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Bulrush (2)

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Bulteau, Louis

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is used synonymously with "RUSH" in the A. V. as the rendering of two Hebrew words.' (See REED).

1. AGMON', אִגְמוֹן, in Isaiah 9:13; Isaiah 19:15, in the proverbial expression "branch and rush," equivalent to high and low alike (the Sept. has μέγαν καὶ μικρόν in one passage, ἀρχὴν καὶ τέλος in the other), and in Isaiah 58:6, the Hebrew term is rendered "bulrush." The word is derived from אָגָם, agan', a marsh, because the bulrush grows in marshy ground. The bulrush was platted into ropes (A. V. "hook"), as appears from Job 41:2 (see Bochart, Hieroz. 2, 772; comp. Plin. Nat. Hist. 19, 2). The Sept. has κρίκος in the latter passages. (See RUSH).

2. GOME', גֹּמֶא (from גָּמָא, to drink up, referring to the porous nature of the plant, as absorbing moisture: hence the Latin name biblus; comp. "bibula papyrus" in Lucan, 4:136), occurs Exodus 2:3 (where Sept. omits); Isaiah 18:2 (Sept. βίβλος ); 35, 7 (Sept. ἕλος ); Job 8:11 (Sept. πάπυρος ); in the first two of which passages it is translated in our version by "bulrush," and in the last two by "rush," and is undoubtedly the Egyptian papyrus (papyrus Nilotica), so famous in the history of writing, and from which the word paper is derived. It is the Cyperus papyrus of modern botany. It was anciently very abundant in Egypt, but is now very scarce there. It is found in great abundance, however, in Syria and Abyssinia. The Egyptians used this plant for garments, shoes, baskets, various kinds of utensils, and especially for boats. It was the material of the ark (q.v.) in which Moses was exposed, and of it the vessels mentioned in Isaiah 18:2 were formed. This practice is referred to by Lucan (4. 136) and by Pliny (13. 11, s. 22). (Comp. Celsius, Hierob. 2, 137-152.) (See PAPYRUS).