe madeH7760
נְהָר֣וֹתne.ha.RotriversH5104
לְמִדְבָּ֑רle.mid.Barinto a wildernessH4057
וּמֹצָ֥אֵיu.mo.Tza.'eiand springs ofH4161
מַ֝֗יִםMa.yimwaterH4325
לְצִמָּאֽוֹן\׃le.tzi.ma.'oninto thirsty groundH6774

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Psalms 107:33

  • Isaiah 42:15

    I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools.

  • Isaiah 50:2

    Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for thirst.

  • Amos 4:7-8

    And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered. So two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord.

  • Zephaniah 2:9

    Therefore as I live, saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.

  • Isaiah 44:27

    That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers:

  • Zephaniah 2:13

    And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, and dry like a wilderness.

  • Nahum 1:4

    He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers: Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth.

  • Psalms 74:15

    Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood: thou driedst up mighty rivers.

  • Isaiah 19:5-10

    And the waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall be wasted and dried up. And they shall turn the rivers far away; and the brooks of defence shall be emptied and dried up: the reeds and flags shall wither. The paper reeds by the brooks, by the mouth of the brooks, and every thing sown by the brooks, shall wither, be driven away, and be no more. The fishers also shall mourn, and all they that cast angle into the brooks shall lament, and they that spread nets upon the waters shall languish. …

  • Joel 1:20

    The beasts of the field cry also unto thee: for the rivers of waters are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness.

  • Ezekiel 30:12

    And I will make the rivers dry, and sell the land into the hand of the wicked: and I will make the land waste, and all that is therein, by the hand of strangers: I the Lord have spoken it.

  • Jeremiah 14:3

    And their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters: they came to the pits, and found no water; they returned with their vessels empty; they were ashamed and confounded, and covered their heads.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
turneth.
1Ki 17:1-7; Isa 13:19-21; 19:5-10; 34:9,10; 42:15; 44:27; 50:2
Eze 30:12; Joe 1:20; Na 1:4; Zep 2:9,13
water-springs.
1Ki 18:5; Jer 14:3; Am 4:7,8

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Psalms 107:32

    Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.

  • Psalms 107:33

    He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dry ground;

  • Psalms 107:34

    A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein.

Read all of Psalms 107

Psalms 107:33 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		El vuelve los ríos en desierto, y los manantiales de las aguas en secadales;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Il change les fleuves en désert, et les sources d’eaux en sol aride,
German
Elberfelder 1871		Er macht Ströme zur Wüste und Wasserquellen zu dürrem Lande,