Topical Bible: Armies: Compared to Overflowing Torrents

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In the biblical narrative, armies are often depicted with vivid imagery to convey their power, might, and sometimes destructive nature. One such metaphor is that of overflowing torrents, which emphasizes the overwhelming force and unstoppable advance of military forces. This imagery is used to illustrate both the might of human armies and the divine intervention of God's power.

The comparison of armies to overflowing torrents can be found in several passages throughout the Scriptures. In Isaiah 8:7-8 , the prophet Isaiah warns of the impending Assyrian invasion, using the metaphor of a flood to describe the overwhelming force of the Assyrian army: "Therefore the Lord is about to bring against them the mighty floodwaters of the Euphrates—the king of Assyria and all his pomp. It will overflow its channels and overrun its banks. It will pour into Judah, swirling and sweeping over it, reaching up to the neck; its outspread wings will cover the breadth of your land, O Immanuel!"

This passage highlights the sheer power and unstoppable nature of the Assyrian army, likening it to a river that overflows its banks, inundating everything in its path. The imagery of water is particularly potent, as it conveys both the life-giving and destructive potential of armies, depending on their purpose and direction.

Similarly, in Jeremiah 47:2 , the prophet Jeremiah speaks of the Babylonian army advancing against the Philistines: "This is what the LORD says: 'See how the waters are rising in the north; they will become an overflowing torrent. They will overflow the land and everything in it, the towns and those who live in them. The people will cry out; all who dwell in the land will wail.'"

Here, the rising waters symbolize the impending doom and destruction that the Babylonian forces will bring upon the Philistines. The metaphor of an overflowing torrent underscores the inevitability and totality of the coming devastation, leaving no part of the land untouched.

The use of such imagery is not limited to human armies but also extends to divine intervention. In Nahum 1:8 , the prophet Nahum describes God's judgment against Nineveh: "But with an overwhelming flood, He will make an end of Nineveh; He will pursue His foes into darkness." In this context, the overwhelming flood represents God's righteous judgment, demonstrating His supreme power over nations and their armies.

The metaphor of armies as overflowing torrents serves to remind the faithful of the transient nature of human power and the ultimate sovereignty of God. While human armies may appear invincible, they are ultimately subject to the will and judgment of the Almighty. This imagery calls believers to place their trust not in the might of human forces but in the enduring strength and justice of God.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Isaiah 28:2
Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Daniel 11:10,26
But his sons shall be stirred up, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces: and one shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through: then shall he return, and be stirred up, even to his fortress.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Great Reservoir
... As was the city, such were her armies, as was her ... such a man, I say, must have an
overflowing heart; and ... do seems but little and empty when compared with his ...
//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/sermons on proverbs/the great reservoir.htm

The Great Reservoir
... As was the city, such were her armies, as was her ... such a man, I say, must have an
overflowing heart; and ... do seems but little and empty when compared with his ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/the great reservoir.htm

The Eighteenth Theban Dynasty
... ranges, and fertilised by the periodical overflowing of the Nile ... of the Naharaim,
which could be compared with the ... who routed on the way any armies which might ...
/.../chapter iiithe eighteenth theban dynasty.htm

The Nile and Egypt
... of the Nile, and that, as compared with these ... Vainly did their victorious armies
follow the Nile for ... the mouths of canals, still prevent it from overflowing. ...
/.../chapter i the nile and egypt.htm

Syria at the Beginning of the Egyptian Conquest
... swollen only during the winter rains with the numerous torrents bursting from ...
engagements, or has witnessed century after century so many armies crossing its ...
/.../chapter iisyria at the beginning.htm

The Assyrian Revival and the Struggle for Syria
... Zab, or the Turnat, which are winter torrents rather than ... of serving as a base of
operations for his armies. ... This passage, when compared with that in which the ...
/.../chapter ithe assyrian revival and.htm

The Medes and the Second Chaldaean Empire
... the regular adversaries of the Ninevite armies, and even ... The name Kushtashpi has
been compared with that ... at the bottom of which streams and torrents follow a ...
/.../chapter iiithe medes and the.htm

The Iranian Conquest
... gorges through which rushed roaring torrents, and the ... Windischmann has compared this
name with that of ... and electrum which filled his treasury to overflowing. ...
/.../chapter ithe iranian conquest.htm