### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **ʻârâh**, represented by `{{H6169}}`, refers to a **paper reed** or a **naked (i.e. level) plot**. It appears only **1 time** in **1 unique verse** in the Bible, where it serves as a specific detail in a prophecy of judgment against Egypt's natural resources.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In its sole biblical appearance, `{{H6169}}` is used in a prophecy of desolation. The verse describes a scene of complete agricultural collapse along the life-giving waterways of Egypt: "The **paper reeds** by the brooks, by the mouth of the brooks, and every thing sown by the brooks, shall wither, be driven away, and be no more" [[Isaiah 19:7]]. Here, the **paper reeds** represent a part of the natural vegetation that will be utterly destroyed as a sign of divine judgment.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words from its context in [[Isaiah 19:7]] enrich its meaning:
* `{{H2975}}` **yᵉʼôr** (brook, river): This word frequently refers specifically to the Nile river, the source of Egypt's sustenance. Its presence in Pharaoh's dream [[Genesis 41:1]] and as the target of the first plague [[Exodus 7:17]] establishes it as central to Egypt's identity and vulnerability.
* `{{H3001}}` **yâbêsh** (wither, dry up): This verb describes the fate of the paper reeds. It is also used to depict the withering of grass [[Isaiah 40:8]] and the drying up of rivers [[Zechariah 10:11]], linking the judgment to a broader theme of transient life.
* `{{H5086}}` **nâdaph** (be driven away, shaken): This word portrays the final state of the withered reeds. It is the same term used to describe worthless chaff that the wind drives away [[Psalms 1:4]] and a mere leaf shaken in fear [[Leviticus 26:36]].
* `{{H6310}}` **peh** (mouth, edge): In this context, it denotes the "mouth of the brooks," or the river's edge. Elsewhere, the word is used for God’s own mouth, from which His powerful and effective word proceeds [[Isaiah 55:11]].
* `{{H4218}}` **mizrâʻ** (thing sown): This term encompasses all the cultivated plants alongside the wild paper reeds, showing the comprehensive nature of the prophesied destruction [[Isaiah 19:7]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H6169}}` is derived entirely from its singular, powerful context.
* **Judgment on Earthly Reliance:** The destruction of the **paper reeds** and all things sown by the brooks `{{H2975}}` demonstrates judgment against a nation's reliance on its own natural and economic strength, symbolized by the river Nile.
* **The Frailty of Creation:** The image of a simple reed that withers `{{H3001}}` and is driven away `{{H5086}}` serves as a potent metaphor for the fragility of all earthly things when faced with the authority of God.
* **Divine Sovereignty:** The prophecy in [[Isaiah 19:7]] shows God's absolute control over the natural world, able to turn a lush, productive region into a barren wasteland to fulfill His purposes.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H6169}}` **ʻârâh** is a highly specific term whose significance is magnified by its rare usage. Its single appearance in scripture is not incidental but serves as a key detail in a vivid depiction of divine judgment. It powerfully illustrates how even the most foundational elements of a nation's prosperity, like the reeds along its river, are subject to God and can be removed to demonstrate His ultimate sovereignty.
TRV