Isaiah 11:15 · Bible study
Isaiah 11:15 Commentary: The River, the Sea, and the Second Exodus
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Does the river in Isaiah 11:15 refer to the Nile or the Euphrates? Explore the verse's imagery of divine judgment and the hope of a new exodus.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God will remove all obstacles for the return of his people, just as he did at the first exodus.
- Key words: “tongue” (le shon, a bay); “scorching wind” (ba‘yam, glowing heat); “river” (nahar, often the Euphrates in Isaiah); “sandals” (ne‘alim, dry-shod crossing).
- Main debate: Whether “the River” refers to the Nile (seven mouths) or the Euphrates (context of Assyrian return).
- Theological theme: Second exodus: God gathers his scattered people by overpowering creation.
- Best use: Preaching the certainty of God’s deliverance and the hope of restoration for all who belong to Christ.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
The LORD will devote to destruction the gulf of the Sea of Egypt; with a scorching wind He will sweep His hand over the Euphrates. He will split it into seven streams for men to cross with dry sandals.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Yahweh will utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his scorching wind he will wave his hand over the River, and will split it into seven streams, and cause men to march over in sandals.
KJV King James Version 1769
And the Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And Jehovah will utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his scorching wind will he wave his hand over the River, and will smite it into seven streams, and cause men to march over dryshod.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And Jehovah hath devoted to destruction The tongue of the sea of Egypt, And hath waved His hand over the river, In the terror of his wind, And hath smitten it at the seven streams, And hath caused men to tread it with shoes.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And Jehovah will utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind will he shake his hand over the river, and will smite it into seven streams, and make [men] go over dryshod.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And the Lord shall lay waste the tongue of the sea of Egypt, and shall lift up his hand over the river in the strength of his spirit: and he shall strike it in the seven streams, so that men may pass through it in their shoes.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y secará Jehová la lengua de la mar de Egipto; y levantará su mano con fortaleza de su espíritu sobre el río, y herirálo en sus siete brazos, y hará que pasen por él con zapatos.
E o SENHOR dividirá a porção de mar do Egito, e moverá sua mão contra o rio com a força de seu vento; e o ferirá em sete correntes, e fará com que se possa atravessá-lo com sandálias.
L’ Éternel desséchera la langue de la mer d’ Égypte,
Und der HERR wird verbannen die Zunge des Meeres in Ägypten und wird seine Hand lassen gehen über den Strom mit einem starken Winde und ihn in sieben Bäche zerschlagen, daß man mit Schuhen dadurchgehen kann.
Ook zal de HEERE den inham der zee van Egypte verbannen, en Hij zal Zijn hand bewegen tegen de rivier, door de sterkte Zijns winds; en Hij zal dezelve slaan in de zeven stromen, en Hij zal maken, dat men met schoenen daardoor zal gaan.
L’Eterno metterà interamente a secco la lingua del mar dell’Egitto, scuoterà minacciosamente la mano sul fiume, e col suo soffio impetuoso, lo spartirà in sette canali, e farà si che lo si passi coi sandali.
Zniszczy też Pan odnogę morza Egipskiego, i podniesie rękę swoję przeciwko rzece mocnym wiatrem swym, a rozdzieli ją na siedm potoków, i sprawi to, że ją w obuwiu przechodzić będą.
И иссушит Господь залив моря Египетского, и прострет руку Свою на реку в сильном ветре Своем, и разобьет ее на семь ручьев, так что в сандалиях могут переходить ее.
耶和華 必使 埃及 海 汊 枯乾，掄 手 用暴熱的 風使 大河 分為 七 條，令人過去 不致濕腳。
And the Lord will make the tongue of the Egyptian sea completely dry; and with his burning wind his hand will be stretched out over the River, and it will be parted into seven streams, so that men may go over it with dry feet.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Isaiah 11:15
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Isaiah 11:15 uses imagery from the first exodus to promise a second, greater deliverance. The “tongue of the Egyptian sea” is the Gulf of Suez, the northern fork of the Red Sea. The Hebrew word le shon (“tongue”) describes a bay that juts into the land, as in Joshua 15:2. The verse then speaks of God’s “scorching wind” drying up that sea, recalling the strong east wind in Exodus 14:21. These details are not in dispute.
The main debate concerns “the River.” Calvin, Clarke, and Vitringa take it as the Nile, noting that Egypt’s river has seven mouths. But many others, Gill, Jarchi, Kimchi, and the Targum, understand it as the Euphrates, the river typically meant when “the River” appears without further name in Isaiah (7:20, 8:7). Jamieson-Fausset-Brown and the Cambridge Bible follow this view, noting that the context describes a return from Assyria (v. 16). Barnes observes that the Euphrates was the eastern boundary of the promised land, making its removal an act of divine clearance for the returning exiles.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Nile interpretation: The mention of 'Egyptian sea' and 'seven streams' matches the Nile delta; supported by Calvin, Clarke, and Vitringa.
- Euphrates interpretation: The context of return from Assyria (v. 16) and the use of 'the River' without further specification (Isaiah 7:20, 8:7) favor the Euphrates; supported by Gill, Jarchi, Targum, and most modern commentators.
What is clear: The verse promises that God will remove all obstacles—symbolized by a sea and a river—to bring his people home in a second exodus, just as he did in the first.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of 'the River' | The word 'river' (nahar) often refers to the Euphrates in Isaiah (7:20, 8:7), and the context of return from Assyria (v. 16) favors that identification. | Some early and modern interpreters (Calvin, Clarke, Vitringa) argue for the Nile because of the mention of 'seven streams' matching the Nile's delta, and the proximity of 'Egyptian sea.' Both sides have lexical and contextual support. |
| Meaning of 'utterly destroy' (hecherim) | The verb is a strong term meaning 'to devote to destruction' (ban). All commentators agree it describes God's judgment on the body of water, resulting in its removal as an obstacle. | Some ancient versions (Septuagint, Vulgate, Targum) read 'hecherib' (dry up) instead of 'hecherim.' Cambridge and Clarke note this variant, but the textual evidence for 'hecherim' is strong. The difference in meaning is minor: either 'destroy' or 'dry up' leads to the same effect of a passable crossing. |
| The seven streams | The river is split into seven shallow brooks (nechalim, wadis) so that men can cross in sandals, a picture of easy passage where once there was deep water. | If the river is the Nile, the seven streams refer to the famous seven mouths of the Nile delta. If the river is the Euphrates, the number seven may be symbolic (completeness) or allude to Cyrus dividing rivers into many channels (Herodotus 1.189). |
| Relationship between this exodus and the first | The verse deliberately alludes to the Red Sea crossing (Exodus 14:21) and the drying up of the Jordan (Joshua 3:16). The new deliverance is modeled on the old. | Some see this as a literal future event for national Israel; others read it as symbolic of spiritual deliverance through the Messiah, noting that the Gentiles seek him in the immediately preceding verse (v. 10). |
Historical & Cultural Context
Isaiah 11 is a prophecy of the Messiah’s reign and the regathering of Israel. Verses 11, 16 describe a second exodus, when the Lord will “recover the remnant of his people” from Assyria, Egypt, and many other lands. The verse we are studying depicts God removing natural barriers that block the journey home.
“The tongue of the Egyptian sea” is the Heroöpolite Gulf, the western arm of the Red Sea. The Greeks and Romans called such a land-locked inlet a “tongue,” and Joshua 15:2 uses the same Hebrew word for the southern border of Judah. God’s “utter destruction” of this tongue means he dries it up, as he did at the first exodus (Exodus 14:21). The word hecherim (devote to destruction) is a strong term, indicating a total ban, the sea itself is judged.
The “river” is likely the Euphrates, a major barrier for exiles returning from Assyria. Its “seven streams” may be natural channels or, as Barnes cites from Herodotus, a reference to Cyrus the Great dividing the Gyndes River into 360 streams to make it fordable. The prophet uses this familiar image to show that God can reduce any river to a series of shallow wadis. The “scorching wind” (ba‘yam, a rare word meaning glowing heat) intensifies the picture: God’s breath evaporates the water.
In verse 16, the highway from Assyria is compared to the way Israel came out of Egypt. The entire passage is a tapestry of allusions to the first exodus, rewoven on a grander scale to announce that the Lord will bring his people home through impossible obstacles.
Textual Notes
The Hebrew text reads vehecherim (and he will devote to destruction) for the first verb. The Septuagint, Vulgate, and Syriac read a similar verb meaning “dry up” (hecherib), and the Targum also favors this sense. The word ba‘yam (“scorching wind” or “glowing heat”) is a hapax legomenon (occurs only here in the Old Testament). The ancient translators rendered it variously: Septuagint has “violent wind”; Syriac “with a display of might”; Saadia (Jewish exegete) correctly derived it from “to be hot.” The word “tongue” for a gulf is well attested in Joshua 15:2, 5 and 18:19, so no textual difficulty there. No major textual variants affect the overall meaning of the verse.
Reception History
Jewish commentators such as Rashi, Kimchi, and Abarbanel interpreted the river as the Euphrates, connecting the drying to the defeat of Assyrian power. The Targum reads the verse as God lifting his stroke upon the Euphrates. Early Christian interpreters (Jerome, Theodoret) saw both literal and spiritual meanings: the removal of physical barriers for the returning Jews and the removal of spiritual obstacles for the Gentile mission. In the Reformation, Calvin used the verse to emphasize God’s sovereignty over creation, while Matthew Henry applied it to the spread of the gospel. The imagery of the dried-up Euphrates was later taken up in Revelation 16:12, where the sixth bowl dries the Euphrates to prepare the way for the kings from the East, an image understood by many as the gathering of the nations for the final battle. Throughout history, this verse has been a source of hope for believers facing daunting circumstances, recalling that the same God who divided the sea can open any path.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God dismantles every barrier, The tongue of the sea and the mighty river are both reduced. No obstacle is too large for the Lord to remove when he sets his hand to gather his people.
- The second exodus outshines the first, The imagery deliberately echoes the crossing of the Red Sea and the Jordan, but the new deliverance is even more sweeping. The God who saved once will save again.
- Israel’s restoration is for the nations, Verses 10, 12 show that the ensign of Jesse draws the Gentiles. The highway is for Israel, but the Messiah’s kingdom welcomes all people.
Five-point outline
- The pattern: exodus as promise, God’s past acts are the template for future hope.
- The sea judged, The Egyptian sea is devoted to destruction; the Red Sea will not hinder the returning people.
- The river split, The Euphrates (or Nile) is smitten into seven shallow streams, making crossing easy.
- The wind of God, The scorching breath of the Lord dries up waters, showing creation obeys its Maker.
- The highway for the remnant, A clear road from Assyria, like the road from Egypt, leads the people home.
Illustration hooks
- A dried-up creek after a drought, Where children once waded across a stream, they now walk on baked mud. The Lord can make mighty rivers vanish like a summer creek.
- An interstate after a storm, Road crews clear landslides within hours. What seemed impassable becomes a open highway. God clears the way for his people when no one else can.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does this verse predict a literal event in the future, or is it symbolic of spiritual deliverance?
- How does this passage connect to the coming of the Messiah described earlier in Isaiah 11?
- If the river is the Euphrates, what does that say about the location of the end-times gathering of Israel?
Leading a Discussion
This verse vividly connects God’s past saving acts with his future deliverance. As you discuss it, pay attention to the prophetic imagery: a sea dried up, a river split into seven streams, and a highway for a scattered people. What does this tell us about the character of God and his commitment to restore his people?
Discussion questions
- Read Exodus 14:21 and compare it to Isaiah 11:15. What similarities do you see? What is different or intensified in Isaiah?
- The word “utterly destroy” (hecherim) carries the idea of placing something under a ban. Why would the prophet use such strong language for a body of water?
- Some commentators identify “the River” as the Nile; others as the Euphrates. Which interpretation fits the context of verses 11 and 16 better, and why?
- What does the “highway” in verse 16 symbolize for the returning exiles? How might this image apply to spiritual obstacles we face today?
- In what ways does this passage encourage believers who feel scattered, isolated, or blocked by circumstances?
- How does the inclusion of the Gentiles (v. 10) influence the way we read the Jewish-focused return language in verses 11, 16?
- If God can dry up seas and split rivers, what barriers in your own life seem smaller in light of his power? How can this hope shape your prayers this week?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| 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.’” |
| Exodus 7:21 | The fish that were in the river died. The river became foul. The Egyptians couldn’t drink water from the river. The blood was throughout all the land of Egypt. |
| Exodus 14:21 | Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and Yahweh caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. |
| Psalms 74:13 | You divided the sea by your strength. You broke the heads of the sea monsters in the waters. |
| Psalms 74:15 | You opened up spring and stream. You dried up mighty rivers. |
| Isaiah 7:20 | In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired in the parts beyond the River, even with the king of Assyria, the head and the hair of the feet; and it shall also consume the beard. |
| Isaiah 19:5 | The waters will fail from the sea, and the river will be wasted and become dry. |
| Isaiah 19:10 | The pillars will be broken in pieces. All those who work for hire will be grieved in soul. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
11 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke connects this prophecy to God's miraculous parting of the Red Sea, seeing the same pattern of divine power over water. He notes that the phrase may refer to the Euphrates, and parallels it with a story from Herodotus about Cyrus threatening to divide a river into many streams to make it passable.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes identifies the "tongue of the Egyptian Sea" as a branch of the Red Sea, not the Nile, and argues that "the river" refers to the Euphrates, not the Nile. He interprets the "seven streams" as God scattering the great river into many small rivulets, making it crossable. The passage figuratively promises that God will remove every obstacle to his people's deliverance.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin reads the "tongue of the sea" as a bay and the river as the Nile, barriers God will remove to free His people. He stresses that God used wind at the Exodus not because He needed it, but to demonstrate that every natural force remains under His absolute command.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible commentary notes a textual variant where "utterly destroy" may instead be read as "dry up," based on ancient versions. It also suggests "with his mighty wind" could mean "fierce heat of his breath," and explains "dryshod" literally means "in sandals," all evoking a miraculous passage like the Exodus.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes see this as God repeating the miracle of the Exodus, but on a larger scale. The "tongue" of the Egyptian Sea and the seven streams of the Nile represent every barrier God will smash so his people can cross dry-shod. The lifted hand and mighty wind show it is wholly God's doing, not human effort.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill reads this prophecy as a symbolic picture of God destroying two great end-time enemies: Rome (called spiritual Egypt) and the Ottoman Empire (symbolized by the Euphrates). The seven streams represent the many nations under Turkish rule, and drying them up clears every obstacle for God's people to freely come and embrace the Christian faith.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB emphasizes that this deliverance will surpass the first exodus, using imagery from the Red Sea crossing and the return from Babylon. He interprets the river being smitten into seven streams as making it easily crossed, symbolizing the removal of all obstacles for Israel's restoration.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch highlight that the prophet pictures the future redemption as a deliberate mirror of the Exodus, with God striking the Red Sea under a ban and splitting the Euphrates into seven shallow brooks so returnees walk through dry‑shod. They stress this vivid imagery, while noting it need not be fulfilled in exactly that literal form.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange insists that the heathen will seek the Messiah before Israel does, so the promised return of Israel can only come afterward. He treats this as a second exodus from a worldwide exile, gathering the remnant of both sexes from every land.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry reads the prophecy of the Messiah's kingdom as foreshadowed by Hezekiah's victory over Sennacherib. The great things God did for Judah became an ensign that drew neighboring nations, like the Babylonian ambassadors, to come and inquire.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley identifies the sea as the Red Sea, which he says is rightly called the Egyptian sea because it borders Egypt and was where the Egyptians drowned. He also specifies that the rivers refer to the Nile with its seven streams, a detail noted by many writers.