אֲגַם (a.gam)
a.gam
pool
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 8 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun a.gam refers to a pool or pond, but with a specific nuance: it often describes water that is stagnant, muddy, or troubled. Unlike clear springs, these bodies of water are still and deep, sometimes associated with gloom or marshy conditions. The sources note that the term can extend to the reeds or rushes growing in such swamps, linking the water’s condition to its vegetation.
This word appears eight times in the Hebrew Bible, primarily in Isaiah, Psalms, and Jeremiah. In Isaiah 36:16, for example, it is used to describe the pools of water available in the land, contrasting with the reliance on Egypt. The imagery often carries a sense of instability or impurity, as stagnant water does not refresh or sustain life like flowing streams. Translators typically render it simply as "pool," though the context usually clarifies whether it is a neutral reservoir or a murky, unhealthy marsh.
The distinction between a.gam and other words for water highlights the biblical preference for living, moving water. While a spring represents vitality and divine provision, a.gam often symbolizes stillness that leads to decay or danger. This contrast helps readers understand why prophets might use such imagery to warn against spiritual stagnation or reliance on unstable sources of security.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
In Scripture, a pool often represents stillness rather than flow. While springs bring life through movement, these standing waters can become stagnant or muddy if left undisturbed. This imagery reminds us that spiritual vitality requires the fresh movement of God’s presence, much like the living water Jesus offers in John 4.
Yet this word also carries a surprising promise of transformation. In Isaiah 35 and Psalm 107, God turns barren deserts into pools of water. Here, the stillness is not decay but a place of rest and refreshment for the weary. It suggests that even when our lives feel stuck or dry, God can create spaces of peace and sustenance where none existed before.
When we face seasons of waiting or uncertainty, we might fear stagnation. But this word invites us to trust that God is the source of both flowing streams and quiet pools. He provides what we need for our specific season, turning dry places into refuges for those who seek Him.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 8 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ reed-marshes1×
- ponds/ their1×
- into/ a pool of1×
- and/ reed-pools of1×
- and/ pools1×
- a pool of1×
- <into>/ a pool of1×
- <into>/ a pool1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לַֽ/אֲגַם\־1×
- לַ/אֲגַם\־1×
- לַ/אֲגַ֔ם1×
- וַ/אֲגַמִּ֖ים1×
- וְ/אַגְמֵי\־1×
- הָ/אֲגַמִּ֖ים1×
- אַגְמֵי/הֶ֗ם1×
- אֲגַם\־1×
Key Verses
-
Psalms 107:35
He turns a desert into a pool of water, and a dry land into water springs.
This verse highlights God’s power to transform barren land into a refreshing pool, showing His ability to provide sustenance in impossible situations.
-
Isaiah 35:7
The burning sand will become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water. Grass with reeds and rushes will be in the habitation of jackals, where they lay.
The image of burning sand becoming a pool illustrates divine restoration, where even the most hostile environments become places of water and life.
-
Exodus 7:19
Yahweh said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your rod, and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, over their streams, and over their pools, and over all their ponds of water, that they may become blood. There will be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.’”
Here the pools of Egypt are turned to blood, demonstrating that stagnant waters, when separated from God’s purpose, become sources of judgment rather than life.