'Waters' in the Bible

‘Thus says the Lord God, “On the day when Assyria went down to Sheol (the place of the dead) I caused mourning; I closed the deep [subterranean waters] over it and restrained its rivers. And the many waters [that contributed to its prosperity] were held back; and I made [the heart of] Lebanon mourn for it, and all the trees of the field wilted away because of it.

“Son of man, take up a dirge (funeral poem to be sung) over Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him,‘You have compared yourself to a young lion among the nations,But you are like a monster in the seas;You burst into your riversAnd disturbed and muddied the waters with your feetAnd fouled their rivers [the source of their prosperity].’”

“I will also destroy all its cattle from beside its great waters;And the foot of man will not muddy them anymoreNor will the hoofs of the animals muddy them.

“Then I will make their waters quiet and clear;I will make their rivers run [slowly and smoothly] like oil,”Says the Lord God.

Is it too little a thing for you that you [unrighteous ones who are well-fed] feed in the best pasture, yet you must trample down with your feet [of wickedness] the rest of your pastures? Or that you drink clear [still] water, yet you must muddy with your feet [of wickedness] the rest [of the water]?

And behold, the glory and brilliance of the God of Israel was coming from the way of the east; and His voice was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with His glory.

Then he [my guide] brought me back to the door of the house [the temple of the Lord]; and behold, water was flowing from under the threshold of the house (temple) toward the east, for the front of the temple was facing east. And the water was flowing down from under, from the right side of the house, from south of the altar.

Then he brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gate by the way of the gate that faces east. And behold, water was spurting out from the south side [of the gate].

When the man went out toward the east with a measuring line in his hand, he measured a thousand cubits, and he led me through the water, water that was ankle-deep.

Again he measured a thousand [cubits] and led me through the water, water that was knee-deep. Again he measured a thousand [cubits] and led me through the water, water reaching the hips.

Again he measured a thousand [cubits]; and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the water had risen, enough water to swim in, a river that could not be crossed [by wading].

Then he said to me, “These waters go out toward the eastern region and go down into the Arabah (the Jordan Valley); then they go toward the sea, being made to flow into the sea, and the waters of the Dead Sea shall be healed and become fresh.

It will come about that every living creature which swarms in every place where the river goes, will live. And there will be a very great number of fish, because these waters go there so that the waters of the sea are healed and become fresh; so everything will live wherever the river goes.

By the river on its bank, on one side and on the other, will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither and their fruit will not fail. They shall bear every month because their water flows from the sanctuary, and their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing.”

“The south side, southward, from Tamar [near the Dead Sea] shall extend as far as the waters of Meribath-kadesh, to the Brook of Egypt and to the Great [Mediterranean] Sea. This is the south side toward the south.

And beside the border of Gad, at the south side, southward, the border shall extend from Tamar to the waters of Meribath-kadesh, to the Brook [of Egypt], to the Great [Mediterranean] Sea.

And one said to the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long will it be until the end of these wonders?”

And I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, as he held up his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and a half a time (three and a half years); and as soon as they finish shattering and crushing the power of the holy people, all these things will be finished.

“So let us know and become personally acquainted with Him; let us press on to know and understand fully the [greatness of the] Lord [to honor, heed, and deeply cherish Him].His appearing is prepared and is as certain as the dawn,And He will come to us [in salvation] like the [heavy] rain,Like the spring rain watering the earth.”

He who made the [cluster of stars called] Pleiades and [the constellation] Orion,Who turns deep darkness into the morningAnd darkens the day into night,Who calls for the waters of the seaAnd pours them out on the surface of the earth,The Lord is His name.

“But let justice run down like watersAnd righteousness like an ever-flowing stream [flowing abundantly].

It is He who builds His upper chambers in the heavensAnd has established His vaulted dome (the firmament of heaven) over the earth,He who calls to the waters of the seaAnd pours them out on the face of the earth—The Lord is His name.

“The waters surrounded me, to the point of death.The great deep engulfed me,Seaweed was wrapped around my head.

The mountains shall melt under HimAnd the valleys shall be splitLike wax before the fire,Like waters poured down a steep place.

Though Nineveh was like a pool of water throughout her days,Now her inhabitants are fleeing;“Stop! Stop!” [a few cry,]But no one turns back.

Are you better than Thebes,Which was situated by the waters of the Nile,With water surrounding her,Whose defense was the sea (the Nile),Whose wall consisted of the sea?

“But [the time is coming when] the earth shall be filledWith the knowledge of the glory of the Lord,As the waters cover the sea.

Your bow was made bare;The rods of chastisement were sworn. Selah (pause, calmly think of that).You split the earth with rivers [bringing waters to dry places].

You have trampled on the sea with Your horses,On the surge of many waters.

And in that day living waters will flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea (Dead Sea) and half of them to the western sea (the Mediterranean); it will be in summer as well as in winter.