Isaiah 19:6

Isa 19:6 And they shall turn the rivers far away; [and] the brooks of defence shall be emptied and dried up: the reeds and flags shall wither.

Ver. 6. And they shall turn the rivers far away.] The Assyrians shall, or some of their own fond and vainglorious princes shall drain the river Nile at several passages and in several places, to the impairing of the river and the impeaching of the state. {a}

The reeds and flags shall wither.] These were of great use there; for of flags they made their barks and boats, mats also, wheels, baskets, &c.; of reeds they made their sails, ropes, paper, and a kind of juice serving them for food, {b} &c. As therefore the palm tree is to the Indians a cornucopia, yielding many commodities, so are reeds and flags to the Egyptians.

{a} Herodot., lib. ii.

{b} Plin., lib. xiii. cap. 11.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For the Nile ran into the sea by seven streams, as though they were so many rivers.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

they shall turn the rivers--rather, "the streams shall become putrid"; that is, the artificial streams made for irrigation shall become stagnant and offensive when the waters fail [MAURER]. HORSLEY, with the Septuagint, translates, "And waters from the sea shall be drunk"; by the failure of the river water they shall be reduced to sea water.

brooks of defence--rather, "canals of Egypt"; "canals," literally, "Niles," Nile canals, the plural of the Egyptian term for the great river. The same Hebrew word, Matzor, whence comes Mitzraim, expresses Egypt, and a place of "defense." HORSLEY, as English Version translates it, "embanked canals,"

reeds . . . flags--the papyrus. "Reed and rush"; utter withering.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 6. Shall turn the rivers far away - "Shall become putrid"] האזניחו heeznichu. This sense of the word, which Simonis gives in his Lexicon, from the meaning of it in Arabic, suits the place much better than any other interpretation hitherto given; and that the word in Hebrew had some such signification, is probable from 2Ch 29:19, where the Vulgate renders it by polluit, polluted, and the Targum, by profaned, and made abominable, which the context in that place seems plainly to require. The form of the verb here is very irregular; and the rabbins and grammarians seem to give no probable account of it.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(6) And they shall turn the rivers far away.—Better, the river shall stagnate; i.e., in consequence of the Nile’s inundation failing.

The brooks of defence.—The latter noun (Heb., matzor) is better treated as a proper name, the singular of the dual form Mitsraim, commonly used for Egypt. Here it would seem to be used for Lower Egypt, the region of Zoan and Memphis, as distinct from Upper Egypt or the Thebaid. The same form occurs in Isa_37:25; 2Ki_19:24; Mic_7:12. Its primary meaning is that of a fortified land. The “flags” are strictly the papyrus of the Nile; the “brooks” are the canals or Nile-branches of the Delta.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

6. The verse reads: And the streams shall stink, the canals of Egypt shall become feeble and dry up, &c. The word for “stink” is an anomalous form in Hebr. That rendered in A.V. “defence” is a rare name for Egypt (Maçôr, cf. Assyr. Muṣur, Arab. Miṣr), found also in ch. Isa_37:25; 2Ki_19:24; Mic_7:12. “Canals” (A.V. “brooks”) is literally “Niles” (cf. Isa_7:18).

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And they shall turn the rivers far away,.... The river Nile, called "rivers", the plural for the singular, because of the abundance of water in it; or its seven streams, with other rivulets, derived from it. Some make the "they" here to refer to the kings of Egypt, and interpret the words of some projects of theirs, by which the course of the river was turned to great disadvantage; particularly they understand it of the twelve tyrants that reigned after Sethon, to whom they ascribe the digging of the vast lake of Moeris, the two pyramids built in the midst of it, and a labyrinth near it, though only the labyrinth was made by them (b); and as for the lake, it was made by Moeris, a king of Egypt, from whom it had its name, some hundred years before; and, besides, was of service, and not disservice, to the Nile; for it received its waters when it overflowed too much, and it furnished it with water by an outlet when it failed: rather therefore this passage may be illustrated by the attempt which Necus, the son of Psammiticus, whom the Scripture calls Pharaohnecho, made, to join the Nile and the Red Sea together, by making a canal from the one to the other; in which work he lost a hundred and twenty thousand men, and desisted from it without finishing it (c); but it is thought hereby the river was greatly weakened:

and the brooks of defence shall be emptied and dried up; as the river of Nile and its streams were the defence of the land of Egypt, as well as made for the fruitfulness of it, for these must make it less accessible to a foreign enemy; and besides, here lay their shipping, which were their protection; and moreover, from hence brooks and courses of water might be derived and carried about their fortified cities, which added to the strength of them. The Targum renders it deep brooks or rivers; and Kimchi interprets it the brooks of Egypt, taking Matzor to signify Egypt, a word in sound near to Mitzraim, the common word used for Egypt. It looks, by this and other expressions in the context, as if more were designed than the above instance or instances will account for:

the reeds and flags shall wither; which grew in the brooks, and near them; and therefore much more the grass and corn, and other trees, which were at a distance; besides, these are mentioned, bemuse of the great usefulness they were of; for of these they made ships, barks, and boats, and mats for bedding, and nets fishing; as also paper to write on, as follows, and which was a staple commodity with them; See Gill on Isa 18:2.

(b) Herodot. l. 2. c. 148, 149. (c) Ib. c. 158.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

And they shall turn the rivers far away - (האזיּחוּ he'ezenı̂ychû), probably from זנח zânach, “to have an offensive smell; to be rancid, or putrid.” The word in this form occurs nowhere else. It is in the Hiphil conjugation, and is probably a form made from a mixture with the Chaldee. The sense is not doubtful. It means ‘the rivers shall become putrid - or have an offensive smell;’ that is, shall become stagnant, and send forth unwholesome “miasmata” producing sickness, as stagnant waters often do. The Vulgate renders it, ‘And the rivers shall fail.’ The Septuagint, ‘And the Egyptians shall drink the waters from the sea, but the river shall fail, and be dried up, and the rivers shall fail, and the streams (διὼρυχες diōruches) of the river, and all the assembling (συναγωγή sunagōgē) waters shall be dried up.’

And the brooks of defense - Hebrew, ‘The rivers of מצור mâtsôr. The word מצור mâtsôr often means “straitness, affliction;” then a siege, a wall, a bulwark, a fortification. But, probably, it here means “Egypt,” or the same as מצרים mı̂tserayı̂m (compare Isa 37:25; 2Ki 18:24; Mar 7:12). Perhaps the Hebrews may have thought of Egypt as a strongly fortified place, and thus have given the name to it; or possibly this may have been a modification of the name “Mitsraim.”

The reeds and flags - Which grew on the banks of the Nile - the papyrus, etc. (see the note at Isa 18:2)

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

They shall turn the rivers far away; which is to be taken impersonally, as such expressions are very frequently, for, the rivers (those small rivulets by which the waters of Nilus were conveyed and distributed into several parts of the land)

shall be turned far away, as they must needs be, when the greater river Nilus, which fed them, was dried up.

The brooks of defence; the several branches of the river Nilus, which were a great defence to Egypt, as is well known.

The reeds and flags; which were very useful to them for making their boats, which were absolutely necessary in that country, and divers other things.

Shall wither; as they commonly do for want of water.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

6, 7. Shall turn the rivers — Many famines have occurred in Egypt owing to failure of the rains in the south. The river becomes low and stagnant and putrid. Instead of “they shall turn the rivers,” the Speaker’s Commentary renders, “The rivers shall become loathsome;” and Lange, “shall become a stench.”

Brooks of defence — The Nile canals were a “defence” in two ways: the first, in giving fertility and defending from starvation; the second in being unbridged moats against invading hordes; but being dried up, they would allow a foe to approach the walls of the city. Reeds… flags…

paper reeds — The first two of these mean the papyrus, doubtless; (see chap. Isa_18:2;) “paper reeds” is from a different word in Hebrew. Gesenius supposes, from its root, that bare places along the banks covered with grass are intended. The meaning is, the Nile is unavailing to the people. It brings no food by its fertility. It brings no commerce, on account of the half-anarchical condition of the country; but it does bring stench, disease, and death by its stagnancy.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And they shall turn the rivers far away; rather, and the rivers shall stagnate (Cheyne). Probably the canals are intended, as in Exo_7:19 (see "Pulpit Commentary," ad loc.). The brooks of defense shall be emptied. Some render this "brooks of Egypt," regarding matsor as here used for "Mitsraim;" but our translation is more forcible, and may well stand. The "brooks of defense" are those which had hitherto formed the moats round walled cities. (comp. Isa_37:25 Nah_3:8) The reeds and flags shall wither. Reeds, flags, rushes, and water-plants of all kinds abound in the backwaters of the Nile, and the numerous ponds and marshes connected with its overflow (see the "Pulpit Commentary" on Exo_2:3, p. 24). These forms of vegetation would be the first to wither on the occurrence of a deficient inundation.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Rivers - The rivers (those rivulets by which the waters of Nile were distributed into several parts of the land) shall be turned far away, as they must needs be, when the river which fed them was dried up. Brooks - The several branches of the river Nile, which were a great defense to Egypt. Reeds - Which were useful to them for making their boats. Whither - As they commonly do for want of water.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

“And the rivers shall stink (or become putrid), the streams of Egypt are emptied and dried up, reed and rush sicken (pine or wither).” The streams meant are the natural and artificial branches of the Nile. The reed and rush are mentioned as a common growth in marshy situations.

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Prophecies of Isaiah (1846–1847; New York: Scribner, 1870–1878) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And they shall abandon When the water decreases, the mud is noticeable in it, and it becomes a mire and is abandoned.

the deep canals Heb. יְאֹרֵי מָצוֹר. The deep canals, like the ditches of the sieges of cities. [Rashi according to Parshandatha. Printed editions read:] In the ditches of the sieges of cities.

reeds and rushes that grew there because of their abundant water.

shall be cut off When the canals dry up, the reeds stop growing, and they dry up and fall. Jonathan renders: Shall not come up. Elsewhere (infra 33:9), he renders: “The Lebanon was dried up, cut off (קָמַל),” as ‘fell.’ I say, however, that it is an expression of cutting off, that they are cut off by themselves because of their dryness, and they fall.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

והאזניחו And shall leave.. א is epenthetic. והאזניחו נהרות And the people will leave the rivers.

דללו They shall be poor. Comp. דל poor (Lev. 14:21).

יאורי מצור The ponds of siege. The ponds which are prepared in order that the enemy should not be able to destroy the inhabitants through want of water, when he besieges the town.

קנה וסוף The reeds and flags. The plants on the banks of the river.

קמלו Shall be cut off. Another instance of the same root occurs in this book (33:9)

Ibn Ezra on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009” (CC BY 4.0); and “Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.