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

ISAIAH 44:27KJV
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Isaiah 44:27 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 44:27 mean?

Isaiah 44:27 describes God’s power to command the waters, telling the deep places to become dry and promising to dry up rivers. This verse highlights God’s authority over creation, showing that even the most uncontrollable forces of nature obey His word.

In this part of Isaiah, God is speaking through the prophet to the people of Israel, reminding them of His unmatched power and faithfulness. The imagery of drying up the deep and the rivers points back to events like the parting of the Red Sea and looks ahead to God making a way for His people to return from exile. It reassures the listeners that God can overcome any obstacle for their sake.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 44:27

  • "deep" (תְּהוֹם, tehom): This word often refers to the primeval ocean or the depths of the sea, symbolizing chaos or overwhelming trouble. Here, it emphasizes that God can control even the most untamable parts of creation.
  • "dry" (חָרֵב, charev): This verb means to become dry or parched. The use here stresses the total transformation God can bring—turning a place of water into dry land.
  • "rivers" (נָהָר, nahar): This word means rivers or streams, often representing barriers or sources of life. God’s ability to dry them up shows His power to remove obstacles or change circumstances completely.

Why Isaiah 44:27 matters

  • Isaiah 44:27 clears up the idea that nature is beyond God’s reach; it shows that God’s authority extends even to the most powerful natural forces.
  • The verse connects to the wider theme in Isaiah 44 of God’s uniqueness and reliability, especially compared to idols that cannot act or speak.
  • This verse reassures the original audience that God can make a way for them, no matter how impossible their situation seems, tying into the promise of return from exile.

Where else these words appear

“dry” Hebrew H2717 · used in 36 verses

  • Genesis 8:13 And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry.
  • Isaiah 34:10 It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.
  • Jeremiah 51:36 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will plead thy cause, and take vengeance for thee; and I will dry up her sea, and make her springs dry.

“up” Hebrew H3001 · used in 67 verses

  • Genesis 8:7 And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.
  • Isaiah 15:6 For the waters of Nimrim shall be desolate: for the hay is withered away, the grass faileth, there is no green thing.
  • Jeremiah 51:36 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will plead thy cause, and take vengeance for thee; and I will dry up her sea, and make her springs dry.

“rivers” Hebrew H5104 · used in 109 verses

  • Genesis 2:10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.
  • Ezra 8:31 Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go unto Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in wait by the way.
  • 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.