Psalms 74:15
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You broke open the fountain and the flood; You dried up the ever-flowing rivers.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
This psalm does so particularly describe the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, by Nebuchadnezzar and the army of the Chaldeans, and can so ill be applied to any other event we meet with in the Jewish history, that interpreters incline to think that either it was penned by David, or Asaph in David's time, with a prophetical reference to that sad event (which yet is not so probable), or that it was penned by another Asaph, who lived at the time of the captivity, or by Jeremiah (for it is of a piece with his Lamentations,) or some other prophet, and, after the return out of captivity, was delivered to the sons of Asaph, who were called by his name, for the public service of the church. That was the most eminent family of the singers in Ezra's time. See Ezr 2:41; Ezr 3:10; Neh 11:17, Neh 11:22; Neh 12:35, Neh 12:46. The deplorable case of the people of God at that time is here spread before the Lord, and left with him. The prophet, in the name of the church I. Puts in complaining pleas of the miseries they suffered, for the quickening of their desires in prayer (Psa 74:1-11). II. He puts in comfortable pleas for the encouraging of their faith in prayer (Psa 74:12-17). III. He concludes with divers petitions to God for deliverances (Psa 74:18-23). In singing it we must be affected with the former desolations of the church, for we are members of the same body, and may apply it to any present distresses or desolations of any part of the Christian church. Maschil of Asaph.
Open source ↗74:15 springs and streams to gush forth: God provided water in the desert for his people (see 68:8-9; Exod 17:6); he dried up the Red Sea (Exod 14:21) and the Jordan River (Josh 3:17).
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.
Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, so that a great amount of water gushed out, and the congregation and their livestock were able to drink.
He opened a rock, and water gushed out; it flowed like a river in the desert.
They did not thirst when He led them through the deserts; He made water flow for them from the rock; He split the rock, and water gushed out.
For we have heard how the LORD dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites across the Jordan, whom you devoted to destruction.
who says to the depths of the sea, ‘Be dry, and I will dry up your currents,’
And Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up, and struck the waters, which parted to the right and to the left, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
And the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings of the East.
You brandished Your bow; You called for many arrows. Selah You split the earth with rivers.
Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the waters. “Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” he asked. And when he had struck the waters, they parted to the right and to the left, and Elisha crossed over.
He split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink as abundant as the seas.