Chapter Forty-Six

1–12. Prophecy concerning the defeat of the Egyptians at the Euphrates. 13–28. Prophecy concerning the conquest of Egypt by the Chaldeans.

Jer 46:1-12. The prophet turns with a call to the Egyptian army, standing under the command of Pharaoh Necho at the city of Carchemish on the Euphrates. Let the Egyptians arm themselves and prepare to meet the enemy – the Chaldeans. But no, confusion appears in their ranks and they flee, perishing from the enemy (Jer 17:6). The same defeat of the mighty Egyptians the prophet further depicts. The Egyptian forces rushed forward like the waters of the Nile rising in spring. Egypt gathered all its strength to fight the Chaldeans, but the Lord determined to destroy the Egyptian army hostile to the chosen people, and nothing can help Egypt, nothing will protect it from the terrible judgment of God, which Nebuchadnezzar will execute.

Jeremiah 46:1. The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations: This heading applies to the entire section from chapter XLVI through LI, where there are addresses concerning the heathen nations.

Jeremiah 46:2. Concerning Egypt, concerning the army of Pharaoh Necho, king of Egypt, which was at the river Euphrates in Carchemish, and which Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, defeated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, king of Judah. This verse serves as an introduction only to verses 8–12 of the present chapter. It was, of course, added to the address of verses 3–12 after the defeat of the Egyptians at Carchemish. Concerning Carchemish see Isa 10:9. The Egyptian army apparently had been standing here for a long time, perhaps besieging the city, when Nebuchadnezzar attacked it at his father’s command. This was probably in the 4th year of Jehoiakim (605 B.C.).

Jeremiah 46:9. Rise up, and mount the horses; stand forth in your helmets; polish your spears; put on your armor, you Ethiopians and Libyans bearing shields, and Lydians drawing and handling the bow; The auxiliary forces of the Egyptians are the Ethiopians, who lived to the south of Egypt, the Libyans or, more accurately, Put – the inhabitants of the country at the Red Sea, and finally the Lydians or, more accurately, Libyans (there were no Lydians in Africa), who lived to the west of Egypt.

Jeremiah 46:10. For this is the day of the Lord God of hosts, a day of vengeance, to take vengeance on His enemies; and the sword shall devour and be sated and drink its fill of blood; for there is a sacrifice of the Lord God of hosts in the land of the north by the river Euphrates. At that time the Egyptians were enemies of the chosen people and, consequently, enemies of Jehovah. Recently they had defeated the Judean king Josiah, and they held his son Jehoahaz in captivity.

Jeremiah 46:11. Go up to Gilead and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt; in vain you multiply remedies; there is no healing for you. See the explanation to Jer 8:22 and to Jer 30:13.

Jeremiah 46:12. The nations have heard of your shame, and the earth is full of your cry; for warrior has stumbled against warrior; they have both fallen together. Here there is indication of the panic that seized the Egyptian army, in which heroes or mighty warriors standing on the chariots collided with one another and fell. Jer 46:13-28. This contains another prophecy concerning Egypt, spoken probably during the reign of Pharaoh Hophra. The prophet declares that the Chaldeans will penetrate into the very heart of Egypt, and the Egyptian forces will be completely scattered (13–19). If Egypt now still seems powerful, this power of it will soon be destroyed. Nothing will save Egypt – neither the gods nor the king. However, this humiliation of Egypt will be only temporary. After the departure of the Chaldeans, it will revive again (20–26). At the end of the address (27–28), the prophet comforts the Judeans, languishing in captivity. If the heathen will be destroyed, then Jacob will only be punished.

Jeremiah 46:13. The word that the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, to strike the land of Egypt: This address apparently was delivered in Egypt. – Concerning the campaign of Nebuchadnezzar to Egypt – see chapter Jer 43:13.

Jeremiah 46:14. Declare in Egypt and proclaim in Migdol; proclaim also in Noph and in Tahpanhes; say, “Stand ready and prepare yourself, for the sword shall devour around you. “Around you” – that is, the lands of Philistine, Judah, and others.

Jeremiah 46:15. Why are your mighty ones prostrate? – They did not stand because the Lord pushed them down. “Your mighty ones” – according to Hebrew, abireicha – your strong ones, that is, your horses harnessed to war chariots (compare Jer 8:16). The verb is placed in the Hebrew text, as in the Russian, in the singular because the expression abireicha was considered equivalent to the expression: army. The LXX apparently read the word abir as Apis, seeing here a reference to the Egyptian god.

Jeremiah 46:16. He multiplied the fallen; they fell one on another and said, “Arise, and let us go back to our own people and to the land of our birth, away from the sword of the oppressor. God struck the Egyptian forces very hard, and the mercenaries serving in these forces, seeing the danger threatening them, resolved to flee to their own countries.

Jeremiah 46:17. Call out the name: “Pharaoh, king of Egypt, is a noise; he has let the appointed time go by. It is better to translate as in the LXX: “Call out the name to Pharaoh, king of Egypt,” “You made much noise, but let the appointed time go by!” This is apparently a mockery of Pharaoh Hophra, who thought much of himself.

Jeremiah 46:18. As I live, says the King whose name is the Lord of hosts: surely, like Tabor among the mountains and like Carmel by the sea, so shall he come. Only Jehovah always maintains His royal dignity and His great name, in contrast to the weak Pharaoh. He will surely do His work – He will send to Egypt “him,” that is, the king of Babylon, who will rule there, just as the high mountains of northern Palestine, Tabor and Carmel, dominate the lands lying around them.

Jeremiah 46:19. Pack your bags for exile, O daughter dwelling in Egypt; for Noph shall be deserted, left without inhabitant. “Pack your bags” – for example, a staff, a sack. – “Daughter dwelling” – that is, the inhabitants of Egypt (compare Jer 4:31).

Jeremiah 46:20. Egypt is a beautiful young cow; but a destruction comes from the north, it comes. “Cow” – a heifer, healthy and strong – a symbol of strength (compare Hos 10:11). “Destruction” – according to the Hebrew, kerez – can mean “a gadfly” as well. The latter meaning would be more fitting here.

Jeremiah 46:22. The sound of Egypt is like a fleeing snake; for her enemies come in force and come upon her with axes, like wood-cutters; It is more correct to translate: “The sound of Egypt now is like the weak noise that a rapidly slithering snake makes,” which has been disturbed in the forest by woodcutters. And before, of course, Egypt spoke loudly!

Jeremiah 46:25. The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says: Behold, I will punish Amun of Thebes, and Pharaoh and Egypt, and her gods and her kings, and Pharaoh and those who trust in him; Amun of Thebes – this is the chief god of Upper Egypt, also called by the name of the city Thebes-Amun (Nah 3:8). Thebes. – Pharaoh is mentioned once as a king, and once, apparently, as a god, as which he considered himself.

Jeremiah 46:26. And I will deliver them into the hands of those who seek their lives, into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and his servants; but afterward Egypt shall be inhabited, as in former days, says the Lord. “Shall be inhabited” – that is, Egypt will lose its independence only for a time.

Jeremiah 46:27. But you, do not fear, My servant Jacob, and do not be dismayed, Israel; for behold, I will save you from far away, and your offspring from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and have quiet and ease, and none shall make him afraid. Jeremiah 46:28. Do not fear, O My servant Jacob, says the Lord; for I am with you; I will make a full end of all the nations to which I have driven you, but of you I will not make a full end; I will chasten you in just measure, and I will by no means leave you unpunished. Here Jeremiah repeats thoughts he expressed in Jer 30:10 and following verses. The prophet wants by this repetition to arouse in the Hebrews hope for future salvation. If the proud Egyptians still find mercy with God, then the humble Hebrews, living in a foreign land, have greater right to count on this mercy. Special remarks to chapters XLVI, XLVII, XLVIII, and XLIX after chapter XLIX.