Lexical Summary miqvah: Collection, gathering, reservoir, hope Original Word: מִקְוָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance ditch Feminine of miqveh; a collection, i.e. (of water) a reservoir -- ditch. see HEBREW miqveh NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom qavah Definition reservoir NASB Translation reservoir (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs מִקְוָה noun feminine reservoir; — Isaiah 22:11. קוֺחַ see מְּקַחקֿוֺח Topical Lexicon Definition and Scope מִקְוָה (miqvah, Strong’s Hebrew 4724) designates a man-made reservoir or gathering place for water. The term appears once in the Old Testament, Isaiah 22:11, in a context describing Jerusalem’s defensive water system. Historical Setting in Isaiah 22:11 Isaiah addresses the leaders of Jerusalem during the Assyrian crisis. Expecting siege, they reinforced their fortifications and rerouted the Gihon Spring through Hezekiah’s Tunnel to the Pool of Siloam, then dammed the Tyropoeon Valley to create “a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool” (Isaiah 22:11). Archaeology confirms this massive undertaking: the Broad Wall, the tunnel inscription, and the stepped pool all testify to eighth-century engineering. Yet Isaiah rebukes the city for trusting its construction rather than its Creator: “You did not look to the One who made it, or consider Him who planned it long ago” (ibid.). Water Management in Biblical Jerusalem 1. Lifeline in Siege – With no perennial river, Jerusalem depended on stored water. Cisterns cut into bedrock collected rainwater; the miqvah supplemented these stores with redirected spring water, guaranteeing supply when enemy forces severed access to external sources. Theological Implications • Human Ingenuity vs. Divine Sovereignty – Scripture never condemns prudent planning, but it denounces self-reliance that displaces faith (Proverbs 21:31; James 4:13–15). Isaiah 22:11 is a paradigm: Judah labored fervently yet “did not look to the One who made it.” Intertestamental and Rabbinic Development By Second-Temple times miqvah referred to ritual immersion pools (plural miqva’ot). Though linguistically related, those pools served ceremonial purity, not military defense. Nevertheless, the shared idea of gathered water underscores continuity in Israel’s devotional life: cleansing and life come from God’s provision. New Testament Echoes and Typology The Pool of Siloam, supplied by Hezekiah’s Tunnel, becomes the stage for Jesus healing the man born blind (John 9:7). The reservoir born of unbelieving anxiety in Isaiah becomes, by grace, a venue for messianic revelation, illustrating how God redeems human efforts and reorients them toward His glory. Practical Application for Ministry • Encourage prudent stewardship—plan, build, and prepare—while maintaining explicit dependence on the Lord in prayer and obedience. Related Scriptures 2 Kings 20:20; 2 Chronicles 32:2-4; Psalm 46:4; Proverbs 21:31; Isaiah 41:18; John 4:14; John 9:7; Revelation 22:1 Forms and Transliterations וּמִקְוָ֣ה ׀ ומקוה ū·miq·wāh umikVah ūmiqwāhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 22:11 HEB: וּמִקְוָ֣ה ׀ עֲשִׂיתֶ֗ם בֵּ֚ין NAS: And you made a reservoir between KJV: Ye made also a ditch between the two walls INT: A reservoir made between 1 Occurrence |
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