Topical Bible: Armies: Compared to Waters of a River

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In the biblical narrative, armies are often depicted using vivid imagery to convey their power, multitude, and sometimes their destructive nature. One such metaphor is the comparison of armies to the waters of a river. This imagery is employed to illustrate the overwhelming force and the seemingly unstoppable advance of military forces.

The prophet Isaiah uses this metaphor in describing the Assyrian army. In Isaiah 8:7-8 , the Lord speaks through Isaiah, saying, "Now therefore, behold, 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 spreading streams will cover the breadth of your land, O Immanuel!" Here, the Assyrian army is likened to the floodwaters of the Euphrates River, emphasizing its vastness and the threat it poses as it overflows and inundates the land.

This metaphor serves to highlight the formidable nature of the Assyrian forces, which, like a river in flood, are capable of overwhelming everything in their path. The imagery of water also suggests a sense of inevitability and relentless progression, as a river flows continuously and with great force.

In the context of biblical prophecy and history, the comparison of armies to river waters underscores the theme of divine judgment and the fulfillment of God's purposes through the rise and fall of nations. The Assyrian army, as an instrument of God's judgment, is depicted as a powerful and fearsome entity, yet it is ultimately under the control of the sovereign Lord, who directs the course of history.

The metaphor of armies as waters of a river is not limited to the Assyrians. In other parts of Scripture, similar imagery is used to describe the movements and impacts of military forces. For instance, in Jeremiah 46:7-8 , the Egyptian army is described: "Who is this, rising like the Nile, like rivers whose waters churn? Egypt rises like the Nile, and its waters churn like rivers, boasting, 'I will rise and cover the earth; I will destroy the cities and their people.'"

This passage again uses the imagery of a river to convey the might and ambition of the Egyptian army, drawing a parallel between the natural power of a river and the military strength of a nation. The churning waters symbolize the tumult and chaos that accompany the advance of an army, as well as the potential for widespread destruction.

Throughout the Bible, the comparison of armies to the waters of a river serves as a powerful literary device, illustrating the might of human forces while simultaneously reminding readers of the ultimate authority of God over all nations and their armies.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Isaiah 8:7
Now therefore, behold, the Lord brings up on them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The City and River of God
... is that wonderful deliverance of the armies of Jehoshaphat ... It seems small and
unconspicuous"nothing compared to the ... the city of God.' Its waters shall never ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/the city and river of.htm

The Nile and Egypt
... mouths of the Nile, and that, as compared with these ... Vainly did their victorious
armies follow the Nile for ... pelicans, and cormorants enliven the waters of the ...
/.../chapter i the nile and egypt.htm

The Second vision "On Earth"
... riseth up like the Nile, And his waters toss themselves ... And the number of the [214]
armies of the horsemen ... See also 1 Corinthians 12:13 compared with Luke 13:15 ...
/.../bullinger/commentary on revelation/the second vision on earth.htm

India's Ills and England's Sorrows
... blood, happy would their fate have been compared with the ... him; let us ask the God
of armies to avenge ... more plaintively""Oh that my head were waters, and mine ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/indias ills and englands sorrows.htm

Interpretation of Prophecy.
... It may be compared to a majestic river, fed by ... with their city and temple by the
armies of Rome (Matt.13 ... to Zion, that "in the wilderness shall waters break out ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxxviii interpretation of prophecy.htm

The Temples and the Gods of Chaldaea
... From the outset H. Rawlinson recognized in Ea, which he read Hea, Hoa, the divinity
presiding over the abyss of waters; he compared him with the serpent of ...
/.../chapter iithe temples and the.htm

That the Employing Of, and Associating with the Malignant Party ...
... gives concerning the modelling and carnage of the armies of his ... will be with thee
in the war," compared with chap ... the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/section iii that the employing.htm

Spiritual Religion in High Places --Rous, Vane, and Sterry
... the maker of covenants with Scotch armies, the creator ... a spark struck from flint
at midnight" compared with the sun; it is like "drawing the waters of Grace ...
/.../chapter xiv spiritual religion in.htm

The Eighteenth Theban Dynasty
... great river of the Naharaim, which could be compared with the Nile for the volume
of its waters, excited their ... who routed on the way any armies which might ...
/.../chapter iiithe eighteenth theban dynasty.htm

CHAP. I. -II. 3 (II. 1).
... Psalm 73:27 may be compared, where [Hebrew ... the most important river of Palestine,
waters and fructifies ... Saladdin, and many other conquering armies were encamped ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/chap i -ii 3 ii 1.htm