Isaiah 19:5
The waters of the Nile will dry up, and the riverbed will be parched and empty.
The waters of the Nile will dry up,

The Nile was Egypt’s source of life, supplying water, transportation, fishing, and the annual flooding that made its fields fruitful. Its failure would bring famine, commercial ruin, and national distress. God’s judgment reaches the powers Egypt trusted, demonstrating that the Creator rules the river as surely as He rules kings and nations. The image recalls the plagues of Exodus, when the Lord struck Egypt’s waters and exposed the helplessness of its gods.

Zec 10:11 They will pass through the sea of distress…
Ezk 30:12 I will make the streams dry up and sell the land…
Nam 1:4 He rebukes the sea and dries it up; He makes all the rivers…

and the riverbed will be parched and empty.

A dry Nile channel portrays complete desolation rather than a temporary hardship. The land known for abundance would become barren, and the nation’s strength would prove unable to preserve it. Such judgment warns that prosperity without submission to God cannot endure. Yet Isaiah’s later promise of Egypt’s healing and worship of the Lord shows that divine judgment can also prepare the way for repentance and restoration.

Isa 44:27 who says to the depths of the sea, ‘Be dry,…
Job 14:11 As water disappears from the sea and a river…
Psa 107:33 He turns rivers into deserts, springs of water…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Isaiah
A major prophet in the Old Testament, Isaiah is the author of the book that bears his name. He prophesied during the reigns of several kings of Judah and is known for his messages of both judgment and hope.

2. Egypt
A significant nation in biblical history, often seen as a symbol of worldly power and idolatry. In Isaiah 19, Egypt is the subject of a prophecy concerning its future downfall and eventual redemption.

3. The Nile River
The Nile is the longest river in the world and was the lifeblood of ancient Egypt, providing water, transportation, and fertile soil. Its drying up symbolizes a catastrophic event for Egypt.

4. Prophecy of Judgment
Isaiah 19 contains a prophecy of judgment against Egypt, indicating a time when its resources and power will be diminished.

5. Divine Intervention
The drying up of the Nile is an act of divine intervention, demonstrating God's sovereignty over nature and nations.
Teaching Points
God's Sovereignty Over Nature
The drying up of the Nile illustrates God's control over creation. Believers can trust in God's power to intervene in the natural world according to His purposes.

Judgment as a Call to Repentance
The prophecy serves as a warning to Egypt and a call to repentance. Similarly, God's judgments today are opportunities for individuals and nations to turn back to Him.

Dependence on God, Not Resources
Egypt's reliance on the Nile highlights the danger of depending on worldly resources. Christians are reminded to place their trust in God rather than material wealth or natural resources.

Hope Beyond Judgment
While Isaiah 19 begins with judgment, it ends with a vision of Egypt's redemption. This teaches that God's ultimate desire is restoration and reconciliation.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the drying up of the Nile in Isaiah 19:5 demonstrate God's sovereignty, and how can this understanding impact our daily trust in Him?

2. In what ways does the judgment of Egypt serve as a warning for modern nations and individuals? How can we apply this warning to our lives today?

3. Reflect on a time when you relied on worldly resources instead of God. How can Isaiah 19:5 encourage you to shift your dependence?

4. How do the themes of judgment and redemption in Isaiah 19 relate to the overall message of the Gospel?

5. Compare the drying up of the Nile in Isaiah 19:5 with the plagues in Exodus and the events in Revelation. What do these events teach us about God's plan for history and His ultimate purposes?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 7:14-25
The plagues of Egypt, particularly the turning of the Nile into blood, show God's power over the natural world and His ability to judge nations.

Ezekiel 30:12
This passage also speaks of the drying up of the Nile as part of God's judgment against Egypt, reinforcing the theme of divine control over natural resources.

Revelation 16:12
The drying up of the Euphrates River in Revelation parallels the drying up of the Nile, symbolizing preparation for God's final judgment.
A Picture of PenaltyW. Clarkson Isaiah 19:2-10
The Drying Up of the NileE. Johnson Isaiah 19:5-10
The Withholding of God's Gifts Making Man's WoeR. Tuck Isaiah 19:5-10
People
Assyrians, Egyptians, Isaiah, Pharaoh
Places
Assyria, Canaan, City of Destruction, Egypt, Memphis, Nile River, Zoan
Topics
Cut, Drained, Dried, Dry, Fail, Failed, Nile, Parched, River, Riverbed, Rivers, Waste, Wasted, Waters
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Isaiah 19:1-10

     5938   sadness

Isaiah 19:4-10

     4819   dryness

Isaiah 19:5-8

     4260   rivers and streams

Library
The Fruits of Grace
"In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan, and swear to the Lord of hosts; one shall be called the city of destruction. In that day shall there be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the Lord. And it all be for a sign and for a witness unto the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry unto the Lord because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a Saviour, and a great one, and he shall
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 62: 1916

'He Uttered his Voice, the Earth Melted'
'Then Isaiah the son of Amos sent to Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, That which thou hast prayed to Me against Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard. 21. This is the word that the Lord hath spoken concerning him; The virgin, the daughter of Zion, hath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee. 22. Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Exposition of the Moral Law.
1. The Law was committed to writing, in order that it might teach more fully and perfectly that knowledge, both of God and of ourselves, which the law of nature teaches meagrely and obscurely. Proof of this, from an enumeration of the principal parts of the Moral Law; and also from the dictate of natural law, written on the hearts of all, and, in a manner, effaced by sin. 2. Certain general maxims. 1. From the knowledge of God, furnished by the Law, we learn that God is our Father and Ruler. Righteousness
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

a survey of the third and closing discourse of the prophet
We shall now, in conclusion, give a survey of the third and closing discourse of the prophet. After an introduction in vi. 1, 2, where the mountains serve only to give greater solemnity to the scene (in the fundamental passages Deut. xxxii. 1, and in Is. 1, 2, "heaven and earth" are mentioned for the same purposes, inasmuch as they are the most venerable parts of creation; "contend with the mountains" by taking them in and applying to [Pg 522] them as hearers), the prophet reminds the people of
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Manner of Covenanting.
Previous to an examination of the manner of engaging in the exercise of Covenanting, the consideration of God's procedure towards his people while performing the service seems to claim regard. Of the manner in which the great Supreme as God acts, as well as of Himself, our knowledge is limited. Yet though even of the effects on creatures of His doings we know little, we have reason to rejoice that, in His word He has informed us, and in His providence illustrated by that word, he has given us to
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Covenanting Predicted in Prophecy.
The fact of Covenanting, under the Old Testament dispensations, being approved of God, gives a proof that it was proper then, which is accompanied by the voice of prophecy, affording evidence that even in periods then future it should no less be proper. The argument for the service that is afforded by prophecy is peculiar, and, though corresponding with evidence from other sources, is independent. Because that God willed to make known truth through his servants the prophets, we should receive it
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Isaiah
CHAPTERS I-XXXIX Isaiah is the most regal of the prophets. His words and thoughts are those of a man whose eyes had seen the King, vi. 5. The times in which he lived were big with political problems, which he met as a statesman who saw the large meaning of events, and as a prophet who read a divine purpose in history. Unlike his younger contemporary Micah, he was, in all probability, an aristocrat; and during his long ministry (740-701 B.C., possibly, but not probably later) he bore testimony, as
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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