Water-brooks are streams or small rivers that are often mentioned in the Bible as sources of life, refreshment, and spiritual symbolism. In the arid climate of the ancient Near East, water-brooks were vital for sustaining life, providing water for drinking, agriculture, and livestock. They are frequently used in Scripture to illustrate spiritual truths and the longing of the soul for God.

Biblical References:

1. Psalm 42:1 · "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul longs after You, O God." This verse uses the imagery of a deer seeking water-brooks to express a deep spiritual thirst for God. The psalmist compares his longing for God to the natural, instinctive need of a deer for water, highlighting the essential nature of a relationship with God for spiritual sustenance.

2. Psalm 1:3 · "He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does." Here, the righteous person is likened to a tree planted by water-brooks, symbolizing stability, nourishment, and fruitfulness. The water-brooks represent the life-giving Word of God, which sustains and prospers those who meditate on it.

3. Isaiah 32:2 · "Each will be like a shelter from the wind, a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in a dry land, like the shade of a great rock in an arid land." In this prophetic vision, the coming of a righteous king is likened to streams of water in a dry land, providing refreshment and relief. This imagery underscores the transformative and life-giving power of righteous leadership and divine intervention.

4. Proverbs 5:15-16 · "Drink water from your own cistern, and running water from your own well. Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares?" These verses use the metaphor of water-brooks to discuss faithfulness in marriage. The imagery of water flowing in private versus public spaces serves as a caution against infidelity and the importance of cherishing one's own spouse.

Symbolism and Spiritual Significance:

Water-brooks in the Bible often symbolize spiritual refreshment and the sustenance that comes from a relationship with God. Just as physical water is essential for life, spiritual water is necessary for the soul's vitality. The imagery of water-brooks is used to convey the idea of God's provision, care, and the satisfaction found in His presence.

In the broader biblical narrative, water-brooks can also represent the flow of God's blessings and the abundance that comes from living in accordance with His will. They are a reminder of the peace and prosperity that accompany a life rooted in faith and obedience to God.

Cultural and Historical Context:

In the ancient Near East, water sources were crucial for survival, and communities often developed around them. Water-brooks, therefore, were not only practical necessities but also held cultural and spiritual significance. They were seen as gifts from God, and their presence was often associated with divine favor and blessing.

The frequent biblical references to water-brooks reflect the agrarian society of the time, where water was a precious resource. This context enhances the understanding of the spiritual metaphors used in Scripture, as the audience would have been acutely aware of the importance of water for life and prosperity.

Tenth Sunday after Trinity. As the Hart Panteth after the Water ...
... Tenth Sunday after Trinity. As the hart panteth after the water brooks, even
so panteth my soul after Thee, O God. As the hart panteth ...
/.../winkworth/lyra germanica the christian year/tenth sunday after trinity as.htm

July 16. "As the Hart Panteth after the Waterbrooks, So Panteth My ...
... JULY 16. "As the hart panteth after the waterbrooks, so panteth my soul after
Thee, O God" (Ps. xlii. 1). "As the hart panteth after ...
/.../simpson/days of heaven upon earth /july 16 as the hart.htm

Psalm XLII.
... For the Psalm itself begins with a certain pious "longing;" and he who sings so,
says, "Like as the hart desireth the water-brooks, so longeth my soul after ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm xlii.htm

Joseph the Dreamer.
... he was looked upon as a very rich man; and he had ten grown-up sons, who roamed
about the country feeding the sheep in the green valleys and by the water-brooks ...
/.../anonymous/children of the old testament/joseph the dreamer.htm

Following Hard after God
... In the warm language of personal feeling this is stated in the Forty-second Psalm:
"As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/tozer/the pursuit of god/i following hard after god.htm

Prayer and Fervency
... An even greater fervency is expressed by him in another place: "As the hart panteth
after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/bounds/the necessity of prayer/v prayer and fervency.htm

Joel's Rhapsody of the Locust Plague
... Yea, the beasts of the field pant unto thee: For the water brooks are dried up,
And the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness. ii. ...
/.../select masterpieces of biblical literature/joels rhapsody of the locust.htm

Love's Logic
... run into the sea, but their floods first arose from it: the clouds that were exhaled
from the mighty main distilled in showers and filled the water-brooks. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/loves logic.htm

Meditations of the Blessed State of a Regenerate Man in his Death.
... Philippians 1:23. And with David, "As the hart panteth after the water-brooks,
so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth ...
/.../bayly/the practice of piety/2 meditations of the blessed.htm

Psalm I
... To whom the Lord His favour shews. II. As tree beside the water brooks. Whose
leaf unfading lives,. And when the time appointed comes,. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/brownlie/hymns from the morningland/psalm i.htm

Water-brooks (6 Occurrences)
Water-brooks. Water, Water-brooks. Watercourse . Multi-Version
Concordance Water-brooks (6 Occurrences). Deuteronomy ...
/w/water-brooks.htm - 8k

Brooks (28 Occurrences)
... A contemplation by the sons of Korah. As the deer pants for the waterbrooks,
so my soul pants after you, God. (WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS NAS). ...
/b/brooks.htm - 14k

Pant (8 Occurrences)
... A contemplation by the sons of Korah. As the deer pants for the waterbrooks, so
my soul pants after you, God. (Root in WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV). ...
/p/pant.htm - 9k

River (189 Occurrences)
... of honey" (Job 20:17); "streams of oil" (Job 29:6). (5) 'aphiq, the King James Version
"river," except English Versions of the Bible "waterbrooks" (Psalm 42:1 ...
/r/river.htm - 52k

Watercourse (6 Occurrences)

/w/watercourse.htm - 10k

Longs (11 Occurrences)
... Psalms 42:1 For the Chief Musician. A contemplation by the sons of Korah. As the
deer pants for the waterbrooks, so my soul pants after you, God. (See RSV). ...
/l/longs.htm - 9k

Gush (7 Occurrences)
... Deuteronomy 8:7 For Jehovah thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of
water-brooks, of springs, and of deep waters, that gush forth in the valleys and ...
/g/gush.htm - 9k

Panteth (4 Occurrences)
... me. (KJV WBS). Psalms 42:1 As the hart panteth after the waterbrooks, so
panteth my soul after thee, O God. (KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT). ...
/p/panteth.htm - 7k

Pants (4 Occurrences)
... Musician. A contemplation by the sons of Korah. As the deer pants for the water
brooks, so my soul pants after you, God. (WEB NAS NIV). ...
/p/pants.htm - 7k

Broadways (10 Occurrences)
... in the broadways; (DBY). Proverbs 5:16 Thy fountains shall be poured forth,
as water-brooks in the broadways. (DBY). Proverbs 7:12 ...
/b/broadways.htm - 9k

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