(15) Thou didst cleave . . .--Another pregnant expression for "thou didst cleave the rock, and a fountain came forth."
Flood.--Better, brook. Heb., n?chal.
Mighty rivers.--See margin. But, perhaps, rather. rivers of constant flow, that did not dry up in summer like the "brooks." The same word is used of the sea (Exodus 14:27), to express the return to the regular flow of the tide.
Verse 15. - Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood; rather, and the torrent (comp. Exodus 17:6; Numbers 20:11). Thou driedst up mighty rivers;i.e. the Jordan (Joshua 3:13, et seqq.).
74:12-17 The church silences her own complaints. What God had done for his people, as their King of old, encouraged them to depend on him. It was the Lord's doing, none besides could do it. This providence was food to faith and hope, to support and encourage in difficulties. The God of Israel is the God of nature. He that is faithful to his covenant about the day and the night, will never cast off those whom he has chosen. We have as much reason to expect affliction, as to expect night and winter. But we have no more reason to despair of the return of comfort, than to despair of day and summer. And in the world above we shall have no more changes.
Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood,.... That is, the rocks at Horeb and at Kadesh, from whence water flowed as out of a fountain, and became a flood, whereby the people of Israel were supplied with water in the wilderness, and also their beasts; and from this instance it may be concluded that God will not leave his people, nor suffer them to want, but will supply all their need while they are in the wilderness, and will open fountains and rivers for them, Isaiah 41:17 he himself is a fountain of living water; Christ is the fountain of gardens, and the Spirit and his grace a well of living water springing up unto everlasting life:
thou driedst up mighty rivers; the river of Jordan, called "mighty", as Kimchi says, because by its strength it overflowed all its banks and "rivers", and because other rivers flowed into it; this was dried up, or way was made through it, as on dry land, for the people of Israel to pass into Canaan, Joshua 3:14, the Targum is,
"thou hast dried up the fords and brooks of Hermon, and the fords of Jabbok and Jordan;''
see Numbers 21:14, and the Lord, that did this, is able to dry up, and will dry up, the river Euphrates, as is foretold, Revelation 16:12, that is, destroy the Turkish empire, and make way for the spread of the Gospel in the eastern parts of the world; to which reference is had in Isaiah 11:15.
Flood.--Better, brook. Heb., n?chal.
Mighty rivers.--See margin. But, perhaps, rather. rivers of constant flow, that did not dry up in summer like the "brooks." The same word is used of the sea (Exodus 14:27), to express the return to the regular flow of the tide.
The verb "driest up" is that used (Joshua 2:10) of the Red Sea, and Joshua 4:23; Joshua 5:1 of the Jordan.
thou driedst up mighty rivers; the river of Jordan, called "mighty", as Kimchi says, because by its strength it overflowed all its banks and "rivers", and because other rivers flowed into it; this was dried up, or way was made through it, as on dry land, for the people of Israel to pass into Canaan, Joshua 3:14, the Targum is,
"thou hast dried up the fords and brooks of Hermon, and the fords of Jabbok and Jordan;''
see Numbers 21:14, and the Lord, that did this, is able to dry up, and will dry up, the river Euphrates, as is foretold, Revelation 16:12, that is, destroy the Turkish empire, and make way for the spread of the Gospel in the eastern parts of the world; to which reference is had in Isaiah 11:15.