And they shall turn the rivers far away; and the brooks of defence shall be emptied and dried up: the reeds and flags shall wither.
They shall turn the rivers far away, х he'ezniychuw (H2186), from zaanach (H2186), to put far away] - or else with the sense to put away in disgust as putrid; 'the streams shall become putrid;' i:e., the artificial streams made for irrigation shall become stagnant and offensive when the waters fail (Maurer). Horsley, with the Septuagint, translate, 'and waters from the sea shall be drunk:' by the failure of the river-water they shall be reduced to sea-water. I prefer, with Vatablus, 'the rivers shall withdraw themselves far away.' So the Vulgate, 'the rivers shall fail.' So the Syriac and Arabic. The Chaldaic translates 'the rivers shall be desolated.'
The brooks of defense - or else, 'the canals of Egypt:' canals-literally, 'Niles,' Nile-canals, the plural of the Egyptian term for the great river ['oreey] (Bochart, Phaleg). The same Hebrew word, matsowr (H4692), whence comes Mitsrayim (H4714), expresses Egypt, and a place of "defense." Horsley translates it, 'embanked canals.' I prefer the English version in this sense, which is supported by the Vulgate, "the brooks," or 'canals of defensed embankments.' The embankments not only were a "defense" against the inundations of the Nile, but also against the assault of invaders.
The reeds and flags shall wither - the papyrus. 'Reed and rush:' utter withering.