Isaiah 19:6

Verse

The canals will stink; the streams of Egypt will trickle and dry up; the reeds and rushes will wither.

American Standard Version (1901)

And the rivers shall become foul; the streams of Egypt shall be diminished and dried up; the reeds and flags shall wither away.

Bible in Basic English

And the rivers will have an evil smell; the stream of Egypt will become small and dry: all the water-plants will come to nothing.

Free Bible Version

The channels will start to stink; the branches of the Nile in Egypt will dry to a trickle and dry up; the reeds and rushes will wither away.

Geneva Bible 1599

And the riuers shall goe farre away: the riuers of defence shalbe emptied and dryed vp: the reedes and flagges shall be cut downe.

King James (Authorized) Version

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.

One Unity Resource Bible

The rivers will become foul. The streams of Egypt [Abode of slavery] will be diminished and dried up. The reeds and flags will wither away.

Translation for Translators

The branches of the river will all dry up [DOU] The canals along the river will stink because of the rotting reeds and ◄bulrushes/tall grass►.

Unlocked Literal Bible

The rivers will become foul; the streams of Egypt will dwindle and dry up; the reeds and flags will wither away.

Noah Webster Bible

And they shall turn the rivers far away; and the brooks of defense shall be emptied and dried up: the reeds and flags shall wither.

World English Bible

The rivers will become foul. The streams of Egypt will be diminished and dried up. The reeds and flags will wither away.

Young's Literal Translation

And they have turned away the flowings, Weak and dried up have been brooks of the bulwark, Reed and flag have withered.

Context

The Burden against Egypt

⁵The waters of the Nile will dry up, and the riverbed will be parched and empty. ⁶The canals will stink; the streams of Egypt will trickle and dry up; the reeds and rushes will wither. ⁷The bulrushes by the Nile, by the mouth of the river, and all the fields sown along the Nile, will wither, blow away, and be no more.

Summary

Isaiah 19:6 describes the devastating impact of the Nile River drying up, affecting Egypt's agriculture and economy. This verse symbolizes God's judgment on Egypt for its idolatry and reliance on its own strength rather than on the Lord. The drying up of the Nile represents the removal of God's blessing and protection, leading to chaos and despair. Ultimately, this prophecy serves as a warning to all nations that disobedience and pride will result in divine judgment and consequences.

Commentary

Adam Clarke
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

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 Ch2 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.

John Gill Bible Commentary

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.

Isaiah 19:6

The Burden against Egypt

Scripture
Sermons
Commentary

Berean Standard Bible

The canals will stink; the streams of Egypt will trickle and dry up; the reeds and rushes will wither.

American Standard Version (1901)

And the rivers shall become foul; the streams of Egypt shall be diminished and dried up; the reeds and flags shall wither away.

Bible in Basic English

And the rivers will have an evil smell; the stream of Egypt will become small and dry: all the water-plants will come to nothing.

Free Bible Version

The channels will start to stink; the branches of the Nile in Egypt will dry to a trickle and dry up; the reeds and rushes will wither away.

Geneva Bible 1599

And the riuers shall goe farre away: the riuers of defence shalbe emptied and dryed vp: the reedes and flagges shall be cut downe.

King James (Authorized) Version

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.

One Unity Resource Bible

The rivers will become foul. The streams of Egypt [Abode of slavery] will be diminished and dried up. The reeds and flags will wither away.

Translation for Translators

The branches of the river will all dry up [DOU] The canals along the river will stink because of the rotting reeds and ◄bulrushes/tall grass►.

Unlocked Literal Bible

The rivers will become foul; the streams of Egypt will dwindle and dry up; the reeds and flags will wither away.

Noah Webster Bible

And they shall turn the rivers far away; and the brooks of defense shall be emptied and dried up: the reeds and flags shall wither.

World English Bible

The rivers will become foul. The streams of Egypt will be diminished and dried up. The reeds and flags will wither away.

Young's Literal Translation

And they have turned away the flowings, Weak and dried up have been brooks of the bulwark, Reed and flag have withered.

Adam Clarke
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Isaiah 19:6

Verse

Context

The Burden against Egypt

Summary

Commentary

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Isaiah 19:6

The Burden against Egypt

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary