Isaiah 48:21
New International Version
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.

New Living Translation
They were not thirsty when he led them through the desert. He divided the rock, and water gushed out for them to drink.

English Standard Version
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 the water gushed out.

Berean Standard Bible
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.

King James Bible
And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts: he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out.

New King James Version
And they did not thirst When He led them through the deserts; He caused the waters to flow from the rock for them; He also split the rock, and the waters gushed out.

New American Standard Bible
They did not thirst when He led them through the deserts. He made the water flow out of the rock for them; He split the rock and the water gushed out.

NASB 1995
They did not thirst when He led them through the deserts. He made the water flow out of the rock for them; He split the rock and the water gushed forth.

NASB 1977
And they did not thirst when He led them through the deserts. He made the water flow out of the rock for them; He split the rock, and the water gushed forth.

Legacy Standard Bible
And they did not thirst when He led them through the waste places. He made the water flow out of the rock for them; He split the rock, and the water gushed forth.

Amplified Bible
They did not thirst when He led them through the deserts. He made the waters flow out of the rock for them; He split the rock and the waters flowed.

Christian Standard Bible
They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts; he made water flow from the rock for them; he split the rock, and water gushed out.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
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.”

American Standard Version
And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts; he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them; he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out.

Contemporary English Version
He led us through the desert and made water flow from a rock to satisfy our thirst.

English Revised Version
And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts: he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They weren't thirsty when he led them through the deserts. He made water flow from a rock for them. He split a rock, and water gushed out.

Good News Translation
When the LORD led his people through a hot, dry desert, they did not suffer from thirst. He made water come from a rock for them; he split the rock open, and water flowed out.

International Standard Version
They didn't thirst when he led him through the desolate places. He made water gush from a rock for them; he split open the rock, and water gushed out.

Majority Standard Bible
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.

NET Bible
They do not thirst as he leads them through dry regions; he makes water flow out of a rock for them; he splits open a rock and water flows out.'

New Heart English Bible
They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts; he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them; he split the rock also, and the waters gushed out.

Webster's Bible Translation
And they thirsted not, when he led them through the deserts: he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: he cleaved the rock also, and the waters gushed out.

World English Bible
They didn’t thirst when he led them through the deserts. He caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them. He also split the rock and the waters gushed out.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And they have not thirsted in wastelands, "" He has caused them to go on, "" He has caused waters from a rock to flow to them, "" Indeed, he cleaves a rock, and waters flow.

Young's Literal Translation
And they have not thirsted in waste places, He hath caused them to go on, Waters from a rock he hath caused to flow to them, Yea, he cleaveth a rock, and flow do waters.

Smith's Literal Translation
And they thirsted not causing them to go in dry places: he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: and he will cleave asunder the rock, and the waters will flow out.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
They thirsted not in the desert, when he led them out: he brought forth water out of the rock for them, and he clove the rock, and the waters gushed out.

Catholic Public Domain Version
They did not thirst in the desert, when he led them out. He produced water from the rock for them. For he split the rock, and the waters flowed out.

New American Bible
They did not thirst when he led them through dry lands; Water from the rock he set flowing for them; he cleft the rock, and waters welled forth.”

New Revised Standard Version
They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts; he made water flow for them from the rock; he split open the rock and the water gushed out.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
They thirsted not when he led them through the deserts; he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them; he bored through the rock, and the waters gushed out.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
In the desert he walked them, and water from the flint he made flow to them! He bored through the stone and the waters flowed!’
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And they thirsted not When He led them through the deserts; He caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them; He cleaved the rock also, and the waters gushed out.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And if they shall thirst, he shall lead them through the desert; he shall bring forth water to them out of the rock: the rock shall be cloven, and the water shall flow forth, and my people shall drink.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Deliverance Promised to Israel
20Leave Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! Declare it with a shout of joy, proclaim it, let it go out to the ends of the earth, saying, “The LORD has redeemed His servant Jacob!” 21They 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. 22“There is no peace,” says the LORD, “for the wicked.”…

Cross References
Exodus 17:6
Behold, I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. And when you strike the rock, water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.

Numbers 20:8-11
“Take the staff and assemble the congregation. You and your brother Aaron are to speak to the rock while they watch, and it will pour out its water. You will bring out water from the rock and provide drink for the congregation and their livestock.” / So Moses took the staff from the LORD’s presence, just as he had been commanded. / Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly in front of the rock, and Moses said to them, “Listen now, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” ...

Psalm 78:15-16
He split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink as abundant as the seas. / He brought streams from the stone and made water flow down like rivers.

Psalm 105:41
He opened a rock, and water gushed out; it flowed like a river in the desert.

Nehemiah 9:15
In their hunger You gave them bread from heaven; in their thirst You brought them water from the rock. You told them to go in and possess the land that You had sworn to give them.

1 Corinthians 10:4
and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.

Deuteronomy 8:15
He led you through the vast and terrifying wilderness with its venomous snakes and scorpions, a thirsty and waterless land. He brought you water from the rock of flint.

Psalm 114:8
who turned the rock into a pool, the flint into a fountain of water!

John 4:14
But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life.”

John 7:37-38
On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. / Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said: ‘Streams of living water will flow from within him.’”

Revelation 7:17
For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd. ‘He will lead them to springs of living water,’ and ‘God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”

Revelation 21:6
And He told me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give freely from the spring of the water of life.

Revelation 22:1
Then the angel showed me a river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb

Revelation 22:17
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Let the one who hears say, “Come!” And let the one who is thirsty come, and the one who desires the water of life drink freely.

Isaiah 41:17-18
The poor and needy seek water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the LORD, will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. / I will open rivers on the barren heights, and fountains in the middle of the valleys. I will turn the desert into a pool of water, and the dry land into flowing springs.


Treasury of Scripture

And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts: he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: he split the rock also, and the waters gushed out.

they thirsted

Isaiah 30:25
And there shall be upon every high mountain, and upon every high hill, rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall.

Isaiah 35:6,7
Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert…

Isaiah 41:17,18
When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them…

he caused

Exodus 17:6
Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

Numbers 20:11
And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.

Nehemiah 9:15
And gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promisedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them.

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Caused Clave Cleaved Cleaveth Cleft Deserts Flow Flowing Forth Guiding Gushed Led Need Parted Places Rock Split Thirst Thirsted Waste Water Waters
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Caused Clave Cleaved Cleaveth Cleft Deserts Flow Flowing Forth Guiding Gushed Led Need Parted Places Rock Split Thirst Thirsted Waste Water Waters
Isaiah 48
1. God, to convince the people of their foreknown obstinance, revealed his prophecies
9. He saves them for his own sake
12. He exhorts them to obedience, because of his power and providence
16. He laments their backwardness
20. He powerfully delivers his people out of Babylon














They did not thirst
This phrase reflects God's miraculous provision for the Israelites during their journey through the desert. In the Hebrew context, the word for "thirst" (צָמֵא, tsame) signifies a deep, desperate need for water, which is a basic necessity for survival. The absence of thirst among the Israelites underscores God's faithfulness and His ability to meet the needs of His people even in the most barren and challenging environments. This serves as a powerful reminder of God's sustaining power and His promise to care for His people.

when He led them through the deserts
The "deserts" (מִדְבָּר, midbar) symbolize not only the physical wilderness but also the spiritual and emotional trials that the Israelites faced. Historically, the desert journey was a time of testing and transformation for the Israelites, as they learned to rely on God. The phrase emphasizes God's role as a shepherd and guide, leading His people with purpose and direction through the harsh and unforgiving terrain. It highlights the idea that God is present in our own life's deserts, guiding us through our trials.

He made water flow for them from the rock
This miraculous event is a direct reference to the accounts in Exodus 17:6 and Numbers 20:11, where God provided water from a rock to quench the thirst of the Israelites. The "rock" (צוּר, tsur) is often seen as a symbol of Christ in Christian theology, representing strength, stability, and salvation. The act of bringing forth water from the rock illustrates God's power to bring life and sustenance from seemingly impossible situations. It is a testament to His ability to provide for His people in miraculous ways.

He split the rock
The action of splitting the rock signifies God's intervention in the natural order to meet the needs of His people. The Hebrew word for "split" (בָּקַע, baqa) conveys a forceful and decisive action, demonstrating God's authority over creation. This act is a vivid illustration of God's willingness to go to great lengths to ensure the well-being of His people. It serves as a metaphor for how God can break through the hardest of circumstances to bring relief and deliverance.

and water gushed out
The imagery of water gushing out (נָזַל, nazal) from the rock conveys abundance and generosity. It is not just a trickle, but a plentiful supply, indicating that God's provision is not limited or scarce. This abundance is a reflection of God's grace and His desire to bless His people beyond their immediate needs. The gushing water is a symbol of the living water that Christ offers, which satisfies the deepest spiritual thirst and brings eternal life. This phrase encourages believers to trust in God's abundant provision and to seek the living water that only He can provide.

(21) He caused the waters to flow . . .--A dead prosaic literalism makes men wonder that there is no record of such wonders on the return from Babylon. A truer insight recognises that the "water out of the rock" is, as ever, the symbol of spiritual refreshment (Isaiah 41:17-19; Isaiah 43:19-20; John 4:10).

Verse 21. - They thirsted not (comp. Isaiah 43:19, and the comment ad loc). The literal meaning is not to be altogether excluded. We have no historical account of the journey made by the bulk of the exiles who returned with Zerubbabel; but they must almost certainly have experienced difficulties with respect to water; and it is quite possible that a miraculous supply was vouchsafed to them. Most commentators, however, are content to explain both this and the earlier passage as merely "symbolical." The Israelites - they say - had spiritual refreshment on their homeward journey, by God's goodness, constantly.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
They did not
וְלֹ֣א (wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

thirst
צָמְא֗וּ (ṣā·mə·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 6770: To be thirsty

when He led
הֽוֹלִיכָ֔ם (hō·w·lî·ḵām)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

them through the deserts;
בָּחֳרָבוֹת֙ (bā·ḥo·rā·ḇō·wṯ)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 2723: Waste, desolation, ruin

He made water
מַ֥יִם (ma·yim)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen

flow
הִזִּ֣יל (hiz·zîl)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5140: To flow, trickle, drop, distill

for them
לָ֑מוֹ (lā·mōw)
Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew

from the rock;
מִצּ֖וּר (miṣ·ṣūr)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6697: A cliff, a rock, boulder, a refuge, an edge

He split
וַיִּ֨בְקַע־ (way·yiḇ·qa‘-)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1234: To cleave, to rend, break, rip, open

the rock,
צ֔וּר (ṣūr)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6697: A cliff, a rock, boulder, a refuge, an edge

and water
מָֽיִם׃ (mā·yim)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen

gushed out.
וַיָּזֻ֖בוּ (way·yā·zu·ḇū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 2100: To flow freely, to have a, flux, to waste away, to overflow


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OT Prophets: Isaiah 48:21 They didn't thirst when he led them (Isa Isi Is)
Isaiah 48:20
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