Lexical Summary Matsor: Siege, distress, confinement Original Word: מָצוֹר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance besieged places, defense, fortified The same as matsowr in the sense of a limit; Egypt (as the border of Palestine) -- besieged places, defense, fortified. see HEBREW matsowr NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as Mitsrayim Definition a country S.W. of the Red Sea NASB Translation Egypt (5). Brown-Driver-Briggs מָצוֺר proper name, of a territory = מִצְרַיִם; only in poetry: ׳יֶאֹרֵי מ Isaiah 19:6; 2 Kings 19:24 = Isaiah 37:25; וְעָדֶיךָ יָבוֺא לְמִנִּי וְעַד נָהָר ׳וּלְמִנִּי מ ׳אַשּׁוּד וְעָרֵי מ Micah 7:12 (ᵐ5 misunderstands everywhere). Topical Lexicon Geographical DomainThe word מָצוֹר (Mazor) designates the borderland and water-course region of Egypt, especially the Nile Delta with its network of canals and streams. In Scripture it functions not merely as a place name but as a literary pointer to Egypt’s economic lifeline, military defenses, and spiritual posture toward the covenant God. Occurrences in the Old Testament • 2 Kings 19:24 and Isaiah 37:25 – In Sennacherib’s boast against Jerusalem he claims, “I have dug wells and drunk foreign waters. With the soles of my feet I have dried up all the streams of Egypt”. Mazor is the final word, underscoring the king’s arrogant claim to master even Egypt’s fabled waters. Symbolic and Theological Themes 1. Divine sovereignty over world powers Sennacherib’s claim to desiccate Mazor’s rivers is immediately overturned by God’s word through Isaiah; the Lord alone determines the fate of nations (2 Kings 19:32-34). Egypt, often a symbol of self-reliant might, is shown to be subject to the same hand that divided the Red Sea. 2. Judgment through the withholding of water Isaiah 19 pits Egypt’s deities against the Lord by striking the very element they were thought to control. Dry canals mean social, economic, and military ruin. The motif recalls earlier plagues (Exodus 7–12) and anticipates end-time judgments in Revelation 8:10-11. 3. Hope of future inclusion Micah 7:12 reverses the exile pattern. Nations once associated with bondage or oppression stream to Jerusalem to share in covenant blessings (compare Isaiah 19:23-25). Mazor becomes a participant in global reconciliation rather than an antagonist. Historical Significance During the eighth and seventh centuries B.C., Egypt oscillated between weakness and resurgence, tempting Judah’s kings to seek alliances (Isaiah 30:1-5; 31:1-3). The prophets’ use of Mazor warns against trusting political solutions while affirming that God can dry up or restore Egypt’s resources at will. Ministry Implications • Boastful self-reliance is futile; only humble dependence on God secures protection and provision. Christological and Eschatological Resonance By portraying Egypt’s waters under divine control, Scripture foreshadows Christ’s authority over creation (Mark 4:39) and His ability to supply living water that never runs dry (John 4:14). Micah’s picture of peoples streaming from Mazor to Zion anticipates the nations gathered around the Lamb (Revelation 7:9-10), fulfilling God’s promise to bless all families of the earth through Abraham’s Seed. Forms and Transliterations מָצ֑וֹר מָצֽוֹר׃ מָצוֹר֙ מצור מצור׃ mā·ṣō·wr māṣōwr maTzorLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 2 Kings 19:24 HEB: כֹּ֖ל יְאֹרֵ֥י מָצֽוֹר׃ NAS: up All the rivers of Egypt. KJV: up all the rivers of besieged places. INT: All the rivers of Egypt Isaiah 19:6 Isaiah 37:25 Micah 7:12 4 Occurrences |
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