King James Bible
"He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers: Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth."
God's power over the sea echoes the Exodus crossing and ancient Near Eastern imagery of divine sovereignty over chaotic waters. The verb 'rebuke' portrays God's word as immediately effective, demonstrating his absolute control over creation's most powerful forces. The drying of rivers extends God's dominion from seas to inland waterways, emphasizing total environmental control. In the arid Near East, rivers were lifelines for civilization, making their desiccation a devastating display of divine judgment. These three regions were renowned for fertility—Bashan for pastures, Carmel for vineyards, and Lebanon for forests. Their withering under God's wrath shows that even the most verdant lands cannot resist his judgment, completing the picture of comprehensive natural devastation.