Jeremiah 46:6

6 “The swiftest runners cannot flee; the mightiest warriors cannot escape. By the Euphrates River to the north, they stumble and fall.

Jeremiah 46:6 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 46:6

Let not the swift flee away, nor the mighty men escape
Those that were swift of foot, like Asahel, or carried but light armour, let not such trust to their swiftness or light carriage; nor let the mighty man think to escape by reason of his great strength, to make his way through the enemy, and get out of his hands. Or this may be rendered as future, "the swift shall not flee away" ^F20 so the Targum; neither the one nor the other shall escape by the nimbleness of their heels, or the stoutness of their hearts: they shall stumble and fall toward the north, by the river Euphrates;
which lay north of Judea, where the prophet was, to whom this word came; and also was to the north of Egypt, whose destruction is here threatened: the place where this route and slaughter would be made was Carchemish, which was situated by that river; on the north side of which city, according to Abarbinel, the battle was; and which sense is mentioned by Kimchi, which the other follows.

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FOOTNOTES:

F20 (owny la) "non fugiet", Pagninus, Montanus; "non effugiet", Munster, Tigurine version.

Jeremiah 46:6 In-Context

4 Harness the horses, and mount the stallions. Take your positions. Put on your helmets. Sharpen your spears, and prepare your armor.

5 But what do I see? The Egyptian army flees in terror. The bravest of its fighting men run without a backward glance. They are terrorized at every turn,” says the LORD .

6 “The swiftest runners cannot flee; the mightiest warriors cannot escape. By the Euphrates River to the north, they stumble and fall.

7 “Who is this, rising like the Nile at floodtime, overflowing all the land?

8 It is the Egyptian army, overflowing all the land, boasting that it will cover the earth like a flood, destroying cities and their people.