Lexical Summary agem: Pool, pond Original Word: אָגֵם Strong's Exhaustive Concordance pond Probably from the same as 'agam (in the sense of stagnant water); figuratively, sad -- pond. see HEBREW 'agam NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as agam Definition sad NASB Translation grieved (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [אָגֵם] adjective sad (compare Mishna) אַגְמֵינֶֿפֶשׁ Isaiah 19:10. Topical Lexicon Geographical and Environmental Setting The solitary use of אָגֵם occurs in Isaiah’s oracle against Egypt, a nation whose very life depended on the Nile and its engineered basins. The word points to the man-made pools and marshes scattered across the Delta for irrigation and fish-breeding—an industry that symbolized Egyptian ingenuity and economic strength. Biblical Context and Imagery Isaiah 19 exposes every Egyptian support system—political, religious, and economic. Verse 10 declares, “all the wage earners will be sick at heart” (Berean Standard Bible). The rare term evokes stagnant ponds destined to fail under divine judgment. As the river dries (Isaiah 19:5-8), the once-productive pools become symbols of spiritual barrenness, echoing Jeremiah 2:13, where broken cisterns replace living water. Historical Background Ancient reliefs depict Egyptians netting fish and transferring them to holding ponds. Such ponds ensured food supply and commerce, employing countless workers. Isaiah foretells that Egypt’s hallmark of prosperity will collapse; specialists in water management—famed since Joseph’s day—will stand idle and despondent. Theological Themes 1. God’s sovereignty over nature—He dries up what humans assume is secure (Psalm 104:10-14). Ministerial Application • Nations and individuals craft intricate “ponds” of security—financial systems, technology, even ministries—but without humble dependence on the Lord they stagnate (James 4:13-15). Related Prophetic Contrast A cognate term appears in Isaiah 35:7, “The parched ground will become a pool.” The same family of words offers a prophetic bookend—God both withers Egypt’s ponds in judgment and creates new pools in restoration. Summary אָגֵם, though rare, captures the downfall of self-made security. The drying of Egypt’s fish ponds illustrates the Lord’s power to overturn human achievement and invites every generation to seek the ever-fresh, life-giving waters found in Him alone. Forms and Transliterations אַגְמֵי־ אגמי־ ’aḡ·mê- ’aḡmê- agmeiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 19:10 HEB: עֹ֥שֵׂי שֶׂ֖כֶר אַגְמֵי־ נָֽפֶשׁ׃ NAS: laborers will be grieved in soul. KJV: sluices [and] ponds for fish. INT: laborers the hired will be grieved soul |
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