Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 19:10
And they shall be broken in the purposes thereof, all that make sluices [and] ponds for fish.
10. Translate as R.V. And her pillars shall be broken in pieces, all they that work for hire shall be grieved in soul. The expressions, however, are very obscure, and the sense is doubtful. The word for “pillars” is found in Psa 11:3 (“foundations”), but it is disputed whether the capitalists or the labourers are here regarded as the foundations of society. In the second clause A.V. follows Jewish authority in keeping up the reference to fishing (cf. “networks” in the previous verse), but its “sluces and ponds for fish” is altogether wrong. LXX. errs in the opposite direction by dragging in the liquor trade (“manufacturers of strong drink” [ shkr ] instead of “workers for hire” [ seker ]).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And they shall be broken – There has been a great variety of opinion in regard to the interpretation of this verse, and much difficulty in the construction of the Hebrew words. The Vulgate renders it, And its wet places shall fail; all who make ponds to take fish. The Septuagint, And all who make beer ( zuthon) shall lament, and shall afflict their souls. This zuthon was a sort of malt liquor made of fruits by fermentation, and was used in Egypt in the place of wine, since the grape did not flourish there. Jerome on this place says, that this was much used also in Dalmatia and Pannonia, and was commonly called Sabaium. The Chaldee renders this, And the place where they weave cloth shall be trodden down, and the place where they make fish ponds, and where they collect waters, each one for his own life. This variety of reading arises chiefly from the different modes of pointing the Hebrew words.
The word rendered broken ( medaka’iym) means trodden down, from daka’ to tread, or trample down, and agrees in the Hebrew with the word rendered purposes – the proposes shall be trodden down. The word purposes ( shatoteyha) is found only in the plural, and is translated in Psa 11:3, foundations, from shiyth, foundation or pillar. According to this, it would mean that all the pillars or foundations, that is, probably all the nobles of Egypt, would be trodden down. But this does not well suit the connection. Others derive it from shatah, to drink; and suppose that it means that which is prepared for drink shall be trodden down or destroyed. Others suppose that it is derived from shatah, to weave, and that it refers to the places where they wove the cloth, that is, their looms; or to the places where they made their nets. And others suppose that it is not the places where they wove which are intended, but the weavers themselves. Forerius supposes it to be derived from shathath, to place, lay, and that it refers to the banks or dykes that were made to retain the waters in the canals, and that these would be trodden down. This, it seems to me, is the most probable interpretation, as it suits the connection, and agrees with the derivation of the word. But the meaning cannot be certainly ascertained.
All that make sluices – There has been quite as great a variety in the intepretation of this passage as in the former. The word rendered sluices ( s’eker), our translators understand in the sense of places where the water would be retained for fish ponds – made by artificial banks confining the waters that overflow from the Nile. This sense they have given to the word, as if it were derived from sakar, to shut up, to enclose. The Septuagint reads it as if it meant the Hebrew shekar, or strong drink; and so also the Syriac renders it – as if from shekar, to drink. There is no doubt that by a difference of pointing it may have this signification. But the most probable interpretation, perhaps, is that which derives it from s’akar, to hire, and means that they made those places for reward, or for gain. They thus tolled for hire; and the prophet says, that they who thus made enclosures for fish in order to make a livelihood, would be trodden down – that is, they would fail of their purposes.
Ponds for fish – The word rendered fish ( nephesh), denotes properly any living thing (see the margin), but if the usual interpretation is given of this verse, it is evident that fish are intended. The description, therefore, in this entire passage, from verse fifth to verse tenth, is designed to denote the calamities which would come upon Egypt from the failure of the waters of the Nile; and the slightest knowledge of the importance of the Nile to that country will show that all these calamities would follow from such a failure.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 10. And they shall be broken, c. – “Her stores”] shathotheyha, , granaries. – Aquila.
All that make sluices and ponds for fish – “All that make a gain of pools for fish.”] This obscure line is rendered by different interpreters in very different manners. Kimchi explains agmey as if it were the same with agemah, from Job 30:25, in which he is followed by some of the rabbins, and supported by the Septuagint: and secher, which I translate gain, and which some take for nets or inclosures, the Septuagint render by , strong drink or beer, which it is well known was much used in Egypt and so likewise the Syriac, retaining the Hebrew word sekra. I submit these very different interpretations to the reader’s judgment. The Version of the Septuagint is as follows:
, “And all they that make barley wine shall mourn, and be grieved in soul.”
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Thereof, i.e. of Egypt, or of the Egyptians. They shall lose their ends and hopes; for the fishes in them shall die for want of water.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
10. in the purposesrather,”the foundations,” that is, “the nobles shall bebroken” or brought low: so Isa 3:1;Psa 11:3; compare Isa19:13, “The princesthe stay of the tribes. TheArabs call a prince “a pillar of the people”[MAURER]. “Theirweaving-frames” [HORSLEY].”Dykes” [BARNES].
all that make sluices,&c.”makers of dams,” made to confine the waterswhich overflow from the Nile in artificial fish-ponds [HORSLEY].”Makers of gain,” that is, the common people who have toearn their livelihood, as opposed to the “nobles”previously [MAURER].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And they shall be broken in the purposes thereof,…. Meaning either the persons that work in flax, or in making nets; who shall be disappointed in their views, expectations, and designs, in bringing them to a good market, since there will be no buyers. The word for “purposes” signifies foundations, as in Ps 11:3 and may design dams and banks, that are made to keep in the water, which shall be broken down, and be of no service to answer the end; but Kimchi observes, that the word in the Talmudic language signifies “nets”, as it does n; and this seems to be most agreeable to the context; and then the words may be rendered, “and its nets shall be broken” o; shall lie and rot for want of use:
all that make sluices [and] ponds for fish; or, “all that make an enclosure of ponds of soul” p; or for delight and pleasure; that is, not only such shall be broken in their purposes, ashamed and confounded, and be dispirited, mourn and lament, whose business and employment it is to catch fish, or make nets for that end, and get their livelihood thereby; but even such who enclose a confluence of water, and make fishponds in their fields and gardens for their pleasure, will be disappointed; for their waters there will be dried up, and the fish die, as well as in the common rivers. The Septuagint version renders it, “and all they that make zythum shall grieve”; “zythum” was a sort of malt liquor of the ancients; and the word for “sluices” is of affinity with a word that is often used for strong drink; and so the Syriac version here,
“and all they shall be humbled that make strong drink, for the drink of the soul;”
or for men to drink for pleasure.
n T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 124. 2. Bava Kama, fol. 117. 1. o “Et erunt retia ejus contrita”, Pagninus, Montanus. p “omnes facientes clausuram stagnorum animae”, Montanus.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
10. And all that make ponds. As to the word שכר, ( secher,) there is no absolute necessity, in my opinion, for translating it a net; for the derivation shews it, on the contrary, to denote a lucrative occupation. (34)
Where fishes are very abundant, they are also preserved in pools and ponds; because the fishers would otherwise be constrained to sell them at a very low price. Besides, when they throw a net, they are not always successful. He therefore follows out the same subject, “It will not be possible either to take or to preserve fishes. Pools will be of no use.”
(34) Bogus footnote
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(10) And they shall be broken in the purposes thereof.Better, the pillars thereof (i.e., the props and columns of the state) shall be broken in pieces, and all those who work for wages (i.e., the great masses of the people) shall be troubled in mind. The word translated purposes, occurs in the sense here given in Psa. 11:3, and is there translated foundations. (Compare the like figure in Eze. 30:4; Gal. 2:9.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
10. Broken in the purposes thereof Their strong men, their higher castes. The pillars of the land are crushed to pieces. So the Hebrew. Strange translation in our version! The ruin is general. Both high and low suffer.
All that make sluices Dam makers across canals to overflow the lands. Workers for wages, these especially suffer.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Isa 19:10 And they shall be broken in the purposes thereof, all that make sluices [and] ponds for fish.
Ver. 10. And they shall be broken in the purposes thereof. ] Heb., In the foundations, as Psa 11:3 . Purposes are the foundation of practices, but are oft disappointed.
And ponds for fish.
a Berecha.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
purposes: or, foundations. Compare Psa 11:3.
make sluices. fish: or, work for wages shall be grieved in soul.
fish = souls Hebrew. nephesh, App-13. margin, “living things”.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
purposes: Heb. foundations
make: Exo 7:19, Exo 8:5, Deu 11:10
for fish: or, of living things