What does Isaiah 19:8 mean?

Even during the most unsettled times in the ancient Near East, Egypt was generally strong and self-reliant. Its geographical region made it more difficult to conquer than other nations. But it was the ever-flowing Nile River and all the predictable bounty it provided that allowed the Egyptians to thrive even when other nations suffered. Droughts, wars, and upheavals did not affect them the same way as other nations. However, when the Nile failed to flood, the nation would be destitute (Genesis 41:1–4, 28–31).

The Lord is insisting that the people of Judah should not try to avoid disaster by turning to Egypt for help. He wants Israel to trust in Him alone, even under the threat of mighty enemies such as the Assyrians or Babylonians. To show His people how unreliable Egypt is to save them, the Lord describes what will happen when He stops the Nile from flowing (Isaiah 19:5–7).

Isaiah has already described the loss of vegetation and the farmland produced by the annual flooding. Egypt's famous wheat harvests will end. Now the Lord says that the same will be true of the fishing industry. All who earn their living fishing from the river will lament the lack of means to care for their families. The nation will lose another source of food, and the fisherman would lose the ability to provide for their own.