Lexical Summary agam: Pool, marsh, pond Original Word: אֲגַם Strong's Exhaustive Concordance pond, pool, standing water From an unused root (meaning to collect as water); a marsh; hence a rush (as growing in swamps); hence a stockade of reeds -- pond, pool, standing (water). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition a marsh, muddy pool NASB Translation marshes (1), ponds (1), pool (4), pools (2), swamps (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs אֲגַם noun [masculine] troubled pool (Aramaic id.,  , Assyrian agammu DlW) — ׳א absolute Isaiah 35:7; construct Isaiah 41:18 2t.; אֲגַמִּים Exodus 8:1 2t.; אַגְמֵי Isaiah 14:23; אַגְמֵיהֶם Exodus 7:19 — 1 troubled or muddy (gloomy) pools or marshes, plural מַיִם ׳א Isaiah 14:23. 2 any pool, pond, singular מַיִם ׳א Isaiah 41:18; Psalm 107:35; Psalm 114:8; plural without מַיִם Exodus 7:19; Exodus 8:1 (P) Isaiah 42:15. 3 swamp-reed, rush (= אַגְמוֺן) Jeremiah 51:32. Topical Lexicon Geographical BackdropThe word denotes a naturally occurring or occasionally man-made body of still water—often shallow and fringed with reeds—that appears in landscapes ranging from the fertile Nile Delta to the arid wilderness of Judah. Such pools served agriculture, provided refuge for wildlife, and at times became breeding grounds for disease; therefore they could symbolize either blessing or blight in Israel’s thought world. Occurrences in the Exodus Narrative Exodus 7:19 and Exodus 8:5 place these ponds squarely within the drama of the plagues. The turning of Egypt’s ponds to blood and the summoning of frogs from the same waters display the Creator’s absolute sovereignty over what the Egyptians considered life-giving reservoirs. The judgment exposes the impotence of Nile deities and anticipates the final deliverance through the Red Sea. Moses’ confrontation reminds God’s people that the elements themselves obey His word. Praise and Transformation in the Psalms Psalm 107:35 celebrates covenant faithfulness: “He turns a desert into pools of water, and parched ground into flowing springs”. What was once lifeless is made fertile, underscoring the Lord’s power to reverse human impossibility. Psalm 114:8 looks back to the wilderness miracles: “who turned the rock into a pool of water.” The imagery binds together exodus, wilderness provision, and the ongoing experience of divine refreshment. Prophetic Portraits of Judgment and Restoration Isaiah alternates between doom and hope. Babylon is consigned to desolate pools (Isaiah 14:23), a grim scene echoed in Jeremiah 51:32 where the invader’s marshes are burned. Yet in Isaiah 35:7 and Isaiah 41:18, the same word heralds eschatological renewal: deserts blossom as the Lord “turns the desert into a pool of water.” Isaiah 42:15 reverses the picture again, drying up pools as part of a sweeping judgment. The oscillation teaches that blessing or barrenness hinges on covenant loyalty. Redemptive-Historical Trajectory These references trace the sweep of salvation history: By controlling the pools, the Lord demonstrates His mastery over chaos, His provision for the redeemed, and His right to remove blessings from the rebellious. Ministry Implications 1. Proclamation: Preaching may draw on these texts to stress that God can both disrupt and restore the sources of life on which nations depend. Key References for Further Study Exodus 7:19; Exodus 8:5; Psalm 107:35; Psalm 114:8; Isaiah 14:23; Isaiah 35:7; Isaiah 41:18; Isaiah 42:15; Jeremiah 51:32 Forms and Transliterations אֲגַם־ אַגְמֵיהֶ֗ם אגם־ אגמיהם הָאֲגַמִּ֑ים הָאֲגַמִּ֖ים האגמים וְאַגְמֵי־ וַאֲגַמִּ֖ים ואגמי־ ואגמים לַֽאֲגַם־ לַאֲגַ֔ם לַאֲגַם־ לאגם לאגם־ ’ă·ḡam- ’aḡ·mê·hem ’ăḡam- ’aḡmêhem agam agmeiHem hā’ăḡammîm hā·’ă·ḡam·mîm haagamMim la’ăḡam la’ăḡam- la·’ă·ḡam la·’ă·ḡam- laagam vaagamMim veagmei wa’ăḡammîm wa·’ă·ḡam·mîm wə’aḡmê- wə·’aḡ·mê-Links Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Exodus 7:19 HEB: יְאֹרֵיהֶ֣ם וְעַל־ אַגְמֵיהֶ֗ם וְעַ֛ל כָּל־ NAS: and over their pools, and over KJV: upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools INT: their streams and over their pools and over all Exodus 8:5 Psalm 107:35 Psalm 114:8 Isaiah 14:23 Isaiah 35:7 Isaiah 41:18 Isaiah 42:15 Jeremiah 51:32 9 Occurrences |
    |