The river] Heb. Yeor, i.e. the Nile. As is generally known, the fertility of Egypt depends entirely upon the amount of water which overflows the banks when the Nile is at its highest. Without that river the land would be a desert, the rainfall being extremely slight.
In recent years great improvements have been made for maintaining the water at a normal height always. Large 'barrages' or dams have been erected at Assouan, by the island of Philoe, for this purpose. The artificial irrigation of Egypt is alluded to in Deuteronomy 11:10, where see note.
2, 3. The seven well favoured kine] coming up out of the Nile signified an abundant over-flow for seven years and consequent plenty for Egypt, but the ill favoured ones the reverse.
Meadow] RV 'reed grass' which grows by the Nile.