Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 37:25
I have digged, and drunk water; and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of the besieged places.
25. I have digged water ] I (again emphatic) dig and drink foreign waters. The word “foreign” is to be supplied from 2Ki 19:24. For the expression cf. Pro 9:17; Pro 5:15.
all the rivers of the besieged places] Render with R.V. all the rivers (lit. “Nile-streams”) of Egypt. See on ch. Isa 19:6. The extravagant hyperbole covers an empty boast; no Assyrian army had ever yet set foot in Egypt, and Sennacherib was not destined to see his dream fulfilled.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
I have digged – That is, I have digged wells. This was regarded among eastern nations as an important achievement. It was difficult to find water, even by digging, in sandy deserts; and in a country abounding with rocks, it was an enterprise of great difficulty to sink a well. Hence, the possession of a well became a valuable property, and was sometimes the occasion of contention between neighboring tribes Gen 26:20. Hence, also to stop up the wells of water, by throwing in rocks or sand, became one of the most obvious ways of distressing an enemy, and was often resorted to Gen 26:15, Gen 26:18; 2Ki 3:19, 2Ki 3:25. To dig wells, or to furnish water in abundance to a people, became also an achievement which was deemed worthy to be recorded in the history of kings and princes 2Ch 26:10. Many of the most stupendous and costly of the works of the Romans in the capital of their empire, and in the principal towns of their provinces, consisted in building aqueducts to bring water from a distance into a city.
An achievement like this I understand Sennacherib as boasting he had performed; that he had furnished water for the cities and towns of his mighty empire; that he had accomplished what was deemed so difficult, and what required so much expense, as digging wells for his people; and that he had secured them from being stopped up by his enemies, so that he and his people drank of the water in peace. Gesenius, however, understands this as a boast that he had extended the bounds of his empire beyond its original limits, and unto regions that were naturally destitute of water, and where it was necessary to dig wells to supply his armies. Rosenmuller understands it as saying: I have passed over, and taken possession of foreign lands. Drusius regards it as a proverbial saying, meaning I have happily and successfully accomplished all that I have undertaken, as he who digs a well accomplishes that which he particularly desires. Vitringa regards it as saying, that to dig wells, and to drink the water of them, is to enjoy the fruit of our labors, to be successful and happy. But it seems to me that the interpretation above suggested, and which I have not found in any of the commentators before me, is the correct exposition.
And drunk water – In 2Ki 19:24, it is, I have drunk strange waters; that is, the waters of foreign lands. I have conquered them, and have dug wells in them. But the sense is not materially changed.
And with the sole of my feet – Expressions like this, denoting the desolations of a conqueror, are found in the classic writers. Perhaps the idea there is, that their armies were so numerous that they drank up all the waters in their march – a strong hyperbole to denote the number of their armies, and the extent of their desolations when even the waters failed before them. Thus Claudian (De Bello Getico, 526) introduces Alaric as boasting of his conquests in the same extravagant manner, and in language remarkably similar to this:
Cum cesserit omnis
Obsequiis natura meis. Subsidere nostris
Sub pedibus montes; arescere vidimus amnes –
Fregi Alpes, galeisque Padum victricibus hausi.
So Juvenal (Sat. 10:176), speaking of the dominion of Xerxes, says:
– credimus altos
Defecisse amnes, epotaque ilumina Medo
Prandente.
The boast of drying up streams with the sole of the foot, is intended to convey the idea that he had not only supplied water for his own empire by digging wells, but that he had cut off the supplies of water from the others against whom he had made war. The idea perhaps is, that if such an army as his was, should pass through the streams of a country that they should invade, and should only take away the water that would adhere to the sole or the hollow of the foot on their march, it would dry up all the streams. It is strong hyperbolical language, and is designed to indicate the number of the forces which were under his command.
Of the besieged places – Margin, Fenced or closed. The word rendered rivers ( ‘rey), may denote canals, or artificial streams, such as were common in Egypt. In Isa 19:6, it is rendered brooks, and is applied to the artificial canals of Egypt (see the note on that place). The word rendered here besieged places ( matsor), may mean distress, straitness Deu 28:53; siege Eze 4:2, Eze 4:7; mound, bulwark, intrenchment Deu 20:20; or it may be a proper name for Egypt, being one of the forms of the name mitserayim or Egypt. The same phrase occurs in Isa 19:6, where it means Egypt (see the note on that place), and such should be regarded as its meaning here. It alludes to the conquests which Sennacherib is represented as boasting that he had made in Egypt, that he had easily removed obstructions, and destroyed their means of defense. Though he had been repulsed before Pelusium by Tirhakah king of Ethiopia (see the note at Isa 36:1), yet it is not improbable that he had taken many towns there, and had subdued no small part of the country to himself. In his vain boasting, he would strive to forget his repulse, and would dwell on the case of conquest, and the facility with which he had removed all obstructions from his way. The whole language of the verse therefore, is that of a proud and haughty Oriental prince, desirous of proclaiming his conquests, and forgetting his mortifying defeats.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 25. Water – “Strange waters”] The word zarim, strange, lost out of the Hebrew text in this place, is supplied from the other copy. A MS. supplies the word rabbim, many, instead of it.
With the sole of my feet] With my infantry.
All the rivers of the besieged places – “All the canals of fenced places.”] The principal cities of Egypt, the scene of his late exploits, were chiefly defended by deep moats, canals, or large lakes, made by labour and art, with which they were surrounded. See Harmer’s Observ. ii. p. 304. Claudian introduces Alaric boasting of his conquests in the same extravagant manner: –
“Subsidere nostris
Sub pedibus montes; arescere vidimus amnes.__
Fregi Alpes, galeisque Padum victricibus hausi.”
De Bello Getic. 526.
“The mountains have passed away under our feet; we have seen the rivers dried up. I have broken the Alps, and laden out the Po with our victorious helmets.”
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
25. digged, and drunk waterIn2Ki 19:24, it is “strangewaters.” I have marched into foreign lands where I had to digwells for the supply of my armies; even the natural destitution ofwater there did not impede my march.
rivers of . . . besiegedplacesrather, “the streams (artificial canals from theNile) of Egypt.” “With the sole of my foot,”expresses that as soon as his vast armies marched into aregion, the streams were drunk up by them; or rather, that therivers proved no obstruction to the onward march of hisarmies. So Isa 19:4-6,referring to Egypt, “the riverbrooks ofdefenseshall be dried up.” HORSLEY,translates the Hebrew for “besieged places,””rocks.”
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
I have digged, and drunk water,…. In places where he came, and found no water for his army, he set his soldiers to work, to dig cisterns, as the Targum, or wells, so that they had water sufficient to drink; in 2Ki 19:24, it is “strange waters”, which were never known before:
and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of the besieged places; or, as the Targum,
“with the soles of the feet of the people that are with me;”
the Syriac version, “with the hoofs of my horses”: with which he trampled down banks of rivers, and pools, and cisterns of water; signifying the vast numbers of his soldiers, who could drink up a river, or carry it away with them, or could turn the streams of rivers that ran by the sides, or round about, cities besieged, and so hindered the carrying on of a siege, and the taking of the place; but he had ways and means very easily to drain them, and ford them; or to cut off all communication of the water from the besieged. Some render it, “I have dried up all the rivers of Egypt” s, as Kimchi, on 2Ki 19:24, observes, and to be understood hyperbolically; see Isa 19:6, so Ben Melech observes.
s “omnes rivos Aegypti”, Vitringa.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Third turn, “I, I have digged and drunk (K. foreign) waters, and will make dry with the sole of my feet all the Nile-arms ( , K. ) of Matsor.” If we take in Isa 37:24 as a perfect of certainty, Isa 37:25 would refer to the overcoming of the difficulties connected with the barren sandy steppe on the way to Egypt (viz., et – Tih ); but the perfects stand out against the following futures, as statements of what was actually past. Thus, in places where there were no waters at all, and it might have been supposed that his army would inevitably perish, there he had dug them ( qur , from which m aqor is derived, fodere ; not scaturire , as Luzzatto supposes), and had drunk up these waters, which had been called up, as if by magic, upon foreign soil; and in places where there were waters, as in Egypt ( m atsor is used in Isaiah and Micah for mitsrayim , with a play upon the appellative meaning of the word: an enclosing fence, a fortifying girdle: see Psa 31:22), the Nile-arms and canals of which appeared to bar all farther progress, it was an easy thing for him to set at nought all these opposing hindrances. The Nile, with its many arms, was nothing but a puddle to him, which he trampled out with his feet.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
25. I shall dig and drink water. The tyrant still goes on to boast of his strength, and threatens that e will bring so powerful an army that by means of their numbers he will dry up all the fountains and rivers. Yet, when he says, “With the sole of my feet I shall dry up all the lakes of the siege,” by the lakes of the siege (59) some understand the fountain of Siloah, and the cisterns and pools of which the besieged Jews could not be deprived without being consumed by thirst. And, indeed, in the former clause he appears to say that, though the whole country were dry, still he does not dread a scarcity of water, because his vast military forces will be abundantly able to dig wells. In the second clause he adds, that he will have at his command the means of drying up all the waters of the city, so as to slay the Jews by thirst. In short, he means that Jerusalem will be unable to resist the siege, and will not be able to stand out any longer, but must immediately surrender. But while wicked men thus vaunt, God sits in heaven, from which he will at length execute judgment against them; for this narrative of the Prophet is intended to lead us to consider the stupendous judgment of God against that tyrant.
(59) The rivers of besieged places. — (Eng. Ver.)
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(25) I have digged, and drunk water . . .This, again, was one of the common boasts of the Assyrian conquerors. It was Sennacheribs special glory, as recorded in his inscriptions, that he had provided cities with water which were before scantily supplied, that he had made wells even in the deserts (Records of the Past, i. 29, 31, 9:23).
All the rivers of the besieged places.As the words stand, they suggest the thought that the Assyrian army could cut off the supply of water as well as provide it, and so connect themselves with the Rabshakehs taunt in Isa. 36:12. Their true meaning, however, is probably, as in Isa. 19:6; Mic. 7:12, the rivers or canals of Egypt, a form being used for Egypt which also conveys the idea of besieged fortresses. So taken, the words are a defiant threat against Tirhakah. Not all the branches of the Nile in the Delta should protect his cities. His armies would, as it were, dry them up.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
25. Each verse along here shows a strophical character parties speaking in turn. Sennacherib is now the speaker. Yes, indeed, I have digged, and drunk water; and with the sole of my feet [steps of my feet] have I dried up all the streams of Egypt The best views respecting the confusion of Hebrew tenses in this verse and the preceding, make good sense as follows: It is as if it were already done, that I have digged and drank water with my great army across the northern et-Tih desert to Egypt. My power is adequate to do it with the utmost ease. Likewise, as if already in Egypt, subduing all before me it is as good as done that with the step of foot of my whole army upon water tread mills I have completely exhausted all the Nile arms and canals of Egypt. Some favour is due to another sense, that of an hyperbole, in the last clause, namely, “The Nile was nothing but a puddle to him, which he could trample out with the sole of his foot.” Delitzsch.
rivers = arms, or canals. Compare Isa 19:6, and Mic 7:12.
besieged places. Hebrew. matzor. Put for Egypt.
with the sole: Isa 36:12, 1Ki 20:10, 2Ki 19:23, 2Ki 19:24
besieged: or, fenced and closed
Reciprocal: Deu 20:1 – horses 2Ch 32:1 – win them Job 28:11 – bindeth Job 40:23 – drinketh Psa 94:4 – boast Isa 19:6 – and the Isa 26:6 – General Eze 38:11 – go up Dan 4:30 – that Nah 3:14 – Draw
37:25 I have dug, {q} and drank water; and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of the besieged places.
(q) He boasts of his policy in that he can find means to nourish his army: and of his power in that his army is so great, that it is able to dry up whole rivers, and to destroy the waters which the Jews had closed in.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes