And the waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall be wasted and dried up.

ISAIAH 19:5KJV
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Isaiah 19:5 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 19:5 mean?

Isaiah 19:5 describes a coming disaster for Egypt, saying that its waters will dry up and its river will be wasted. This means that the Nile, which was essential for Egypt’s life and economy, would fail and bring hardship to the land.

The prophet Isaiah is speaking God’s message to Egypt, warning them of a future judgment. In ancient Egypt, the Nile River was the source of water, food, and trade, so the idea of it drying up would have been shocking and terrifying. This verse sets the stage for a prophecy about Egypt’s downfall and the collapse of everything they depended on.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 19:5

  • waters (מַיִם, mayim): This word refers to all kinds of water sources, not just rivers. Here, it emphasizes the complete loss of water, not just a single stream.
  • fail (נָשַׁס, nashas): This word carries the sense of something drying up or being taken away, stressing the suddenness and totality of the loss.
  • sea (יָם, yam): In this context, “sea” likely refers to the Nile Delta or the broad waters of the Nile, not the Mediterranean Sea, highlighting the local disaster.
  • river (יְאוֹר, ye’or): This is the specific word for the Nile River, showing that the prophecy targets Egypt’s main source of life.
  • wasted (חָרֵב, kharev): This word means to be dried up or ruined, underlining the devastation that will come.
  • up (יָבֵשׁ, yavesh): This word means to be dried, reinforcing the image of complete drought and emptiness.

Why Isaiah 19:5 matters

  • Isaiah 19:5 makes clear that the prophecy is not just about military defeat but about a total collapse of Egypt’s natural resources, which would have been unimaginable to its people.
  • The verse connects to the wider passage, where Isaiah describes a series of disasters for Egypt, showing that their security and prosperity were not guaranteed.
  • Understanding the specific words for “river” and “sea” helps clarify that this is about the Nile and its branches, not distant bodies of water, making the warning much more personal and immediate for ancient Egyptians.

Where else these words appear

“fail” Hebrew H5405 · used in 3 verses

  • Isaiah 41:17 When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
  • Jeremiah 51:30 The mighty men of Babylon have forborn to fight, they have remained in their holds: their might hath failed; they became as women: they have burned her dwellingplaces; her bars are broken.

“wasted” Hebrew H2717 · used in 36 verses

  • Genesis 8:13 And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry.
  • Isaiah 37:18 Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations, and their countries,
  • Jeremiah 51:36 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will plead thy cause, and take vengeance for thee; and I will dry up her sea, and make her springs dry.

“up” Hebrew H3001 · used in 67 verses

  • Genesis 8:7 And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.
  • Isaiah 15:6 For the waters of Nimrim shall be desolate: for the hay is withered away, the grass faileth, there is no green thing.
  • Jeremiah 51:36 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will plead thy cause, and take vengeance for thee; and I will dry up her sea, and make her springs dry.

“river” Hebrew H5104 · used in 109 verses

  • Genesis 2:10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.
  • Ezra 8:31 Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go unto Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in wait by the way.
  • Isaiah 43:2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.