Nile River. Photographer: Givaga. Licensed.

Rivers of the Bible

Many rivers are mentioned in Scripture.

  1. Abana River of Syria

  2. Ahava River of the Kingdom of Babylon

  3. Amana River of Syria

  4. Afik

    Hebrew: 'Aphik, properly the channel or ravine that holds water (2 Samuel 22:16), translated “brook,” “river,” “stream,” but not necessarily a perennial stream (Ezek. 6:3; 31:12; 32:6; 34:13).

  5. Arnon River of Israel

  6. Cestrus River

  7. Chebar River of Chaldea

  8. Cherith

  9. Cydnus River of Tarsus

  10. Euphrates River

  11. Gihon River (pre-Flood)

  12. River of Gozan in Mesopotamia

  13. Habor River of Mesopotamia

  14. Hasbani River—major tributary of the Jordan River which receives much of its water from 2 springs

    Hebrew: נחל שניר‎

  15. Hiddekel River

  16. Jabbok River (near Penuel/Peniel)

  17. Jordan River. Also see: Swelling of Jordan

  18. Kanah stream of Israel

  19. Kishon River of Israel

  20. Me-jarkon River of Israel

  21. Nahal

    Hebrew: nahal, in winter a “torrent,” in summer a “wady” or valley (Genesis 32:23; Deuteronomy 2:24; 3:16; Isaiah 30:28; Lam. 2:18; Ezek. 47:9).

    These winter torrents sometimes come down with great suddenness and with desolating force. A distinguished traveller thus describes his experience in this matter:

    “I was encamped in Wady Feiran, near the base of Jebel Serbal, when a tremendous thunderstorm burst upon us. After little more than an hour’s rain, the water rose so rapidly in the previously dry wady that I had to run for my life, and with great difficulty succeeded in saving my tent and goods; my boots, which I had not time to pick up, were washed away. In less than two hours a dry desert wady upwards of 300 yards broad was turned into a foaming torrent from 8 to 10 feet deep, roaring and tearing down and bearing everything upon it, tangled masses of tamarisks, hundreds of beautiful palmtrees, scores of sheep and goats, camels and donkeys, and even men, women, and children, for a whole encampment of Arabs was washed away a few miles above me. The storm commenced at five in the evening; at half-past nine the waters were rapidly subsiding, and it was evident that the flood had spent its force.” (Compare Matthew 7:27; Luke 6:49.)

  22. Nahar

    Nahar, a “river” continuous and full, a perennial stream, as the Jordan, the Euphrates (Genesis 2:10; 15:18; Deuteronomy 1:7; Psalm 66:6; Ezek. 10:15).

  23. Nile River

  24. Orontes River at Antioch

  25. Pactolus River at Sardis

  26. Pharpar River of Syria

  27. Pison River (pre-Flood)

  28. Tel’alah

    Tel’alah, a conduit, or water-course (1 Kings 18:32; 2 Kings 18:17; 20:20; Job 38:25; Ezek. 31:4).

  29. Peleg, properly “waters divided,” i.e., streams divided, throughout the land (Psalm 1:3); “the rivers [i.e., ‘divisions’] of waters” (Job 20:17; 29:6; Proverbs 5:16).

  30. Rivers of Babylon

  31. Rivers of Damascus

  32. River of Egypt. Also see: Stream of Egypt

  33. River of Fire—“A river of fire was flowing” in Daniel’s prophetic vision of four beasts (Daniel 7:10).

  34. River of Gad

  35. Rivers of Judah

  36. Shihor-Libnath

  37. River of God

  38. River of Life

    River of Life (aka Water of Life River, or River of the Water of Life)

    This river will exist in the future New Jerusalem of the New Earth. The Apostle John was permitted to see it in a Divine vision.

    Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. —Revelation 22:1-2 ESV

    Dr. John MacArthur notes,

    This river is unlike any on Earth because no hydrological cycle exists. Water of life symbolizes the continual flow of eternal life from God’s throne to heaven’s inhabitants. —John MacArthur, Litt.D., D.D., The MacArthur Study Bible

  39. Sihor River (Nile)

  40. Sorek (Nahal Sorek/Soreq) in Israel

  41. Ubhal

    'Ubhal, “a river” mentioned by Daniel in Dan. 8:2

  42. Ulai River of Susiana

  43. Yeor

    Ye'or, i.e., “great river,” probably from an Egyptian word (Aur), commonly applied to the Nile (Genesis 41:1-3), but also to other rivers (Job 28:10; Isaiah 33:21).

  44. Yubhal

    Yubhal, “a river” (Jeremiah 17:8), a full flowing stream.

  45. Zered (river of the wilderness

  46. Lycus River of the city of Colossae, home of the Colossians in Phrygia

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Article Version: June 21, 2024