Then I will make their waters clear: This verse begins with a strong Hebrew particle rendered Then. This particle draws attention to the following words. Many translations ignore it (so Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version). I will make their waters clear is literally “I will cause their waters to sink down” (compare New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh “I will let your waters settle”), which means the mud in the water will sink down to the bottom and the water itself will become quite clear.

And cause their rivers to run like oil: The Hebrew word for oil refers to “olive oil” (New International Reader’s Version, New Living Translation, New Century Version). If readers are not familiar with olive oil, translators may say “vegetable oil” or “oil for cooking.” If they use a word that simply means “oil,” they need to be sure that readers do not think this could be the oil used in cars and machinery. It is an oil used for cooking and food (see 27.17). But it is not clear exactly how the rivers will run like oil. Most translations do not try to clarify the sense of this simile. However, Contemporary English Version suggests the rivers will “be calm,” and New Living Translation says they will “flow as smoothly as oil” (similarly New Century Version, Revised English Bible, Moffatt). It is also possible that this line has basically the same meaning as the first one, with the oil referring to pure virgin olive oil, which is very clear. If translators cannot render this line literally and leave the point of comparison ambiguous here, they may choose one of the interpretations above by saying “and I will let your rivers flow as smooth as olive oil” or .”.. flow as clear as olive oil.”

The significance of the clean and calm water is unclear. Although it sounds like a good thing, it may actually foreshadow utter disaster for Egypt. Every year the Nile River flooded its banks and deposited a rich layer of silt on the ground. If this did not happen, little food would grow and the people would starve. Thus the muddy flood water was good for Egypt. If the water of the Nile was always clear, Egypt would be in real trouble. It would soon become a barren wasteland, as the next verse says. This verse emphasizes that God controls even the Nile River.

Says the Lord GOD: For this solemn pronouncement that God is speaking, see the comments on Ezek 32.8.

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .