Isaiah 44:27 · Bible study
Isaiah 44:27 Commentary: God's Sovereignty over the Deep
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Does this verse refer to Cyrus drying the Euphrates or is it a broader declaration of God's power?
Research Summary
- Meaning: God asserts His authority over the deep and rivers, referring primarily to the Euphrates’ drying for Cyrus’s conquest.
- Key words: tsulah (deep, ocean-depth); naharot (rivers, especially the Euphrates and its canals); yaresh (Hiphil: make dry, dry up).
- Main debate: Specific reference to Cyrus and Babylon vs. broader declaration of God’s power (with possible Exodus allusion).
- Theological theme: God’s sovereign word controls creation and history, removing every barrier to His people’s redemption.
- Best use: A promise of divine intervention when facing insurmountable odds; a call to trust the God who commands the waters.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
who says to the depths of the sea, ‘Be dry, and I will dry up your currents,’
WEB World English Bible 2000
who says to the deep, ‘Be dry,’ and ‘I will dry up your rivers,’
KJV King James Version 1769
That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers:
ASV American Standard Version 1901
that saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers;
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Who is saying to the deep, Be dry, and thy rivers I cause to dry up,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
that saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers;
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Who say to the deep: Be thou desolate, and I will dry up thy rivers.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Que dice al profundo: Sécate, y tus ríos haré secar;
Que diz à profundeza: Seca-te; e eu secarei teus rios.
Je dis à l’ abîme: Dessèche-toi,
der ich spreche zu der Tiefe: Versiege! und zu den Strömen: Vertrocknet!
Die tot de diepte zegt: Verdroog, en uw rivieren zal Ik verdrogen.
io dico all’abisso: “Fatti asciutto, io prosciugherò i tuoi fiumi!
Który mówię głębinie: Wyschnij, Ja potoki twe wysuszę;
Который бездне говорит: "иссохни!" и реки твои Я иссушу,
對深淵 說：你乾了吧！我也要使你的江河 乾涸。
Who says to the deep, Be dry, and I will make your rivers dry:
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Isaiah 44:27
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
All major commentators agree that this verse showcases God's sovereign authority over the waters. Barnes, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, and Gill, following Lowth and Vitringa, read it as a direct reference to the drying of the Euphrates and its canals when Cyrus took Babylon. Clarke provides detailed historical confirmation of that event. Calvin, however, warns against limiting the verse to Babylon alone; he sees it as a broad declaration that God can remove any obstacle, with an intentional echo of the Red Sea crossing (Exodus 14). Keil and Delitzsch treat it as part of a series of participial descriptors of God's creative and redemptive power. The consensus, then, is that the verse affirms God's ability to dry up any deep or river, whether for a specific historical conquest or as a general truth. The immediate context (verse 28 names Cyrus) strongly favors the specific reading, but the verse itself holds for every situation where God's people face impossible barriers.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Cyrus and the Euphrates: Immediate context names Cyrus (v.28); parallels in Jeremiah 50:38, 51:36; historical account of Cyrus diverting the river.
- General divine power: Calvin argues the verse should not be limited to Babylon; it shows God's power to remove any obstacle, with possible Exodus allusion (Isaiah 43:16).
- Exodus typology: The language echoes the Red Sea crossing; Wesley says God can dry up any sea or river; the verse is part of a redemption pattern.
What is clear: God is the one who speaks to the deep and commands it to dry up, demonstrating His sovereign authority over waters and His commitment to prepare a way for His people.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Cyrus and the Euphrates | The immediate context (v.28 names Cyrus) and the historical event of diverting the Euphrates are connected to this verse by most commentators. | Some (Clarke, Barnes, JFB) see it as a direct prophecy of that specific event; others (Calvin) see it as a more general statement of God's power, though not denying the Cyrus connection. |
| Allusion to the Exodus | Both readings recognize that God has a history of drying waters for His people (Red Sea, Jordan). | Calvin emphasizes the Exodus typology; Barnes and Gill mention it as an alternative interpretation but prefer the Cyrus reference. |
| Literal vs. figurative application | The verse demonstrates God's power over physical waters. | Can the 'deep' and 'rivers' also represent spiritual or figurative obstacles? Calvin and Wesley broaden it; the historic Protestant tradition often applies it to any great difficulty. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Babylon in the sixth century BC was a city built on water. The Euphrates ran through its center, and a complex system of canals and reservoirs irrigated the surrounding plain. Nebuchadnezzar had constructed a massive artificial lake forty miles square to control flooding and store water. When the Persian king Cyrus besieged Babylon, he devised a stratagem that matched Isaiah's prophecy. According to Clarke and Barnes, Cyrus ordered his army to divert the Euphrates into that lake via a canal called the Pallacopas. The river level dropped until the water reached only mid-thigh. At night, his soldiers marched into the city through the dry riverbed, under the walls, and took Babylon by surprise.
The word tsulah (deep) in verse 27 can refer to the ocean depth but also to a deep river, Jeremiah 51:36 calls the Euphrates Babylon's “sea.” The “rivers” are the many canals fed by the Euphrates. The surrounding passage (Isaiah 44:24, 28) moves from creation to prophecy to history: God stretches out the heavens, frustrates false prophets, and then names Cyrus as His shepherd. Verse 27 fits into this cascade: God who commands the deep is the same God who commissions Cyrus. The verse also echoes earlier redemption. Exodus 14:21, 22 and Isaiah 43:16 celebrate God drying the Red Sea for Israel's escape. Now God promises to do something similar, not by splitting a sea but by drying a river, so that exiles can return home.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries note no significant textual variants for the wording of verse 27 itself. The surrounding context includes a noted reading difference in verse 24 (kethib מִי אִתִּי “who was with me?” vs. qere מֵאִתִּי “by myself”), but verse 27 is textually stable across the consulted sources.
Reception History
In Christian tradition, this verse has been read as both a historical prophecy and a spiritual promise. Matthew Henry applied it to encourage the exiled people of God: the same God who dried the Euphrates can remove any obstacle to their return. Calvin used it to teach God’s sovereignty over all apparently insurmountable barriers, not only Babylon. The verse has been cited in sermons on God’s ability to make a way where there is no way, especially when God’s people face exile or oppression. It also appears in hymns that celebrate God’s power over the waters, echoing the Exodus theme. Its placement between creation (v.24) and the naming of Cyrus (v.28) has made it a classic text for showing how God’s word governs both nature and history for the sake of redemption.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God speaks to the deep. With a word, the Creator addresses the chaos of waters. What seems permanent and impassable hears His voice and obeys.
- God dries up rivers. Not just the deep but the streams, the tributaries, the entire support system of an obstacle. God’s power is total, not partial.
- God’s word prepares a way for His people. Cyrus is named in verse 28 as the instrument, but the true agent is the Lord who commanded the waters. Redemption is built on God’s sovereign word.
Five-point outline
- Context: The verse is part of a list of God’s incomparable works, creation, prophecy, and history.
- The deep: Babylon’s Euphrates, but also any barrier that seems like an ocean.
- The command: “Be dry”, a direct imperative that changes the physical world. God does not ask; He says.
- The rivers: The canals that watered Babylon. God dries up the means as well as the main channel.
- The result: A way opens for Cyrus, and ultimately for exiled Israel to return. God’s word over waters is always for the sake of His people.
Illustration hooks
- The historical account: Cyrus’s army marching into Babylon through a dry riverbed, a real event that shows prophecy meeting history.
- A flooded backyard after a storm: you cannot fix it by bailing; only when the drainage channel is cleared can the water go. God clears the channel.
- An impossible family situation that feels as wide as a river. The verse promises that the One who commands the deep is still on the throne.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If God dried the Euphrates for Cyrus, can He remove the obstacles in my life today?
- Does this prophecy mean God uses non-believing rulers to accomplish His purposes? (Cyrus was a pagan.)
- How do I hold onto this promise when my own “deep” seems unchanged?
Leading a Discussion
This verse sits within a passage where God lists His unique acts: creating the heavens, frustrating false prophets, and raising up Cyrus. Verse 27 is the hinge, the mighty power that prepares the way. As you discuss, notice how water becomes a symbol of both danger and deliverance.
Discussion questions
- Read Isaiah 44:24, 28. What does each “who” statement tell you about God’s character?
- Verse 27 says God speaks to the deep and it becomes dry. What “deep” does Israel face in this context? (Consider the Babylonian exile.)
- Why do you think the verse includes both “the deep” and “your rivers”? What does that progression emphasize?
- How does verse 28 (naming Cyrus) connect to verse 27? Why does God name the instrument of deliverance?
- Calvin saw this verse as a general promise that God can remove any obstacle. Barnes and others tie it specifically to the Euphrates. Which reading gives you more hope, and why?
- What “deep or river” in your own life feels unchangeable right now? How does this verse invite you to trust God’s power instead of focusing on the obstacle?
- How does this passage prepare you to recognize God’s work even through unexpected people or circumstances?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Psalms 74:15 | You opened up spring and stream. You dried up mighty rivers. |
| Isaiah 11:15 | Yahweh will utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his scorching wind he will wave his hand over the River, and will split it into seven streams, and cause men to march over in sandals. |
| Isaiah 11:16 | There will be a highway for the remnant that is left of his people from Assyria, like there was for Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt. |
| Isaiah 42:15 | I will destroy mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs. I will make the rivers islands, and will dry up the pools. |
| Isaiah 43:16 | Yahweh, who makes a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters, |
| Isaiah 51:15 | For I am Yahweh your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar. Yahweh of Armies is his name. |
| Jeremiah 50:38 | A drought is on her waters, and they will be dried up; for it is a land of engraved images, and they are mad over idols. |
| Jeremiah 51:32 | So the passages are seized. They have burned the reeds with fire. The men of war are frightened.” |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke grounds the prophecy in the actual military strategy Cyrus used to capture Babylon. He explains that Cyrus diverted the Euphrates River into a man-made reservoir and lake, leaving the riverbed shallow enough for his army to march through the city by night in the dry channel.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes argues the command for the deep to dry up refers specifically to Cyrus diverting the Euphrates to capture Babylon. He rejects the Red Sea crossing or a general statement of God's power as the primary meaning, pointing instead to the river's drying as the military strategy that opened the city.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin argues the prophecy is not limited to Babylon but refers to any sudden, unexpected deliverance. He sees an allusion to the Red Sea crossing: as God dried the sea for the fathers, so he will remove every obstacle for his people, no matter how impossible the situation appears.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible for Schools notes that "the deep" in this verse is a figure for obstacles blocking Israel's deliverance, not a literal river. While some interpreters saw an allusion to Cyrus drying the Euphrates to capture Babylon, the commentary points out that the Cyrus inscriptions show Herodotus's story is legendary, so the image should be understood figuratively.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
God speaks directly to the deep, commanding it to dry up, and He personally carries out the drying. The note emphasizes divine sovereignty over the chaotic waters: the same God who rebukes the sea also dries its floods by His own power.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that interpreters differ on this verse: some see it as a prophecy of Babylon's fall, when Cyrus drained the Euphrates to capture the city, while others take it as a reference to God drying up the Red Sea and the Jordan River. For Gill, both readings serve the same purpose, proving God's sovereign power over waters and nations.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch shows how the prophecy grows increasingly specific, moving from God's power in creation and over false prophets to a direct naming of Cyrus as God's shepherd. The climax is God's command that Jerusalem be rebuilt and the temple founded, a prediction they note historical records say prompted Cyrus to act.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange sees "Jeshurun" as a term of endearment, possibly meaning "pious little one," addressed to the spiritual remnant of Israel. He argues this passage promises the Spirit's outpouring on the elect, not the fleshly nation, so that believing Jews and Gentiles alike will confess the Lord and be joined to His people.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry stresses that the people's first duty in affliction is to remember the folly of idolatry and return to God, taking the spiritual lesson from their suffering before expecting deliverance. Their reformation, not their release, is the immediate concern.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley highlights the effortless scope of God's power: a single word dries up entire seas and rivers, sweeping away every obstacle. No force is too vast or settled for God to remove instantly.